This year, Rutherford Public Schools won 3^rd Place in the Special Interest Publication category for the four-page newsletter mailed by the district in February. The mailer included upbeat stories like staff spotlights, which called attention to those who went above and beyond to connect with students during a very challenging year.

NJSPRA developed the School Communication Awards competition to “recognize professional school communicators and other school leaders managing communications for developing tools that go above and beyond in disseminating important messages to their publics.”

Last year, Rutherford won 1^st Place in the Special Interest Publication category for the four-page newsletter mailed by the district in advance of its September 2019 bond referendum and 2^nd Place in the Marketing/Branding/Image category for the “One Rutherford” theme that is symbolized by a collegiate-looking R whose backbone doubles as a 1.

This year, 78 entries were submitted for eight different award categories – the largest number of submissions to date. Judges were communications professionals from nine states.

“We are thrilled and honored to be recognized again by the New Jersey School Public Relations Association,” said Jack Hurley, Superintendent of Rutherford School District. “We really worked hard last year to keep the community up to date with what was happening within the district. The newsletter was created to not just share information, but also some positivity during a time when many people were really hit with pandemic fatigue.”

The post Rutherford school district wins school communications award For the second year in a row can be found on Rutherford Public Schools.

As you may know, Mr. Morano and Dr. Velechko are chairing a committee of administrators and supervisors that has been meeting since the middle of May to review and develop plans for September. Over the past few weeks, this committee has been expanded to include over sixty additional staff members—teachers, supervisors, administrators, nurses, counselors, child study team members, bus drivers, secretaries, maintenance workers, custodians, and Board of Education members. These groups are now broken down into six subcommittees including Health and Safety; Facilities and Transportation; Teaching and Learning; Social and Emotional Learning; Athletics and Co-curricular Activities; and Community Outreach. All committees have been meeting on a regular basis. They are diligently working on the development of a plan to safely reopen schools in September.

It is our goal to share preliminary plan information by the end of next week. We will then reach out to parents and the community for feedback.

Once again, thank you for all of your support this past school year. We will stay together as OneRutherford and be ready for the 2020-2021 school year.

Regards,

Jack Hurley

Superintendent of Schools

The post A Message from Mr. Hurley July 9, 2020 can be found on Rutherford Public Schools.

I hope you are doing well as we continue working together through the health emergency.

As a reminder, classes via distance learning will resume on Monday, April 20.

Governor Murphy announced today that school buildings will remain closed until at least May 15.

The administration, teachers, and staff have and will be continuing to meet virtually on a regular basis on many topics which include:

• The further enhancement and refinement of distance learning programs, activities, and expanded use of video conferencing. Virtual meetings are being held on grade levels, departments, and building wide.
• The continued focus on wellness and social emotional learning.
• The reopening of registration for incoming Kindergarteners and new students who will start school in September 2020.
• The fate of summer programs—Summer Enrichment Academy (formerly JumpStart) Summer Stem, and Summer Music. Will we be allowed to hold these if schools don’t reopen this year?  When will we resume registration in anticipation of running programs.
• How ESY programs for Special Education students will be held.
• While we are hopeful that we may be able to return to school, we are planning on how to proceed with end-of-the year activities. From the celebrations of graduation, to the need to collect books and equipment from students and teachers and have students and teachers get their personal belongings still in school.

The list of present imperatives and the list of rapidly approaching events are all being discussed and planned on many tiers ranging from best case to worst case scenarios. As plans are finalized they will be shared by building principals with students and parents.

I miss the nearly 3000 faculty, staff and students who fill the buildings every day with energy, enthusiasm, success, joys, perseverance and progress. I miss it all and I know you do as well. I know that our students miss school, their teachers, and their classmates probably more than they ever imagined they would. I spent most of my career in the High School as a teacher, a coach, and a principal. I know the excitement  of spring sports, concerts, prom, and graduation. As superintendent, I have seen on every grade level and every building that the end of the year brings a sense of excitement, accomplishment, and celebration. I want to see our students, faculty, staff and parents experience those feelings and celebrate those significant moments.

