Superintendent Stephen Cappello sat down with The Sun to talk about what’s on tap for 2019
Stephen Finn
The Sun
2019 is promising to be an interesting year for Cinnaminson schools. The district will see some new faces and new offerings for students. Superintendent Stephen Cappello laid out some of the goals the district hopes to achieve in the year ahead.
A board of education goal that has been in the works over the course of the last year will come to fruition early in 2019. The addition of Class III Special Law Enforcement Officers dedicated exclusively to patrolling local schools began as an initiative in the wake of the tragic Parkland, Fla., school shootings.
According to Cappello, two officers stepped into this role after the Thanksgiving holiday, and 2019 will see a third addition to this team, allowing for full coverage of the district.
“I think the program will be a model for many of our neighbors in the county,” said Cappello. “The events of last year in Florida and Texas have fallen into the background in the headlines but they have stayed in the forefront of our minds as administrators, board of education and school leaders. In that regard, we feel really positive about the fact that we now have three officers in place. It increases not only our coverage of the schools but in the level of confidence we have in being prepared for our response to any situation.”
Upon return from the holidays in January, the board will be tackling the budget for the new fiscal year. According to Cappello, there are a number of items they will be addressing with the new budget.
The district is seeing an increasing special education population, particularly at the preschool level, and will be working to expand the current program to accommodate the numbers.
The addition of a high school engineering program will be coming at a net neutral cost to the public, as the district will be able to run the program with existing staff.
“We are looking to build a budget for next year that is fiscally responsible in response to any increases or decreases in state aid. We are always mindful of what we prepare for the public will be a result of the numbers we see coming to us from the state. It’s a long process, it’s a process that involves a lot of different people,” said Cappello.
The board will be setting budget objectives early in the year and drafts of the budget will be communicated with the public by spring.
School policy could see some amendments as the result of a guiding document released by the state Department of Education on transgender students. According to Cappello, the policy committee will be reviewing current policy to ensure it lines up with the guiding document. Cappello expects the issue to be an item of discussion at an upcoming board meeting.
Along with the new engineering program, school curriculum could see the addition of an AP course in world history for high school seniors, an additional course in computer programing and a pilot course in social media marketing. Should these courses be approved by the board of education, they will be available to students in September.
The district is anticipating some significant changes in personnel that will be finalized by the end of the current school year. Currently there is an interim principal in place at New Albany Elementary School and an interim assistant principal at Cinnaminson High School. Cappello hopes to have those positions filled by the end of this school year.
“We have two good individuals in those interim spots. In the latter part of the winter, we will put out the official posting and it will take a couple of months to select the right candidate,” said Cappello.
According to Cappello, for the first time in years the board of education has an all incumbent board returning for the annual reorganization meeting in January. He looks forward to the consistency.
“It will be great to have an opportunity to build on some of our successes with the exact nine people who were there previously,” said Cappello. “It’s a group that is cohesive and really works well together.”
As the school year enters its second half, Cappello has a message for the parents of his district:
“As always, we remain committed to educating the whole child, and student safety and security remain at the forefront of all of our thoughts. We wish everyone a very happy holiday, and we look forward to working with your kids well into 2019.”
