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Kearny Lawyer

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  1. My alma mater, Kearny High School, has been cast in the national spotlight over the past 4 years concerning various matters. I think there needs to be a serious evaluation on what is going on there. From religion being included in classroom discussion to school uniforms and everywhere in between, the administration at Kearny High School has consistently defied even the most relaxed interpretations of the constitution. It is sad to ride by and see the school resemble a jail, far removed from its days as an institution of higher learning. Kearny was ranked 200 in the latest New Jersey Monthly High School list, not even in the top half. There were 4 Newark High Schools ranked higher. Education has been de-emphasized and now there seems to be a processing of students and a stifling of creativity. Once proud sports teams, even beloved Kearny Soccer, have been reduced to perennial losing status. Football was dropped at one point. Drugs are rampid, and nothing has been done about the out of district influx into the schools. Every day I see high school students getting off the NJ Transit bus from Newark Penn Station, yet nothing is done about that. We as tax payers fund the education of these students. The string of lawsuits that have and will in the future cost the taxpayers plenty. Over half of our property taxes collected by the town go towards our school district. Religion in schools will always be a debate. It has been exasperated on this very forum, which thankfully provides a vehicle from which the public may voice opinions without crucification. There was a sex scandal within the school a couple of years ago. The handling of that situation by the administration was suspect at best. The legality of school uniforms in public schools may one day also be before the highest courts in the land. It may be deemed necessary at the elementary school level, but is it really a safety mechanism at the High School. This is a school with no less than 15 entrances and somehow we are led to believe that uniforms will provide safety for our children. Isolated, these are topics and issues that may occur at most any school in the country. But the real question is: How come these types of controversies are always prevalent at Kearny High School in recent times? Luckily, the Board of Education members have been able to this point bail out mistakes of the administration. To their credit they have been able to save millions of tax dollars while navigating clear of controversy and adverse publicity. The day may be coming where the BOE can no longer bail out the HS Administration from their inequities and inadequacies. And you know who gets to foot the bill? The Kearny Taxpayers, thats who. The funny part is 3 of the four members of the KHS administrations are not even from Kearny, and never have been, making Kearny High School their experimental playground for these shenanigans. The BOE should be commended for their cohesiveness to this point, seemingly having the best interests of the students at heart while additionally minimizing damaging financial repercussions. The hiring of Digesere may aleviate some future litigation and eventually increase the academic standing of the district as he is a noted educator, but until we get High School administration who are more of academians that educational standing of the the High School, which has unarguably deteriorated, will not rise. While at the graduation ceremony last year I perused the list of colleges that gave our students scholarships. It was a far cry from the Ivy League schools and higher instititutions that were prevalent when I graduated. And this is not a reflection of the economic condition but rather an indicator of the lack of academic achievement. We need to prioritize what is important and re-emphasize what is important so our children have a chance to succeed. Also we need to be more conscious of where our tax dollars are going, and make sure they are being channeled to the educating of our students, meaning Kearny students.
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