The uncertainty is hard. We prepare for a return while we prepare for what to do if we can’t return. Spring sports, concerts, social events and class projects may be  temporarily suspended or gone for this year, but we continue to work together on a different game plan, score, and project. We have followed the social distancing guidelines. We have put others before ourselves. We have banded together to make school lessons meaningful and to ensure that our children and students are getting the best opportunities that distance learning can provide. We all have modeled for the children and it is no surprise that the students have modeled for us, flexibility, responsibility, teamwork, adaptability, and industry. This can be our finest moment as we come through this crisis stronger as a school and a community.

Let’s continue to work together, hope together, stay together, and be #BulldogStrong.

Stay well,

Jack Hurley

Superintendent of Schools

The post Message from Mr. Hurley April 16, 2020 can be found on Rutherford Public Schools.

It has been a challenging time for us all, but I also find that the social distancing rules we are following have allowed time to reflect on the many positive things often taken for granted. I am so appreciative of the entire school community who have come together quickly and efficiently and put a program in place that provides our students with a strong education. The students, the parents, the teachers, and the staff have all distinguished themselves by their talents, actions and attitude. I am appreciative of the work being done by our Board of Education, the Mayor and Council, and most importantly all of the people working in the health departments, hospitals, health facilities, doctors’ offices and serving as EMT, fire fighters, and police officers. They have been on the front line every day. I come to the office daily at Borough Hall and see the dedicated school employees, school custodians and maintenance, Borough DPW workers, members of various departments of the municipal government and the school system who are here each day to make sure that service are still provided and up-to-date and accurate information regarding the pandemic is understood, acted upon, and shared.

Thank you all. It is a privilege to be part of such a great community.

As you know, Spring Recess will begin on Friday, April 10. Classes will resume on April 20. Distance learning will continue, following the same schedule, while planning once again for a two week interval of online instruction. Governor Murphy had previously announced that he would not revisit a decision about school reopening until at least April 17; however, the federal government subsequently announced that social distancing rules would remain in effect until April 30. To be in compliance with the federal extension, we do not expect any change in the educational platform prior to April 30. As I have informed you at the start of the closure, reopening the school is not a local decision. Flexibility and preparation are paramount during his time. April 30 is not an end date. It is milepost for review.

Teachers, administrators and staff have been working to develop, revise and augment plans as we continue the journey through these hitherto unknown and ever changing waters. Additional use of video conferencing with classes and groups of students, the use of video and audio conferencing for related services, counseling sessions, and parent meetings, and finding creative ways to keep the artists, musicians, and athletes engaged have all been implemented, expanded, or planned. Although we are not certain of a return date, we are beginning discussions and planning regarding end of the year activities, ceremonies, and graduations in order to be ready when we return to the buildings or if there is continuation of the distance learning.

The business of education is also continuing. The Board of Education held a meeting via Zoom, and will continue to hold meetings in that manner until the moratorium on large group meetings is lifted. The administrative and supervisory teams, the faculty, academic departments and grade level teams, have all been meeting via video conferencing. Contracts were awarded for the facility projects at the Kindergarten Center, the Union School floor replacement, and the renovation of the science labs at the High School. Work on those projects, as well as the Lincoln School addition of two classrooms, are slated to begin in June. We have held meetings with architects, project managers, and the contractors via video conferencing.

I will continue to update you on District information. I know you are also receiving updates and messages from the principals and teachers. Please reach out to them or me if you have questions, concerns, or needs.

I hope you find time for relaxation and reflection over the break. If you are celebrating Passover or Easter, it will be a different celebration than in past years, but I wish you a happy holiday.

Stay well, stay #BulldogStrong, and stay together as the cohesive community we are.

Regards,

Jack Hurley

Superintendent of Schools

The post Distance Learning Update can be found on Rutherford Public Schools.

A summary of the new plans is linked.

Jack Hurley
Superintendent of Schools

The post Facility Plans Update can be found on Rutherford Public Schools.

Jack Hurley

Superintendent of School

The post Referendum – October 2, 2018 can be found on Rutherford Public Schools.

