NEWS

Vineland school bus advertising surpasses $17,000 in revenue

Deborah M. Marko
@dmarko_dj

VINELAND – The district's school bus advertisement project is gaining traction.

When the school board launched the project in November, it hoped to raise at least $10,000.

The district's business administrator, Helen Haley, reported the district has raised more than $17,600, of which half is now dedicated to offset school bus fuel costs.

This week, Rental Country Inc. renewed its contract for 20 school bus ads and purchased another 20. Century Savings Bank also just purchased seven school bus ads.

More than 70 school buses now feature advertisements, which all required school board approval.

How it started: Bus ads approved by Vineland BOE

Some appliance upgrades are coming to school kitchens thanks to a $70,618 National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance Grant.

  • Johnstone Elementary, Wallace Intermediate School and the Cunningham Alternative School are getting hydrovection ovens.
  • The Sabater/IMPACT center is earmarked for a reach-in refrigerator and Winslow and Mennies elementary schools will receive reach-in heated cabinets.

In other grant news, Rossi and Veterans intermediate schools won “Sustainable Jersey for Schools Health and Wellness Grants,” funded through the  N.J. Department of Health.

At Rossi, the money is earmarked for the school’s continuing “School Climate Transformation Project,” Principal Tammy Monahan said. The goal is promote a family atmosphere within the school through positive interactions. This unity is expected to reduce discipline referrals and bullying incidents, she said.

Veterans Memorial students plan to plant a school garden and then create/share healthy recipes based on what they grow. They also plan to hold a harvest festival and create a mini-documentary to show the project’s progress.

In other news: Prepare for $70 million state aid cut, Vineland school board president urges

The district hired Victor Mazmanian as a Vineland High School North physics teacher, filling the vacancy left when Benita Villar retired.

Mazmanian has 16 years’ experience as a physics teacher. He was an adjunct college teacher for 25 years and served as a consultant for the Educational Testing Service, according to the district’s personnel department. He is fluent in Spanish, French, Arabic and Italian.

In other business:

  • School board removed possession of electronic device as an infraction in the district’s discipline code, as a result of adding the Bring Your Own Device program to the curriculum this school year.
  • United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 2327 donated a total of 300 red uniform shirts to students at Sabater, Leuchter, D'Ippolito, Barse and Mennies elementary schools. 

Deborah M. Marko: (856) 563-5256; dmarko@gannettnj.com