Tuesday, April 30, 2013
The work to install a fiber optic network at the borough's elementary and middle schools will allow them to share Internet service with Pascack Valley High School.
New fiber optic cables being installed at Hillsdale's three K-8 schools will allow the district to enter a shared service agreement with Pascack Valley High School that will improve Internet speed and save the district money. The Hillsdale Board of Education approved a $110,137.43 contract with Millennium Communications Group to install the network and an additional $2,300 for an annual inspection after the warranty period during their meeting Monday night. Millennium submitted the lowest of three bids for the project, according to district officials. The funds for the project have been alloted in this year's $21 million budget. The Hillsdale and Pascack Valley Regional Boards of Education both previously voted to approve a shared service …
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Students from Pascack Valley and Pascack Hills High Schools will compete in the event in St. Louis.
The joint robotics team of Pascack Valley and Pascack Hills High Schools will be competing in the "FIRST Robotics Competition" championships in St. Louis this week. The team previously won at a state competition and scored enough points at a regional competition against students from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Deleware to get them a place in the championships, according to Pascack Valley Regional Board of Education member James Hall. The Pascack Valley Pi-oneers wil be competing against about 2,500 other teams from around the world, Hall said. "They're very excited," he said. Board of Education President Bertram Siegel called the team's success "a wonderful accomplishment." The championships run from Wednesday through Saturday. To get an…
Monday, April 15, 2013
The New Jersey Department of Education released School Performance Reports comparing every school in the state.
More than 90 percent of Pascack Valley High School students passed the HSPA test in math and language arts last year, according to the 2011-2012 School Performance Reports released by the Department of Education last week. The report graded Pascack Valley's academic achievement as "very high" compared to schools across the state and "high" compared to its peer schools. A total of 98 percent of students passed language arts and 94 percent passed math. "I continue to be extremely proud of the academic strength of our district," Superintendent P. Erik Gundersen told Patch. "Every district has room to grow and our district is no exception — as we always strive to improve." The peer schools replace the old District Factor Groups for comparing …
View the interactive map of SAT scores and Median Household Income for the 47 public high schools in Bergen County.
In Bergen County, income and SAT scores go hand in hand. All but five of the public high schools in Bergen County where students met the state's average combined SAT benchmark of 1550 live in communities with a median household income greater than $100,000, according to data from the state's recently released New Jersey School Performance Report. On the flip side, 23 of the 24 public high schools in the county where students failed to meet the state's benchmark came from communities with a median household income below $100,000. Mahwah, Fort Lee, Leonia, Fair Lawn and Midland Park are the only high schools in towns with median household incomes below $100,000 that met the goal. Waldwick is the only high school in a town with a median …
Monday, April 1, 2013
The interactive map below has information on all 29 baseball players from North Jersey who are playing professional baseball in 2013.
"It's like Christmas, except it's warmer." - Pete Rose on baseball's Opening Day It's that time of year again. The day when hope springs eternal for baseball fans across the country and anything seems possible, even for a Pittsburgh Pirates fan like me. As Opening Day gets underway Monday, four players with North Jersey ties will suit up and don uniforms for major league teams. Another 20 will start their professional seasons in the minors, with the dream of some day making it to — or, in some cases, back to — The Show. All four North Jerseyans breaking camp with major league teams in 2013 are pitchers. Detroit Tigers starter Rick Porcello, a former first-round pick who made his major league debut at the ripe age of 20, is the best known …
Friday, March 22, 2013
Taxes will increase by varying amounts for Hillsdale, Montvale and River Vale residents.
The Pascack Valley Regional Board of Education approved the district's budget for the 2013-14 year during their meeting Thursday night. The $48,452,517 budget includes a tax levy of $44,292,465, a 2 percent increase from this year, Business Administrator Yas Usami said. Because of the state law determining funding of regional districts, taxes in the four sending towns will be affected differently. The average Hillsdale homeowner, with a property assessed at $549,000 before the revaluation or $469,400 now, will see a tax increase of $129, according to Usami. Average Montvale and River Vale homeowners will see increases of $67 and $41, respectively. The average Woodcliff Lake homeowner will see a decrease of $314. The district will receive …
Thursday, March 7, 2013
The Hillsdale and Pascack Valley school districts both agreed to enter a shared service agreement for high-speed Internet.
Hillsdale K-8 schools will share Pascack Valley High School's fiber optic Internet connection under a new interlocal agreement approved by both school boards Monday. The new service will improve Internet speed and capacity at the schools while saving money, according to Hillsdale Superintendent Rick Spirito. "When two districts work together, it removes duplicate services and saves both districts money," Spirito said. The shared service will take place from September 1 this year until September 1, 2018 at a cost of $1,500 per month that Hillsdale Schools will pay to the regional high school district. The agreement allows for a renewal for as many as five additional years. New fiber optic cables will be laid to connect Hillsdale's three …
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
The Pascack Valley Regional Board of Education has been reviewing the costs of its professional services.
The Pascack Valley Regional Board of Education voted to approve three professional service contracts during their meeting this week. The board unanimously approved its architect and voted 8-1 to approve its auditor/accountant and attorney, according to district Business Administrator Yas Usami. All three professionals previously held contracts with the district. Board members had reviewed their contracts this year to see if they could save money on the various services. Board member Adam Silverstein, who voted against the accountant and attorney, previously said the district could have saved about $33,000 by choosing different professionals for the three services. "I see it as a chance to reinvest in education, in athletics, in afterschool…
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
The Pascack Valley Regional Board of Education has been reviewing the costs of its professional services.
The Pascack Valley Regional Board of Education unanimously approved six professional services during their meeting Monday, but decided to hold off voting on three others until their next meeting. School board members previously said they wanted to investigate their options for potentially lower-cost services. The board approved its insurance agent, dental insurance, third party administrator for tax shelter plans, environmental consulting services, bond counsel and financial advisors. All the approved professionals previously held contracts with the district. Board President Bertram Siegel said the board would wait until their next meeting to vote on an auditor/accounting firm, board attorney and architect. Board member Adam Silverstein …
Friday, February 1, 2013
Girls basketball coach Jeff Jasper won his 900th game with the team Saturday.
Jeff Jaspers, the longtime coach of girls basketball at Pascack Valley High School, celebrated his 900th victory with the team Saturday. Jasper said the 65-21 win over Dumont — or any other win — was not specifically important, but the occassion was a good opportunity to reflect on the students he has worked with over the years. "It's pretty special for me," Jasper said. "The number doesn't mean anything, but the kids are great to be around. The team held a celebration for Jasper after the game which included some former students going back many years. The people are the most important part, Jasper said. This is Jasper's 40th year with the team. He started the girls basketball program at PV and racked up the wins over time, with the team …
Jason Feinman
10:03 pm on Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Go Pascack Valley!!! more ›