SPARTA TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS RESTART & RECOVERY PLANS

Presented on June 25, 2020: STPS COVID-19 Re-Entry Planning Presentation

Announcement: Please click here to read an informational letter from September 18, 2020 regarding COVID-19 from Patrick McQueeney, Acting Superintendent of Schools. Thank you.

Superintendent Search Update

Dear Sparta Learning Community,

On behalf of the Sparta Board of Education, I would like to provide you with a brief update regarding the Superintendent search.  At the 8/27/20 Board of Education meeting the BoE approved the hiring of the superintendent search firm R-Pat Solutions, LLC.  The Sparta BoE will work closely with R-Pat Solutions, LLC to find the best candidate for the Sparta Superintendent of Schools. 

Here is a brief timeline (all dates are flexible and subject to change):

• November - The Board will advertise the vacancy and seek interested applicants;
• Mid-November through early-December - Survey to be sent out to the learning community and stakeholders seeking community feedback ;
• November - Consultants will "meet" w/stakeholders this month to explain the process.  Dates and details tbd;
• Mid-December - Application closes;
• January 2021 - Interviews to be held;
• March, 1, 2021 - Goal is for the Sparta Board of Education to appoint a candidate;
• July 1, 2021 - Target start date (if not before).

The Sparta Board of Education is committed to finding an exceptional candidate for our school district.  More details will follow as dates are confirmed.  Thank you for your support during this process.

Sincerely,

Kimberly A. Bragg
President, Sparta Board of Education

Virtual Parent Forum Video Announcement

Board of Education Meeting Announcement
Date: August 27, 2020
Regular Meeting Agenda: 5:30 PM
Location: Dykstra Park
YouTube Live Stream Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxXpaN6-LA0-qHedTBgxqZg
Email Public Comments by 3:30 pm to public.comment@sparta.org

The 8/27/20 Sparta Board of Education meeting will be moved outside to Dykstra Park for health and safety reasons.  The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. and immediately convene into executive session.  The public portion of the meeting will begin approximately at 7:30 p.m.   No seats will be provided.  All social distancing measures must be followed. 

Should the weather not be conducive to an outdoor meeting, the BOE may move the meeting indoors at its discretion.  If this is done, the community will be notified via email and it will also be posted on the Sparta.org home page.  Additionally, if the meeting is moved inside it will be closed to the public due to Governor Murphy's executive order #173.

This meeting will be live streamed on YouTube regardless of it being outdoors or indoors.  The YouTube link will be posted on the Sparta.org home page prior to the meeting. Community members watching via live stream may submit comments to public.comment@sparta.org by 3:30 p.m. on 8/27/20.  Due to the anticipated volume of comments, please limit yourself to one comment.

We will do our best to get through all comments, however, please note that the public comment portion of the meeting will be limited to 45 minutes.

The board is unable to address questions regarding an individual child or child's program.  If you have specific questions regarding your child's instructional programming, email your child's building principal or via the Acting Superintendent's forums through 5:00 p.m. on 8/25/20.  The links are included here:

• Alpine Elementary School Virtual Parent Forum Question Submission Link
• Mohawk Avenue School Virtual Parent Forum Question Submission Link
• Helen Morgan School Virtual Parent Forum Question Submission Link
• Sparta Middle School Virtual Parent Forum Question Submission Link
• Sparta High School Virtual Parent Forum Question Submission Link
• Special Services Department Virtual Parent Forum Questions Submission Link

Sincerely,

The Sparta Board of Education

Announcement from the Sussex County Board of Elections: In the Governor's Executive Order 177, a few ballot deadlines were changed. Please alert your community and school administration to these new deadlines. If anyone in your community is working on municipal or school referendums or initiatives, they will need to know these deadline changes.

Executive Order 177, paragraph 12 states:

12. To allow enough time for the county Clerks to print and mail the ballots to voters, the following deadlines are modified as follows: the deadline to submit a public question for November school board elections to the county Clerk by the School Board Secretary, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 19:16-4, shall be August 31, 2020; the last day a vacancy may occur for primary election nominees for the November General Election, under N.J.S.A. 19:13-20, shall be August 29, 2020; the deadline to fill a vacancy in the primary election nominees for the November General Election, under N.J.S.A. 19:13-20, shall be August 31, 2020; the deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot by mail, under N.J.S.A. 19:63-3, shall be October 23, 2020; and the deadline for returning a vote-by-mail application in-person in N.J.S.A. 19:63-3(d) shall be suspended.

Ellen Griffiths
Deputy Administrator
Sussex County Board of Elections

Sparta Learning Community:  Below, please find the latest communication regarding the Restart and Recovery Plan for Sparta Twp. Schools, as well as the latest communication. 

• Click here to read the recent email communication from August 21st.
• Click here to read the Restart and Recovery Plan for Sparta Twp. Public Schools.
• Click here to read the update letter from July 31st on returning to school.  

Announcement: Please click here to read an informational letter from STPS Acting Superintendent on the "NJDOE The Road Back: Restart and Recovery Plan for Education".