Unfortunately my tagline still works well in Brick....and this is awful! All you see in Brick Schools are politics, and this is the result, the bottom of the county. When will the people wake up? Some say all Brick cares about is sports, have you noticed there are few good sports teams in Brick as well? Check the paper and see the bottom of the standings for all sports. No, all that matters to many in key positions in the town is plain good old boy politics. This town and school system needs change, now, not recycled politics. This effects everything from our home values, to how people view this town. High time for some serious soul searching and serious action, not the same old nonsense that continues to play out.

HUH? Mr. Hrycenko has publicly stated many, many times that one of the main benefits of 4x4 block scheduling is that it affords students the opportunity to take more classes than they would normally be able to take under a traditional schedule. Therefore, shouldn't our rates for regular education students have increased dramatically?

"Superintendent Walter Hrycenko said the new rankings only take into account students who graduate within a strict four-year period."
Since when is graduating within a four-year period considered "strict?" Talk about lowering your standards! Hmm, perhaps the message from Administration that we are setting the bar lower and lower has something to do with these reduced graduation rates.

Reality, the super is not at fault here. What he is talking about is the guidelines that are set by the state, and the federal gov't. The term "strict" is used by the state to describe graduation, not the super. And he has nothing to do with setting the bar either. The district must follow the mandates set by the state and federal govts.

Yes Brick schools have gone down hill, but my opinion, is the BOE we elected and politics, like ashamed stated, has everything to do with it on the local level, just as with town hall, it is a me first mentality, with friends and family, a close 2nd, and the children a distant third.

Welcome to Bricktucky

How disappointing, 3rd lowest! Not surprised though.. this is why I send my child to private school. I saw the downward trend about 11 years ago when my oldest entered Veterans Middles School, what a mess!

EVeryone has to start pulling together in this town and shoe the BOE that we care. My son has one more year in the middle school and I am praying he realizes that the High School is crap. We need to flush the our School district of all the people that are in it just for a pay check. Or cut all their salaries and get people in that care. It should not be about the money. And for all you people that say it is the sports it isn't our teams have not been good for a while now. That too is who you know! If our principal really cared about our children's education and what the school looked like he would do something. And not worry about just putting a sign in the front. Look at those bleachers that is a disgrace and to think graduation is going to take place there. Why didn't they think of fixing them all year it isn't like oh yea we have a graduation that will be going on here! He needs to start taken pride in his job!

http://www.state.nj.us/education/news/2012/0501grad.htm

It is the formula to come up with the number of graduates that is "strict". They will reformulate in the future to include the special ed graduates and those with IEPs. When those students are counted back into the equation, the graduation rate will rise again.

"Although many students take more than 4 years to graduate from high school, the federal requirements do not allow the exclusion of students on a 5 or 6 year track, whether for special education students as indicated in their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or otherwise. In future years, the Department will be able to also calculate an extended-year graduation rate to help account for these students."

To me this does seem a little weird in how they come up with the percentages. The reason I say this is look at BTHS they has a 95.1 last year and a 84.31 this year, BMHS had a 96.1 last year and a 89.74 this year.
The point im getting at about how odd they are doing it now is if you look at Lakewood last year they had a 32.2 last year and this year is a 70.11.

So before you start bashing the school district while some of it is needed since we do need changes some of it is not if you look at the whole picture and not just of our town.

Quite frankly.... anything below 95% is unacceptable...
and Brick is NOT the only school district below 95%.

Must compare the % of special education students in each school. Since a district is required to educate them from age 3 - 21, why would they even be included in this count? We do not want to shortchange these kids; they must get the amount of schooling they are leagally entitled to. Does Brick attract more families with special needs because they provide good programs? Seems I read something like that when talking about the number of autistic children.

