Collingswood Education Still Average—Almost, Letter Writer Says

Joanna Mills writes there is 'no reason why Collingswood can’t be better academically than what it currently is.' Superintendent Scott Oswald offers his response as well.

To the Editor: Some months ago the NJ Department of Education released the results for the 2012 HSPA exams. While the numbers do indicate a year over year improvement since 2010, Collingswood still falls just short, again, of the state average scores. Remember readers, “average” is just as close to the bottom as it is to the top. What follows is a side-by-side comparison for the past three years.   Year PP Math P Math AP Math   Year PP Math P Math AP Math State 2012 20.7 51.8 27.5   CHS 2012 22.4 55.1 22.4 State 2011 24.8 49.9 25.3   CHS 2011 28.9 55.2 16.0 State 2010 25.9 50.1 24.0   CHS 2010 30.5 51.4 18.2                   Year PP Lang. Arts P Lang Arts AP Lang Arts   Year PP Lang. Arts P Lang Arts AP Lang Arts State 2012 8.5 69.7 21.8…

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Some Extra State Aid Negated by Increased Fees for Schools

In what the Christie administration calls 'the largest appropriation of K-12 education dollars in the state’s history,' Collingswood got a modest bump in its state aid to schools.

Collingswood Schools Get More State Aid—With a Catch

New Jersey state education aid increased to its highest levels ever, and Collingswood will see more money in its coffers as a result. But not as much as it seems on paper.

In what the Christie administration calls “the largest appropriation of K-12 education dollars in the state’s history,” Collingswood got a modest bump in its state aid to schools. The district will receive 1.6 percent more in the coming year than it does now. State aid will total $10,311,157 million, an increase of $164,871. But the district also was assessed a higher fee for debt service, negating some of that state aid increase in the overall budget. The state assessed Collingswood a $194,346 fee, about $70,000 more than the prior year. The fees started under the Christie administration and have steadily increased for Collingswood schools, district business administrator Beth Ann Coleman said. With the higher debt fee, Collingswood comes…

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Collingswood School Board Sets 2013 Meetings

The school board publishes its 2013 meeting schedule. Find out which dates the board will meet.

Collingswood’s board of education agreed on Monday to its schedule of upcoming meetings for the year. The board will keep to its schedule of meeting the fourth Monday of each month, unless otherwise noted. All meetings begin at 7 p.m. in the Zane-North all-purpose room. The Collingswood Board of Education 2013 meeting schedule is: Jan. 28 Feb. 25 (tentative budget presentation) March 25 April 22 May 28 (Tuesday, Youth in Government) June 24 Aug. 26 Sept. 23 Oct. 28 Nov. 18 (third Monday) Dec. 16 (third Monday Jan. 6, 2014 (reorganization meeting) For more on Collingswood school board’s reorganization meeting, see Few Changes for Colls School Board in 2013 and Five Things That Happened at the BOE Meeting.

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Five Things That Happened at the School Board Meeting

From a new hire to a question about the elementary school honor roll, here are five things that went down at the Jan. 7 meeting of the Collingswood school board.

Collingswood’s board of education met Jan. 7 for its annual reorganization meeting. The quiet gathering saw the swearing-in of three board members and a few other goodies. Here’s what you missed: 1. The board voted to hire Sarah Bell as a district accountant at an annual salary of $65,000. Bell will work in the business office, handling financial responsibilities. The move frees up other staff to shift their duties to be more efficient, said Beth Ann Coleman, district business administrator. Coleman will make those shifts after Bell starts her position on March 1. Bell, who currently works for the district’s auditing firm, was hired as part of the Oaklyn Shared Business Services Agreement. The agreement is the fourth shared services …

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Few Changes for Colls School Board in 2013

Terry Moody takes his place as a school board member and the board agrees on who will hold the gavel in the coming year.

The Collingswood Board of Education will retain its top two leaders, as decided in a low-key reorganization meeting Monday night. The board unanimously handed over the gavel to last session's president, James Hatzell, to hold the same post in the upcoming year. Joan Smith will again serve as vice president; also a unanimous decision. With no sweeping changes or big-ticket policy items on the slate, the school board breezed through its reorganization meeting. The only thing new to come about was a first-year school board member. Terry Moody, a newcomer elected in November, took the oath of office, along with re-elected board members Hatzell and Kathleen McCarthy. It’s business as usual for the school board in 2013, Hatzell said after the …

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Earn Target Gift Cards for Collingswood Schools

A new promotion from Target helps Collingswood residents give back.

The 2012/13 school year is just around the corner (in Collingswood, classes start Sept. 5). Before students return to the classroom, however, you can help them earn valuable Target gift cards. Until September 8, Give With Target will host a vote on which local school they want to receive the gift cards. For every 25 votes, Target will send the school a $25 gift card.   Voting is free and is done via Facebook registration. Each eligible voter is only permitted to vote once per week and must be 13 or older to vote.  As of Friday, Aug. 10 here are the current totals for Collingswood schools:

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McLoughlin Supporters Weigh in at BOE Meeting

Video footage from the Tuesday night Board of Education meeting includes player and parent testimonials on boys' basketball coach Joe McLoughlin.

Five Things for This Week: 5/29 to 6/2

From an arts symposium to prom night, it's a big week for Collingswood students. Plus, canoeing up the Cooper and town-wide bargain-hunting.

1. Board of Education Meeting Tuesday, May 29, 7:30 p.m. Collingswood Middle School Auditorium On the docket are a few noteworthy items, including the Collingswood Teachers of the Year and a motion to finalize a shared administrative services agreement between the boroughs of Oaklyn and Collingswood. 2. Elementary School Arts Night Thursday, May 31, 7:30 p.m. Collingswood Middle School Auditorium Artwork from every elementary school-aged child in the district will be on display, set to a backdrop of music performed by the bands and choruses of Garfield, Newbie, Sharp, Tatem and Zane North. 3. Prom Promenade Friday, June 1, 6 p.m. Knight Park The proud parents of Collingswood high schoolers and their dates will be on hand to see their sons …

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Borough Approves 2012 Municipal Budget, Taxes Up

The average household will see a $20 increase in local property taxes for 2012 as the borough moves to complete some much-needed infrastructure projects.

After extending the deadline for its public presentation, the borough of Collingswood introduced and approved its 2012 municipal budget at the Monday meeting of borough commissioners—and taxes are going up. The average household will see an approximate increase of $20, or 0.7¢ per $100 of assessed property value, in 2012-13. That figure is calculated based on a home valued at $233,000, the borough average. The actual amount levied will increase from 87.9¢ per $100 of assessed property value in 2011 to 88.6¢ per $100 of assessed property value. To maintain the same level of services borough residents have come to expect, Collingswood has enacted a variety of cost-cutting measures in recent years, including the layoffs of some 26 full-time …

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