Summary of May 15 Delegate Assembly

The NJSBA Annual Delegate Assembly met May 15 at the Wyndham Conference Center in Plainsboro to elect Association officers to serve from 2010-2012. The election of officers was covered in the May 19 issue of School Board Notes. Delegates also considered two resolutions:

Resolution No. 1 from Glassboro (Gloucester) requested that NJSBA’s Manual of Positions and Policies on Education, File Code 6174, Summer School and Weekend Classes policy, be revised to allow districts to charge students domiciled in the district for remedial and/or advanced classes taken during a summer school program. Approved with the following substitute policy language:

The NJSBA believes boards should be permitted to charge fees to pupils attending non-credit or credit summer, weekend, advanced and enrichment programs. NJSBA further believes that districts should assume the cost for those students who do not have the ability to pay as determined by federal and/or state law.

Resolution No. 2 from South Plainfield (Middlesex) requested that NJSBA’s Manual of Positions and Policies on Education, File Code 5131.5, Vandalism and Violence, be revised to include that school districts are permitted to and may take whatever action they deem appropriate to protect their students from harassment, intimidation and/or bullying even when there is an ongoing criminal investigation; and further that such language should not be construed as authorizing school districts to interfere or intercede in any way with an ongoing criminal investigation involving District pupils. Approved with the following revised policy language:

Paragraph C:

The NJSBA believes that the State Board of Education, the New Jersey State Department of Education, the State Legislature, and other agencies should assign a high priority to the issue of school violence, harassment, intimidation and bullying through providing means for local school districts to:

• promote a district-wide attitude of sensitivity in dealing with others;
• investigate school violence, harassment, intimidation and bullying and promulgate methods of preventing and combating them, including policies and other strategies for prevention during a pending criminal or school investigation of a student;
• train staff to respond quickly and appropriately to incidents of violence, harassment, intimidation and bullying;
• provide means for increasing supervision in activities outside the classroom; include topics in the curriculum that address the causes and prevention of violence, harassment, intimidation and bullying; and encourage students, teachers, and others who may be victims of violence, harassment, intimidation and bullying to report such actions to school officials.

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