Following extensive research, site visits, meetings with community stakeholders, and community-wide surveys conducted by a committee of school and community members, the need for expanded and improved facilities became clear. The enrollment in the district has grown and will continue to grow at the rate of one percent a year for the next five years for a total of approximately 120 additional students. There are currently 85 classes in district with 25 or more students. Enrollment numbers will increase and conditions will grow even more overcrowded. There are no science or STEM laboratories in Union School. The science labs in the High School were last upgraded in 1976. The 1958 facade of the Mortimer wing is energy inefficient; the windows can no longer be replaced and are not able to withstand strong winds. The gyms at Union and Pierrepont, the lunchroom at Pierrepont, the cafeteria at the High School, and classrooms and handicap accessibility at the Kindergarten Center are inadequate and sub-standard.

A plan to address these and other concerns has been developed and is currently being reviewed by the Board of Education. The Board will decide if a plan should go forward to a referendum vote. A referendum will ask the community to decide the direction of the future of the schools by voting to allow the BOE to bond for the needed improvements.

Full details about the research, the needs, the plans, and the tax impact on the community can be found at our facilities website (rutherfordschools.org/fac). The plans have been presented at two Superintendent Roundtables, as well as several board meetings. There have been numerous public discussions at Board meetings and PTA meetings. It has been the focal point of my monthly “Word from the Superintendent” and written about in several news articles.

I am asking you to please visit the website, review the facts, and let your voice be heard. The decision of the Board and the ultimate decision of the entire community needs to be guided by all of the voices in the school community.

As you may be aware, there has been a campaign by individuals who want the plan altered, and, if not altered, defeated so that the pool used by the YMCA at the High School is maintained. The only feasible way to provide the needed space for students and curriculum programs at the High School while maintaining the pool for YMCA use would be to build behind the High School. One proposal would include new construction for an additional cost of $2.5 million with a loss of 15 to 20 percent of the field. Another proposal would add a two-story building with a $6 million increase to the cost with little or no field encroachment. Most of the cost of either alternative will receive limited or no state aid. Keep in mind that the pool is not a part of the school curriculum. It is used exclusively by the YMCA with one exception: the RHS swim team uses the pool for two hours a day for approximately two and one half-months a year. There have been preliminary discussions with other pools regarding the swim team practice and meets if the pool is converted to a cafeteria. The swim team would join our other sports, such as our championship football team, baseball, soccer, track, tennis, softball, and bowling teams, who practice and play at sites off-campus not owned by the Board of Education.

Today, I am inviting you to become more informed and to let your voice be heard. Visit the website and email me and the Board at the link you will find on our facilities website. Whatever the community decides in the upcoming months will shape the future of students for decades to come. Let us strive to make the best decision.

You can access the Facilities Website for complete information about the plans being reviewed. Click on the Facilities graphic on the district website or for easier access, go directly to rutherfordschools.org/fac.

Sincerely,

Jack Hurley
Superintendent of School

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PDF copy of this letter can be found on this link

The post Facilities Plan can be found on Rutherford Public Schools.

Jack Hurley, Superintendent of Schools

The post The District’s new Facilities website can be found on Rutherford Public Schools.

The post School security presentation can be found on Rutherford Public Schools.

On Monday September 25 at the “Superintendent’s Roundtable,” I presented potential solutions to the challenges facing the District as we strive to maintain and improve the curriculum and programs for the students and the entire community. The Board of Education and the administration have responded to the report of the Long Term Strategic Planning Committee by developing conceptual plans that address expanding and modernizing facilities and programs. Please view the video, linked below, of the Roundtable presentation. The presentation clearly and thoroughly explains the conceptual plans. It will also enable each of
you to send comments reflecting your support, concerns, questions, or suggestions. Those comments can be emailed to facilities@rutherfordschools.org.

A PowerPoint, which is embedded in the video, is also below as a separate attachment. I recommend viewing the video for a better understanding of the concepts presented in the PowerPoint.

I urge you to take the time to view the video. I invite you to be an informed and active partner as we journey together on the “Road to Success with the Rutherford Public Schools.”

Sincerely,

Jack Hurley
Superintendent of Schools

PowerPoint presentation link PDF

The post Road to Success with the Rutherford Public Schools can be found on Rutherford Public Schools.