The Cherry Hill Board of Education this week accepted Kwame Morton, an administrator in the district for 16 years and currently acting superintendent, as the new superintendent in a 4-2 vote. The board has nine members.
Two board members abstained from voting on Tuesday evening and one member was absent.
Morton replaces former Superintendent Joseph Meloche, who joined the Rose Tree Media School District in Pennsylvania last year as its superintendent.
READ MORE: Cherry Hill School District: Acting Superintendent Kwame Morton to Be Named Next Superintendent.
The decision now goes to the executive county superintendent for Camden County. The Cherry Hill district is the largest in South Jersey.
Voting in favor of Morton were Board President Miriam Stern, Benjamin Rood, Adam Greenbaum and Gina Winters. Voting against Morton's appointment were Kimberly Gallagher and Renee Charfane.
Charfane explained before voting that her decision was tied to the code of ethics she swore to follow upon being sworn in as a school board member, and appeared to reference a section of the code that states school board members will "appoint the best-qualified personnel available after consideration of the recommendation of the chief administrative officer." Gallagher and Charfane did not respond to a 70and73.com reporter's request to elaborate on their votes after the meeting.
Quadsia Niaz, a school board member sworn in last month, and Sally Tong, a school board member since 2018, abstained from voting on Morton’s nomination. Niaz cited a conflict of interest for abstaining. Tong's lack of explanation for her decision drew some ire from members of the public, and she did not respond to a 70and73.com reporter's request to elaborate after the meeting.
Board member Joel Mayer, the Board vice president, was absent.
Some parents said they opposed naming Morton while others were supportive.
"I have always been incredibly impressed with his professionalism. Dr. Morton is not afraid to say, 'I do not know the answer, but I will find out,' and he does (find out) and gets back to you," said Jackie Caputo, a school district parent who identified herself as president of the Cherry Hill West Parent Teacher Association.
Added Bridget Palmer, another school district parent: "I am confident that our students will be in the best possible hands with him. He is understanding, he is fair and he is more than qualified."
Tough Budget Times Ahead
As many as 60 positions out of a total of 1,786 employees — about 3% — of the Cherry Hill district and an unspecified number of extracurricular activities may be cut if sources are not found to fill the district's potential $12 million difference between spending and revenue in the draft 2024-25 budget, Assistant Superintendent Lynn Shugars said at Tuesday's board meeting.
Shugars presented the 2024-25 budget draft version, which contains more than $254 million in expenditures and $242 million in revenues. Shugars said much of the shortfall stems from the $6.9 million reduction in state aid anticipated for fiscal-year 2025.
Shugars said a tax increase seems likely.
There are negative downstream effects from the possible cuts, Shugars continued.
"They would absolutely impact class sizes at the various levels and what we can offer at the secondary level," she said.
The district would also have to "base some of its staffing levels on what is required and not necessarily needed; it will definitely affect many of the positions that we have hired in the past few budget years that we have implemented to address student achievement and also our operational staff," she said.
A goal will be to "spread the impact" and focus on vacancies and retirements to soften the blow, she said.
Extracurricular activities would come under scrutiny, she explained. "Are there things that maybe are not as subscribed to as much as they used to be? Are there things that are really expensive to run that we do not have as many participants as it did last time?" she asked.
Other possible cuts could come in the departments that oversee building and grounds, technology, supplies and services, she said.
One positive: The district’s health care provider has agreed to keep premiums the same as 2023-24, according to Shugars. With salaries and benefits always making up a substantial portion of the school district budget, the health care provider's decision is a plus, she said.
A preliminary version of the district’s 2024-25 budget must be approved by March 19.
The New Jersey Assembly Budget Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on state aid next week. Several school board members asked all members of the public to either attend the hearing or advise state lawmakers of their concerns with the state aid cut, saying it may make a difference.
"This is not hopeless," said member Winters. "Last year, districts (facing cuts) that went and were loud and expressed what was going to happen to students in their district were able to get an extra appropriation to help them with their budgets."
Fair Funding for Cherry Hill Public Schools and the Zone PTA for Cherry Hill Public Schools have posted on their Facebook pages announcements that some of their members plan to the hearing. Each group’s Facebook page also provides details on how others can join them and other ways residents concerned about the budget can make their voices heard.
