Two New Jersey Districts Win National Honors

Two New Jersey Districts Win National Honors

Two New Jersey school districts have been recognized in the American School Board Journal’s 15th annual Magna Awards program, which recognizes districts across the country for outstanding programs that advance student learning and encourage community involvement. Passaic Valley Regional High School in Little Falls is a first-place winner in the under 5,000 enrollment category. The school’s program, Science in the Cinema STARS (Students, Teachers, and Research Scientists), allows students to interact with research scientists through videoconference discussions. Recent projects have included visits from research scientists in medicine, genetics, anthropology and cellular biology. Upper Freehold Regional School District in Allentown received an honorable mention in the under 5,000 enrollment category for its random drug testing program for high school students. The program emphasizes deterrence and remediation rather than punishment, and promotes voluntary testing. American School Board Journal, which is published by the National School Boards Association, initiated the Magna Awards in 1995. This year’s three grand prizes, 15 first place and 15 honorable mention awards, were selected from more than 340 submissions by an independent panel of school board members, administrators and other educators.

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