By Amber Cox, Special Writer
MANSFIELD — Head injuries, dating violence and teacher residency are topics of policies changes being considered by the Northern Burlington County Regional school board
The dating violence policy is a state-mandated policy that requires school districts to teach students in grades seven through 12 about dating violence.
”The health curriculum for seven-12 will be updated to include a healthy relationships section,” Assistant Superintendent Kathy McCormick told the school board at its Monday meeting.
”We anticipate further down the line that we may have to extend some of our health classes to have the appropriate amount of time for dialogue in classes about these subjects,” she said.
The second policy would establish that students participating in contact sports, in grades seven through 12, will have to take a baseline test to measure their cognitive awareness.
”When there’s a head injury involved, the baseline test will be compared,” Business Administrator Richard Kaz said. “Theoretically the student would not be able to return to the sport until they achieve that baseline.”
Superintendent James Sarruda said the district is ahead of the game and has been testing students.
”All of the coaches are being trained,” Dr. Sarruda said. “The school physician must clear someone who gets an injury. The awareness of the adults in this arena will certainly be strengthened.”
The third policy deals with residency requirements for staff of the district. It states that any new hires, at any level, have to be residents of the state of New Jersey or become residents of New Jersey.
The board will vote on these policies at a later date.

