Dear Parents,
As we embark upon another school year, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for your ongoing support for both our programs and our children. We have made significant strides in our schools, as evidenced by Dover High School once again winning a U.S. News and World Report Silver Medal (one of only three in Morris County) for continued positive progress in testing. We have formed a new alliance with NJIT, which will open a Pre-Engineering strand for our High School students. This will enable our students to earn up to 28 College Credits prior to graduation from Dover High School. We have purchased a brand new Reading/Language Arts series for grades K-6, giving our staff the most modern tools to work with as they continue to improve instruction and learning. We are upgrading our facilities with new windows at Dover High School, thanks to grants which have paid more than 60% of the cost. Despite the numerous improvements, we have not raised the local taxes one cent over the last four years. We currently spend 8 million dollars a year under what the State says we should be spending, yet we are embracing some of the highest academic performance results we have ever experienced. Make no mistake about it, the times ahead will be the most challenging in our history. Funding from the State of New Jersey will shrink as the economy continues to struggle. As our resources become more scarce, the State plans to continue to evaluate our students with tests that are more difficult in terms of what they test, and how they are measured. We have accomplished a great deal, but welcome your continued help and support as we meet the challenges ahead. Working together, we can and shall succeed.
Sincerely,
Robert Becker, Superintendent