Cherry Hill's free preschool program sparks questions to school board members.

To the frustration of some residents, the Cherry Hill Board of Education on Tuesday approved an expansion to the district's preschool program with little discussion.

Acting Superintendent Kwame Morton told 70and73.com after the meeting that a $3.4 million grant the district received in October will provide for all-day, general preschool education for about 150 students, beginning January 2. Morton added that once those students are placed, there will be about 50 students left on the preschool waiting list.

A child who enters preschool through the expansion will not have to pay registration or attendance fees, according to a FAQ on the district's website. Parents cannot pick which school their child attends, according to the FAQ.

Some said they felt left out of the loop regarding the preschool expansion.

"I would like to know when the public will have the opportunity to hear a full discussion on this plan," said Anne Einhorn, a Cherry Hill resident. "I feel like I'm pretty much in the dark about how you intend to move forward."

Others living in Cherry Hill said they wanted to know if the district intended to hire new teachers or would delegate responsibilities to existing teachers.

School Board Member Gina Winters apologized for the board's action. However, she noted that little could have been done differently since the state decision on the district’s grant application came up after the last board meeting.

The district will hold a town hall meeting on November 30 at 7 p.m. at Malberg School to provide more information about the preschool program, Winters said. The town hall meeting will also be live-streamed, she noted.

Officials at the town hall meeting will answer "all of your burning questions…or I will write them down and get you answers as best as I can," the board member said. Each preschool location will also host an open house in the coming weeks, she said.

Continuing Israel-Hamas War Concerns

For the second consecutive school board meeting, parents of either Jewish or Palestinian backgrounds raised concerns and fears that their children do not feel safe in school. Some also claimed that the district's administration is showing preferential treatment towards one group over another.

John Starling, executive director of the Gracious Center of Learning and Enrichment Activities in Cherry Hill, a nonprofit that serves the South Jersey Muslim community, spoke of his concerns.

"It is imperative that we take proactive measures to foster an environment where diversity is not only embraced and celebrated," Starling said. "I am following up today and emphasizing a proposal that we made in a recent meeting with the Board of Education to implement comprehensive diversity and sensitivity training for both students and staff, tailored to address the specific challenges posed by the rise in Islamophobia."

Following Starling, David Berkevich of Cherry Hill, asked: "If we are going to devote so many resources towards Islamophobia, what are we going do about anti-Semitism?"

In an interview after the meeting, Acting Superintendent Morton denied that a preference was being shown for one group over another. He also talked about the communication he sent out to the district shortly after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7.

"The communication really was to make our students and our community aware of the mental health and resources that are available," he said. "We were intentional in mentioning Hamas attacks, but we did not say anything else."

Student Gets "Heart of the District" Award

The district presented Cooper Elementary School student Olivia Miller with its second-ever "Heart of the District" award.

Barbara Wilson, the district's public information officer, said this recognition is given to someone within the district who displays "outstanding character, devotion and caring that may not be in the spotlight but touches many and improves all."

The school board also approved several strategies that will take effect immediately to boost Student Learning Assessment scores, including hiring more basic skills teachers for elementary school students, providing additional tutors and allowing high school teachers part of one workday a month to discuss best practices.

A demographic study to assess the district's future needs might begin soon, as would the district’s first-ever communications audit and a review of the district's website, which School Board Vice President Joel S. Mayer said "is not as great as maybe some users would like it to be."