Back to School 2026-2027

Dear WLBSD Families,

I hope this message finds you well and enjoying the last days of summer, doing what brings you the most joy. We are very excited to welcome our students and staff back for the 2026-2027 school year!

As we begin the year, our focus remains where it belongs: on creating schools where students feel known, supported, and excited to learn. In a small district like ours, the relationships among students, staff, families, and our community are one of our greatest strengths, and we look forward to continuing to build on those relationships this year.

A few important reminders:

• School is CLOSED FOR STUDENTS on September 1st and 2nd. Staff members will engage in professional development on those days.
• Our first day of school is September 3rd, with an early dismissal for students. September 4th will also be an early dismissal day for students
• School is CLOSED FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF on Monday, September 7th for Labor Day.
• The first full day of school will be Tuesday, September 8th.

Please take a moment to read these important updates. We're excited for the learning, growth, and connection this new year will bring, and we look forward to seeing you very soon!

Christina M. Egan

Superintendent

Ms. Celia Martinez Santiago

BME Special Education Resource Teacher

Mrs. Amy Whalen

Part-Time Office Assistant (BME/FAS)

Mrs. Deja Gascot

FAS Main Office Secretary

Mrs. Susan Calabro

Part-Time Data Coordinator

Ms. Veronica Bauman

Instructional Aide - Special Education

Ms. Vanessa Silva

Preschool Teacher - Kiddie Academy

Preschool Leave Replacement (early September)

Ms. Alex Skarzynski

School Counselor Leave Replacement (late September)

As you may know, our district has moved to a new administrative structure, and several areas of responsibility have been shifted. Given the change, allow us to re-introduce ourselves and provide a brief overview of the changes. We'd also like to let you know who you can contact for various needs.

Our entire team looks forward to a great school year, and to supporting our school community.

This year, Mr. Erhardt will serve as Building Principal for both Betty McElmon Elementary and Frank Antonides School, providing building-level leadership across our PreK-8 district. He will oversee the day-to-day operation of both schools and serve as the primary administrator for students, staff, and families.

After two years as a Supervisor in our district, Mrs. Irons has moved into the role of Assistant Principal for both Betty McElmon Elementary and Frank Antonides School. Working closely with Mr. Erhardt, she will support both schools and serves as the primary point of contact for building-level curriculum and instruction.

Mrs. Levine is the District's Director of Special Services, which includes the Child Study Team and Counseling Department. This year, she will serve as primary point of contact for Multilingual Learners, Section 504, and Gifted & Talented services.

Ms. Lowell is the School Business Administrator and Board Secretary. This year, she will also serve as the District School Safety Specialist, working closely with the staff, administration, and local resources to safeguard our schools and students.

Dr. Egan has served as Superintendent of the West Long Branch School District for five years. This year, she will take a more direct role in district-level Curriculum and Instruction, while continuing to provide overall leadership and oversight for the district.

With several roles and responsibilities shifting this year, we want to make it as easy as possible for families to know where to go with questions or concerns. We have created a guide outlining the best point of contact for a variety of questions and needs.

We are in the final year of our five-year strategic plan, and much has evolved in our school community during that time. This year, the Board of Education will begin the process of developing our next Strategic Plan. We will offer opportunities for our families, community members, staff, students, and other stakeholders to have a voice in the process. Be on the lookout for more information on how to get involved!

SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTION

• Last year, we continued to strengthen our WINN and Small Group instructional practices at FAS and BME. This work will continue in 2026-2027, with a focus on using student information to better tailor instruction to individual student needs.
• Over the summer, staff curriculum writers developed new Enrichment curriculum units for each grade level in both ELA and Math, to be taught during the WINN period to students who are meeting or exceeding on the target standard for that cycle. These project-based mini-units are designed to be highly engaging and will offer additional variety and challenge for students who are ready to extend their learning.

INNOVAMAT MATH LAUNCH IN GRADES K-2

• This year, students in grades K-2 will begin using Innovamat, a new mathematics program focused on conceptual understanding, problem-solving, number sense, and mathematical thinking. Our teachers will receive ongoing, job-embedded professional development throughout the year as they bring the program into their classrooms.

As we begin a new school year, we are also beginning the early stages of planning for the 2027-2028 budget. In recent years, rising costs, changing funding conditions, and the timing of state funding information have made long-term planning increasingly important.

We have already taken a number of steps to use our resources strategically, including reducing administrative staffing, managing other staff reductions through attrition, expanding in-district special education programs, pursuing grant funding, and carefully reviewing expenditures.

As we begin the next budget cycle, our focus remains on making strategic decisions regarding key priorities, including appropriate staffing that supports personalized attention for all families and students, courtesy busing, and strong, well-rounded academic programs. The Board of Education remains committed to an open and transparent budget process, and will continue to share information with the community as that work develops.

On August 31, the Board of Education approved revisions to Section H of Regulation 5600, Student Discipline/Code of Conduct. This section outlines the district’s approach to responding to student behavioral concerns.

The revisions focused primarily on streamlining, organizing, and modernizing the Code of Conduct, while much of its substance remains consistent with the previous regulation and established practices. The revised Code more clearly defines three tiers of behavior based on the nature and impact of the concern and provides for logical, progressively increasing consequences. This approach allows the district to respond appropriately to behavioral concerns while giving students the opportunity to learn from mistakes and make better choices moving forward.

A user-friendly version of the revised Code of Conduct is provided below and is also included in the student/parent handbook for each school.

Our schools are very lucky to benefit from the talents, efforts, and generosity of parent and family volunteers.

The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and Special Education Parent Advisory Group (SEPAG) are both family-run organizations which contribute to and support our schools.

Please see below for more information, and consider getting involved this year!

Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year!

PRESIDENT - Dierdre Varga

VICE PRESIDENT - Sabrina Papp

CORRESPONDENCE - Nikki Bickart

TREASURER - Nicole Shanley

First Meeting of the School Year

September 16, 2026

7:30 PM at the Community Center

Please be reminded that if your child is returning to school, and they had free or reduced-price meal benefits last school year, their free/reduced lunch benefits will expire on October 21, 2026. Annual applications are required - paper copies are available in the main office of your child's school.

Please see the below flyers for further details, and reach out to your child's school if you need assistance.