By dave benjamin
Staff Writer
The new assistant to the deputy state commissioner of education visited Freehold Township High School recently, touring the building as a representative school in the Freehold Regional High School District.
"Dr. (Michael) Rush was pleasantly pleased with what he heard," Superintendent of Schools James Wasser said.
Wasser said Rush and district administrators took a tour of the high school, guided by students.
"They talked about the construction, parking issues, going to college, redistricting, and just about everything," the superintendent said. "One of the highlights was the Breakfast Club."
Located in three of the district’s six high schools (Freehold Township, Howell and Marlboro), the Breakfast Club is a program which identifies at-risk students who may not graduate.
"The students take responsibility to meet in the morning for breakfast and they try to convince (the at-risk students) that it’s important to stay in high school and finish," Wasser said.
Last year 10 at-risk students were identified and all 10 students graduated.
"So, we’re batting a thousand," the superintendent said.
Reporting to the FRHSD Board of Education at a recent meeting, Wasser congratulated the supervisors of the district’s guidance departments who worked on the college and career fair which was held at Brookdale Community College on Oct. 17.
"There were 200 college reps there and it was just phenomenal," Wasser said. "There were thousands of people, not only our own students, but people who came from all over. It was a wonderful evening."
A brochure prepared by Ellen S. Horowitz, college and career fair coordinator, listed a series of questions the college representatives could be asked. Each college and its representative was identified by a number listed in the brochure and on the college’s table at the fair, which made it easy for parents and students to identify the colleges.
In other business, the board members discussed a new state law which requires student-athletes to have their own physician administer physicals prior to a high school sports season.
Prior to the passage of the law, the district provided physicals for all students who were trying out for a sport.
"Now parents are going to have to pay the expense of getting their child a physical to participate in sports when our school doctors get paid to do that at a really reasonable cost," Wasser said.
Board member Bonnie Rosenwald of Marlboro said emergency cards kept on file by the schools will have to identify whether a student has or does not have insurance and a physician.
Dr. Patricia Emmerman, assistant superintendent of special services, indicated that each parent of a potential athlete would have to be asked if they have what is called a "medical home," meaning insurance and a physician. If they don’t have a medical home, then they would be allowed to have the option of having a physical administered by the school physician.
Board member Terry Kraft of Howell said the law is in place to protect school boards from legal recourse if something happens to a student-athlete and allegations of negligence regarding the examination that had been conducted by the school district were made.
"The Legislature is saying that the 600 boards of education (in New Jersey) cannot be put in that position," Kraft said. "Therefore, it should be done by the private physician."
Wasser said after the physicals are completed by the private physician, the law also requires that the school doctor to sign off on the results. He noted that school doctors won’t do that.
It was explained that this is all a matter of who will be liable in the event of legal action, the school district or the student-athlete’s private physician.
And, a motion accepting the resignation of board member Colin Miller of Farmingdale was passed by the board.
"I’ve known Colin for a couple of years now and he is somebody we will sorely miss," Kraft said. "There is no question that his activities and his interests were for the children. I hope that the person who replaces him will be able to do as well."
Miller resigned from the board in early October. District officials have placed advertisements seeking a resident of Farmingdale to fill that community’s seat on the board.