Cherry Hill's Board of Education approved its 2026-27 district goals on a 6-1 vote Tuesday, Sept. 22, with board member Miriam Stern casting the lone dissent.
Six board members voted yes: Renee Cherfane, Candi Cummings, Adam Greenbaum, Melissa Manzano, Bridget Palmer and Gina Winters. Cherfane made the motion and Winters seconded it, according to the meeting's action agenda. The reason for Stern's no vote was not stated in the meeting record.
Two members of the public, Dr. Podawitz and Rick Short, spoke during the public comment period about the goals before the vote. Board member Renee Cherfane also commented on a board retreat held Saturday, Aug. 22, and on goal setting.
The specific content of the new goals has not been released publicly. Last year's goals covered five areas: academic achievement, operational excellence, student supports, climate and family engagement, and staff recruitment and retention. Superintendent Kwame Morton reported all five as complete at the board's June 23 meeting, according to South Jersey Media. Committees developed the new goals in July.
Board hears chronic absenteeism report
The board also received a presentation on chronic absenteeism, a topic that has drawn attention as the district expands its pre-K program.
State data for 2024-25 showed Cherry Hill's overall chronic absenteeism rate at 14%, just below the statewide average of 14.4%, according to 70and73.com. Pre-K students were absent at a 23.5% rate, below the statewide pre-K average of 29.9%. But 25.8% of high school seniors were chronically absent, topping the 21% state average. The measure counts students who miss 10% or more of school days in a year.
At the board's Aug. 28 meeting, Assistant Superintendent Farrah Mahan said the district has been pushing families to treat pre-K attendance like any other grade. "But we've also had some tough conversations like, this really matters … When you were in a private preschool location, maybe it was OK to take a vacation that second week, because it was more convenient and a little bit cheaper for families. But really expect your preschooler, if they're enrolled in the program, to be in school," Mahan said, as reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The district's pre-K program has grown from 17 classrooms in 2023 to 53 this school year, with nearly 900 preschoolers offered spots.
Funding reform push continues
Board member Gina Winters updated the board on New Jersey school funding reform during the meeting's Old Business section. The district relies on local property taxes for about 81% of its funding.
The board unanimously passed a resolution in March calling on the state legislature to overhaul the funding formula. At that March 10 meeting, Stern cited a 2022 presentation showing the district received less than 50% of promised state aid for a decade starting in 2010, according to South Jersey Media.
The district faced a $29-million budget shortfall for 2026-27, which led to roughly 70 positions being cut and average class sizes increasing by two students in grades one through eight.
The Sept. 22 meeting also included an executive session in which the board received an organizational review of the Cherry Hill Campus Police Department prepared by RJH Law Enforcement Consultants.
