Superintendent's Corner
Bernard F. Bragen, Jr. (August 2022)
The Start of the 2022-2023 School Year is Upon Us!
"The hardest part is starting. Once you get that out of the way, you'll find the rest of the journey is much easier." -Simon Sinek
Welcome to the start of the 2022-2023 school year! I hope this summer was a happy and productive one, providing you with an opportunity to spend some quality time with loved ones. For many of our staff members, this summer has been an extremely busy one getting our schools ready for the return of students on opening day September 6, 2022.
The start of this school year brings some new and exciting improvements for our district. First and foremost is the return to full-day kindergarten after a lapse of over a decade. This has been a monumental effort for all involved, and we are grateful for everyone's efforts. The ripple effects of this initiative will positively impact our students for years to come. In addition, we are happy to report that the new addition at Lincoln Elementary School will be open for students on the first day of school. This has been an almost two-year project with many hurdles thrown in the way, from the pandemic to global supply chain shortages. And yet, we are happy to report the classrooms will be ready for students on opening day. These enhancements to our elementary education programs are only the tip of the iceberg.
Students at Edison High School will also have access to a brand new auditorium, along with a new small gym floor. The gym floor at John Adams Middle School has also been replaced. These are just a few of the many projects that have been completed over the summer to improve our schools for the children of our community. Please click this link to see all the projects completed over this summer. The district remains committed to continually enhancing our facilities to provide our students with superlative educational programs in appropriate learning environments.
I am happy to report that we have also begun our infrastructure initiative to end overcrowding and we are currently in the middle of phase one implementation. Phase one projects will impact every student in the district, with each of the district’s four middle schools receiving enhancements, along with a 30-classroom addition at John P. Stevens High School. We are hopeful to complete all three phases of the plan within four years. A review of our latest presentation on phase one can be found here. Perhaps, the most exciting aspect of these projects is that they will be completed as part of our annual capital budget expenditures with no additional funding required from our taxpayers. Please check our website regularly for updates. These are exciting times in the Edison Public Schools, and we are thrilled to be on this journey with all of you!
You will be receiving correspondence regarding Genesis Parent Portal access for information, including class schedules, transportation, bus pass information, and other logistical information on Monday, August 22. We are looking forward to a great school year!
Welcome to the start of the 2022-2023 school year! I remain humbled and grateful to lead the Edison Public Schools. If I can ever be of assistance to you, please feel free to contact me. And as always, continue to Shine Bright Edison.
Some Words of Wisdom for All!
Meet Our New Transportation Supervisor--Ana Rodriguez
The district welcomes Ana Rodriguez to her new role as Transportation Supervisor. Ms. Rodriguez assumed these responsibilities as of August 6, 2022, and she has been diligently working to ensure a smooth opening for school in September. The district is currently processing subscription bussing applications and we are far ahead of previous years. To date, the Transportation Department has processed more than 5,000 applications, with the hope of honoring all requests by the start of school. Currently, we have a small number of students on waitlists, but as we continue to hire more bus drivers we are working to reduce that number as fast as possible.
The district has also purchased 30 new 54-passenger school busses that will be put into operation for September, almost doubling our transportation fleet. The district is looking to take over as many of our contracted routes as possible and will continue to increase our transportation capacity to best serve the needs of our community with our own buses and drivers.
Congratulations to Ms. Rodriguez as she begins her leadership of our Transportation Department.
Edison Public Schools
Email: bernard.bragen@edison.k12.nj.us
Website: Edison.k12.nj.us
Location: 312 Pierson Avenue, Edison, NJ, USA
Phone: 732-452-4900
Twitter: @edisonsupt