FLEMINGTON, NJ – The Flemington-Raritan Regional School District wants to improve student performance in reading and math, strengthen communication with families and residents and build up its financial reserves under a set of goals presented at the board of education meeting Oct. 14.
Superintendent Dr. Clifford Burns outlined four districtwide priorities for the 2026–2027 school year – communication, student achievement, fiscal responsibility and relationships.
Board president Ryan Birkenstock presented three board goals – expanding community engagement and communication, strengthening fiscal responsibility and building a “Community of One” where students feel supported and connected to district leadership.
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Principals from the district’s six schools also presented their academic and school improvement goals.
“This is important work, this is vision work,” Burns told the board.
The district is aiming for at least a 5% increase in the percentage of students in grades one through eight meeting or exceeding reading and math benchmarks, based on NWEA MAP Growth assessments between fall 2026 and spring 2027.
Burns said 50% of students currently meet or exceed the math benchmark, compared with 49% in reading.
“We’re looking to increase it by at least five,” he said. “Let’s do even more, but let’s try for five.”
To help students reach those targets, the district will provide supplemental learning materials, including resources to help children maintain their academic progress over the summer. Principals will return to the board near the end of the school year with reports on how their schools performed.
Beyond the classroom, Burns wants the district to reach more residents, particularly those who do not have children in the schools. That includes closer cooperation with Flemington Borough, Raritan Township and Hunterdon County, as well as local businesses and community organizations.
The district has already been meeting with municipal representatives and using mailings and social media to share information about school operations and the proposed capital referendum.
Reaching residents outside the immediate school community remains a challenge, Burns acknowledged.
Families will also have opportunities to attend three in-person parent academies, scheduled for Dec. 16, Jan. 13 and March 24. The sessions will address student and family wellness, with social media and trauma among the initial topics.
Burns said outside experts could help parents deal with some of the pressures facing children.
The board has its own plans to improve communication, including quarterly town halls, attendance at PTO-sponsored events and board members serving as liaisons to individual school PTOs.
Birkenstock said the town halls have been particularly useful because they allow residents to ask questions and have conversations with board members.
“I’ve said time and time again that the town halls are probably my favorite events because it’s our opportunity to answer questions, to have a conversation with the public and actually, you know, give the answers that people are looking for, right?” he said.
“The town halls are something that I think have worked really well in the past couple of years here, and I really hope that they continue moving forward,” he added.
The board recently met with the joint PTO, and Birkenstock said parent representatives were receptive to having board members serve as liaisons to individual schools.
Board members will also seek professional development in communicating with the public and handling disagreements without becoming adversarial.
Financial responsibility was another major part of the presentation, with the district’s proposed capital referendum scheduled for Nov. 3.
The district intends to maintain a long-range facilities plan tied to a five-year capital budget, continue its Energy Savings Improvement Program and provide regular public updates on school finances.
Officials also want to bring in more revenue through corporate sponsorships, advertising, private donations and government grants.
The district will continue working with the Flemington-Raritan Education Foundation on fundraising and seek outside support for extracurricular activities, including athletics, clubs and the arts.
Burns said the district would look for funding to support existing activities and possibly bring back programs that have been reduced.
The financial goals also call for putting at least 7.5% of eligible funds into capital reserves and 1.5% into maintenance reserves.
Birkenstock said the board has been trying to rebuild those accounts for the past two or three years. The district currently has about $1.2 million in capital reserves, which he said is not enough to address its long-term building needs.
“That’s not enough to really do anything,” Birkenstock said. “So building that number is very, very important as we move forward here.”
The board wants monthly public updates on energy-saving projects and, if the referendum passes, the work financed through it.
Birkenstock said officials are considering a feature on the district website that would show residents the status of individual projects.
He also wants the board to do more to publicize property tax relief programs, including New Jersey’s Senior Freeze program.
“A lot of our residents don’t realize that some of these programs actually exist, right?” he said.
The board’s financial goals include working with nonprofit organizations and community agencies to raise money for educational needs that are not otherwise funded.
Students will also have a greater role in district discussions under the goals presented by Burns and Birkenstock.
Burns said the district wants more students to participate in its annual climate and culture survey and plans to establish active student advisory committees in every school. Families and employees already provide feedback through district surveys.
Burns said administrators want to hear more from children themselves.
