Maranzano Thanks Hopatcong for Cooperation

Retiring schools' chief leaves at end of the month, expresses gratitude to governing body.

With his retirement from the Hopatcong School District imminent, Superintendent Charles Maranzano thanked the Borough Council Wednesday for its commitment to working with the school district on several key issues. Maranzano will leave the school district July 1 after four years. His replacement Cynthia Randina was hired this month. He took over a school district that had difficulty getting voter approval for budgets for two decades, and when that year arrived, state aid for school was cut drastically. In 2013, he said, Hopatcong, like 447 other schools across the state, has not yet had its aid fully restored. The budget situation forced hard choices on the district, Maranzano said, and resulted in sharp criticism for himself and the school…

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12 Residents Seek 6 Seats on School Boards

Only three incumbents of a possible six file for re-election in Hopatcong and Sparta.

Volunteer residents in both Hopatcong and Sparta made it known they want to serve on their local boards of education Tuesday, as 12 people jumped into the fray to run for a seat in this year's November election. With three seats up for grabs in Hopatcong, six residents filed petitions to be on the November ballot before the June 4 deadline, two of which are incumbents. Hopatcong's Board of Education recently hired a new superintendent to take over the district July 1. Candidates who filed to run in November in Hopatcong are as follows: Three seats are also up for grabs in Sparta, with six residents looking to be elected. Just one incumbent is seeking re-election, as Maureen Myre and Kevin Pollison did not file before the 4 p.m. deadline. A…

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Hopatcong Schools State Aid Bump Still 'Not Enough'

District sees 2.2-percent increase, still reeling from previous year's large loss.

The Hopatcong School District received an increase in state aid this year, but not nearly enough to make up for the devastating blow it was dealt in funding for the 2012-13 school year. New Jersey distributed its largest funding of state aid to public schools in history Thursday, giving Hopatcong $11,349,365, a 2.2-percent increase ($247,304) over the previous year. But that won’t simply make up for the 6.4-percent loss the year prior. “We are still experiencing the effects of decreased overall funding and were planning for a shortfall in excess of $700,000 overall,” Superintendent Charles Maranzano said in an email to Patch. “The increase of state aid will not allow us to add any additional programs as we are still attempting to make up a…

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lucille sarinelli

6:47 pm on Sunday, March 3, 2013

Please do not print my name on my comment above for safety reasons. Thank you, Mrs. Sarinelli   more ›

Hopatcong Schools Super Eyes Security Issues

In his blog, Superintendent Charles Maranzano discusses the need for security in America's schools.

Solar Project Payment Dispute Lands in Federal Court

Local subcontractors fight to get reimbursed from private developers for Hopatcong schools project.

The shining promise of cheaper electric power provided by the Hopatcong school district’s solar energy project has been tarnished by a legal dispute between the original private developers that has left three local subcontractors unpaid for work they provided more than a year ago. The Hopatcong schools’ solar project called for a 1,525-megawatt system powered by 5,000 solar panels installed over vacant school property and on the roofs of three schools. The roofs at two of schools were also rebuilt to accommodate the weight of the solar panels, a $500,000 expense. The system is designed to provide between 85 and 90 percent of the electric power used by the board of education offices, Durbin Avenue School, the high school, the middle school…

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Cliff Lundin

9:51 pm on Saturday, February 2, 2013

Larry. The article is a little confusing to follow. The primary contractor paid for the sorely needed roofs.. The installation was done at no cost to the taxpayer. The Bd of Ed entered into a firm contract where we agreed to buy power for 15 years at a set rate per Kw. This rate is significantly lower than JCP&L. Over the contract, that will save in excess $3 million in energy costs. The roofs …   more ›

School Security Up in Hopatcong, Sparta After CT Shooting

Increased security for visitors, more police presence in the week after tragedy in Newtown, Conn.

Just days after the horrific tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. stunned the nation when 20-year-old Adam Lanzo took the lives of 20 young school children and six adults in a shooting spree, many schools across the country have increased their security to ensure kids' safety.  Both Hopatcong and Sparta superintendents sent out messages to all parents on Saturday, letting them know that the schools are safe and that exisiting security protocols are in place and are being reviewed. "My call was to reassure people that we are aware of the tragedy, we are looking at everything we do to ensure the safety of children and adults, and that we are going to continue with our routines," Maranzano said Monday. In Sparta's …

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Snow Closes Hopatcong Schools Early

All borough schools will have an early dismissal on Tuesday.

All Hopatcong schools will have an early dismissal on Tuesday due to the snowstorm, according to a bulletin posted on the district website.  The high school will be dismissed at 11:30 a.m., the middle school at 11:45 a.m., Durban Avenue at 11:55 a.m., Tulsa Trail at 12:10 p.m., and Hudson Maxim at 12:40 p.m. All AM kindergartden and preschool students will be held until 12:30 p.m. Afternoon Day Plus and all activities have also been cancelled. Stay with Patch for updates on school closings.

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