The Voorhees Township Board of Education celebrated student achievement, honored longtime employees and reviewed several district initiatives during its Oct. 28 meeting, which also included the appointment of a new assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.
Among the evening’s highlights were a presentation by Kresson Elementary School’s Math Olympiad Club, recognition of 17 employees marking 25 years of service, and updates on student safety, special education assessments and district finances.
New assistant superintendent appointed
The board unanimously approved the appointment of Krista Travaglini as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.
Following the vote, Travaglini addressed board members and expressed her enthusiasm for joining the district’s leadership team.
“I am very excited and honored to be able to serve as the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction here in Voorhees Township,” she said.
Travaglini emphasized her commitment to supporting educators and working collaboratively with district administrators to ensure students receive high-quality instruction.
“I believe that every child deserves high-quality education and instruction,” she said, adding that student success would remain at the forefront of decision-making.
The board also approved the district’s 2027-28 school calendar. Board President Monica Watson acknowledged the collaboration involved in developing the calendar, particularly efforts to align district days off with Eastern Regional High School.
Kresson students showcase mathematical skills
Students from Kresson Elementary School’s Math Olympiad Club opened the meeting with a presentation highlighting the program’s successful first year.
Fourth-grade teacher Amanda Kerr launched the club after recognizing that students in her accelerated math classes enjoyed challenging themselves and exploring advanced mathematical concepts.
“I noticed that many of my students love mathematics and enjoyed challenging themselves,” Kerr explained. “I wanted to create a program where they could be challenged regularly while developing advanced skills.”
Open to accelerated math students in fourth and fifth grades, the club meets weekly to introduce creative problem-solving techniques and prepare students for mathematics competitions.
During its inaugural year, participants completed five contests, with the highest-scoring students earning 16 out of 25 possible points.
District officials praised the program’s success and noted that principals from two additional schools had expressed interest in introducing Math Olympiad clubs.
District honors 25 years of service
The board also recognized 17 employees for reaching 25 years of service in the Voorhees Township School District. Honorees included: Jami Bagnell (Voorhees Middle School); Elaine Bansch (Kresson); Jessica Cianfrani (Signal Hill); Laura Ehly (Signal Hill); Robin Euler (Voorhees Middle School); Cindy Federman (Voorhees Middle School); Alison Ferrell (E.T. Hamilton); Kumad Jadeja (E.T. Hamilton); Wendy Koenig (Signal Hill); Barbara Kristman (Osage); Joyce Laurella (Voorhees Middle School); Angela Long (Voorhees Middle School); Claudia Parisi (Osage); Stacey Reeve (E.T. Hamilton); Peggy Rolf (E.T. Hamilton); Jennifer Sansone (Osage); and Randi Swift (Voorhees Middle School).
The honorees represented a variety of roles, including classroom teachers, instructional associates, administrative staff and food service employees.
Throughout the ceremony, board members shared personal stories about the employees’ careers, their dedication to students and the relationships they have developed within the school community.
Several employees began their careers in one district building before transitioning to other schools or positions, while others have spent their entire careers serving students in the same building.
Board members acknowledged the significance of the milestone and the dedication required to serve a school community for more than two decades.
“I think that’s a testament to our district,” the board president said. “The fact that on any given year tonight we had 17 25-year service award recipients. That’s exceptional.”
Student safety and bullying reports reviewed
District administrators presented the results of the 2025-26 Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (HIB) self-assessment and Student Safety Data System report.
The district’s HIB self-assessment score increased to approximately 77.6 out of 78 possible points, continuing an upward trend over the past several years.
Administrators reported that the district met or exceeded state requirements across all eight areas evaluated, including staff training, prevention programs, reporting procedures and investigations.
The Student Safety Data System report identified 41 reportable incidents districtwide during the 2025-26 school year, a decrease of two from the previous year.
Voorhees Middle School accounted for 23 incidents, while the remaining incidents occurred across the district’s elementary schools and Early Childhood Development Center.
Although the middle school experienced increases in some categories, including substance abuse and vandalism, administrators reported a substantial reduction in confirmed HIB cases.
Confirmed HIB incidents at the middle school decreased by 11, while allegations investigated and found to be unsubstantiated declined by 19.
Districtwide HIB investigations also decreased from 62 to 45.
Administrators attributed continued attention to bullying prevention to educational initiatives, staff training and established disciplinary procedures.
The district also held a virtual parent workshop on harassment, intimidation and bullying on Oct. 6 and introduced additional resources during back-to-school events.
Special education assessment results show progress
The board reviewed results from the Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) assessment, an alternative to the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.
During the spring testing period, 19 district students participated in the English language arts assessment, with students also completing mathematics and science assessments based on their grade levels.
District officials reported that 21% of students achieved the target or advanced performance levels in English language arts, compared with 20% the previous year.
In mathematics, the reported percentage increased from 32% to 42%.
Administrators emphasized that the assessments are intended to guide individualized instruction and identify opportunities to improve classroom supports.
The district continues to use specialized instructional programs, adaptive learning materials and communication devices to help students access grade-level educational standards.
Staff members also receive ongoing training in instructional strategies, behavioral supports and assistive communication tools.
During the discussion, board members asked how the district determines whether students with particularly complex needs can be effectively educated within district programs.
Administrators explained that they prioritize keeping students in their home district whenever possible, while working closely with families to identify alternative placements when necessary.
Substitute teacher pay to remain unchanged
Superintendent Dr. Neely Hackett also addressed concerns raised during the September board meeting regarding substitute teacher compensation.
The district conducted an updated comparison of regular daily substitute pay across 12 surrounding school districts.
According to Hackett, seven of those districts offered lower regular daily rates, four offered higher rates and one matched Voorhees.
Based on those findings, district officials determined that Voorhees’ substitute teacher compensation remains competitive.
Hackett acknowledged the contributions of substitute teachers but said ongoing financial pressures, particularly rising health care and transportation expenses, made an increase difficult to justify.
“Given our current budgetary constraints and the results of our comparative analysis, we do not believe at this time it would be fiscally sound to approve an increase in our substitute rate,” Hackett said.
She added that the district would continue monitoring compensation rates and revisit the issue if adjustments became necessary.
Additional district updates
The meeting included several other announcements related to academics, extracurricular activities and operations.
Voorhees Township Public Schools has been selected to participate in a state-supported early literacy initiative that will pair district instructional leaders with a regional coach from the New Jersey Department of Education. The program will be provided at no cost to the district.
Hackett also congratulated the Voorhees Middle School field hockey team for completing an undefeated championship season. The team and its coaches are expected to receive formal recognition at an upcoming board meeting.
District officials announced that Nutri-Serve, the school district’s food service provider, received an A rating from Niche, a first for the district’s food service operations.
The board’s policy committee also discussed proposed heat safety guidelines for student athletes. A second reading of the policy was postponed until November to allow additional clarification regarding its application to middle school sports and existing temperature-related safety procedures.
Other committee discussions included the district’s digital pass system, artificial intelligence policies, building maintenance, potential grant opportunities and a traffic study proposal.
The district is also preparing to present New Jersey Student Learning Assessment results in November.
The next Voorhees Township Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Nov. 16.