Board members would attend student advisory committee meetings to hear what students think about district priorities.
The board also wants to establish a Community of One award recognizing people who demonstrate the district’s commitment to unity and inclusion.
Other district relationship goals include at least six formal employee recognition programs during board meetings and an alumni network to highlight the achievements of former students.
School officials then outlined what those districtwide priorities would mean at their individual schools.
Barley Sheaf School wants 60% of its kindergarten through fourth-grade students to meet or exceed their individual growth projections in reading and math by June 2027.
Principal Amy Switkes said the school had met and then exceeded its previous 55% target.
“So, this year’s motto, we’re in our growth era and we’re moving swiftly to 60,” she said.
The school’s other goal centers on environmental education, with students taking a greater role in recycling, composting, gardening, hydroponics and pollinator conservation.
Switkes described how the work has become part of the children’s daily routine.
“Every morning, different kindergarten students go visit the chickens and get the eggs,” she said.
Barley Sheaf hopes to move from bronze to silver certification under Sustainable Jersey while maintaining its existing Eco-Schools recognition.
Copper Hill School has set the same 60% academic growth target for kindergarten through fourth grade, but its second goal concentrates on classroom instruction.
Teachers will use assessment results and classroom observations to identify children who need additional help, particularly those who do not already receive intervention services.
During designated support periods, students can work in smaller groups according to their needs. Children who have mastered grade-level material will have opportunities for more challenging work.
Francis A. Desmares School has set separate academic targets – 55% of kindergarten through fourth grade students meeting or exceeding their reading growth goals and 60% of students in grades one through four meeting their math growth goals.
Principal Mark Masessa said the school raised its targets from the previous year.
Desmares also wants at least 80% of its third- and fourth-grade students to take part in three or more sustainability or climate-related activities. The work could include recycling, composting, gardening, reducing food waste and protecting local habitats.
At Robert Hunter School, the academic target is 60% of kindergarten through fourth grade students meeting or exceeding their individual growth projections in reading and math.
The school is also concentrating on children’s communication and social skills.
Its plans include helping students develop healthy technology habits, encouraging face-to-face interaction and cooperative learning and working with families to strengthen interpersonal skills.
Reading-Fleming Intermediate School wants 55% of fifth- and sixth-grade students to meet or exceed their projected growth in reading and math.
Principal Anthony DeMarco said 66% of students met or exceeded their growth projections last year, well above the school’s 50% target.
He explained that the school’s results have varied over the years. At one point, the figure dropped to 45%, even though overall academic achievement remained strong.
“Sometimes when you have high achievement, it’s hard to get growth,” DeMarco said.
The school has raised its target to 55% this year, although DeMarco said he hopes the final result will be higher.
Reading-Fleming’s other goal focuses on giving teachers better instructional feedback.
Administrators increased classroom visits last year to observe student engagement. This year, they want to look across classrooms for common patterns in teaching and learning.
Those observations will help determine professional development needs and give teachers opportunities to share successful practices.
At J.P. Case Middle School, the academic targets are 53% of seventh- and eighth-grade students meeting or exceeding their individual reading growth goals and 60% meeting their math growth goals.
Assistant principals Peter Sibilia and Dr. Michelle Cook described changes already underway in the school’s tutorial periods.
The school has reorganized its schedule so teachers can work with smaller groups of students based on their academic needs, making better use of the staff available.
Cook said much of the planning took place over the summer, when administrators studied assessment results and identified students who needed different levels of support.
Some students performing in the 15th to 20th percentiles were assigned to teachers experienced in small-group instruction. Others who were close to proficiency but had not yet reached it were placed in smaller groups with familiar teachers who could provide more targeted help.
Students who do not need additional intervention have opportunities for financial literacy and STEM enrichment during the tutorial periods.
The school will review winter assessment results and adjust the groups as students make progress or need more help.
Birkenstock said he was particularly interested in the academic targets and whether the district could exceed them.
“I’m a numbers guy, I’m an engineer, so I like numbers,” he said.
But Burns reminded the board that children cannot be measured by test scores alone.
He said every student comes to school with different strengths, weaknesses and personal experiences. Improving academic performance also requires patience, support and strong relationships.
“It takes love, it takes cultivation, it takes connection,” he said. “And then the learning happens.”