America #1 not for long, unless we all get are butt and minds in gear. Now I am going to get mugged by the sports fixes everything (or get sports free ride to collage) and that all of our children are collage material, WRONG on both counts, we need to redirect organized sports funding to education and if Johnny and Janie don’t understand Algebra teach them how to balance a check book and create a household budget and what a mortgage is. The world is passing us by!

If all of the seniors graduated, the old run down bleachers would not be able to support the weight during graduation ceremonies.
Once the new bleachers are installed, the school will start graduating more students.
The BOE is just looking out for the safety of the students. .....just saying

I pay taxes in Bricktucky but my children never used the Brick School System. The system is subpar at best. The ratings are a real disgrace however parents must be blamed also. I have attended some BOE Meetings and the parents that are raising these children should go back to school. Some of the elected members of the BOE should join them in this endeavor. Parents don't waste a brain sending your children to Brick High School make the sacrifice and send them to Point Beach HS, RBC, Or CBA.

Here's a thought parents, instead of putting all the blame on the schools, own your responsibility as a parent and have your kids study and do their homework instead of updated facebook, texting and playing playstation most of the time they are home......

MY OPINION ITS TIME FOR THE OLDER TEACHERS TO RETIRE AND LET THE NEW YOUNGER TEACHERS TAKE OVER ..THEY HAVE NEW IDEAS AND CAN AND I BELIEVER WILL RAISE THE BAR IN OUR SCHOOLS..OLD TEACHERS OLD WAYS AND DONT PUSH THE CORRECT BUTTONS TO THE KIDS MOTIVATED !!!

I am a graduate of "old" brick. I apologize for saying this, but I could careless about the quality of the bleachers or the color of paint on the walls. I care more about the quality of teaching and the amount of support the students are able to receive in regards to their education. Every high school teaches around the same curriculum, stating that because a student does not graduate is the school's fault is beyond ludacrious. A student at that time is old enough to CHOOSE whether or not they want to continue their education. Their home life and support system at home also has to do with whether or not a student in Graduates PERIOD. No matter if they live in Brick, Point Pleasant, Jackson, etc. I am a proud graduate of the Class of 2000 and I know many of the graduates move on to lead very productive, happy and successful lives. Look to the STUDENT and his/her family before you pass judgement on the school. The teachers I'm sure are doing the best they can.

After studying the chart, I now understand why so many of my neighbors pay tuition and send their kids to Point Beach High School. It's a big sacrifice as the parents not only pay Brick's taxes, they also have to pay Point's tuition plus provide their kids own transportation to PBH. They all tell me it's well worth it!

although this report may seem a little dismal, I'd just like to let you know it isn't all bad. A student graduating from Memorial this year will be attending Princeton University in the fall, and another from Memorial will be going to Johns Hopkins. So although major improvements are needed, it is still possible to get a good education and have a successful future in Brick public schools.

Let us not blame the school district alone. Graduation rates are part of a culture. Education is the responsibility of the family and the schools, not the schools alone. I do not understand why we in this country feel that when our kids leave for school in the morning that all responsibility for them falls to the school district.

I am fairly certain that, when our superintendent used the word, "strict", he meant that the state's new graduation statistics have no room for alternate interpretations. The actual facts haven't changed that much. I have known both Principal Filippone, and Superindendent Hrycenko for many years and, make no mistake, NO ONE cares more about the educational welfare of our students than these two men. They are among the best things our system has to offer. We should be extremely proud of them!

BTW I grew up in a much smaller town with MUCH less funds, Our High School while it was very simple, NEVER looked like the deplorable conditions & (unsafe) as "old" Brick. SHAME SHAME SHAME on any administrator making 100,000$ or more ... hope you sleep well at night knowing that the kids dont have basics in the school ( books, sinks in labs, art tables falling apart, single pain windows so that its extemly cold or hot, maybe soap or paper towels in the bathrooms, not to mention accessable handicap bathrooms. walls falling down exposed wiring, plumbing, leaking ceilings etc Just A FEW examples of what I saw... Again SHAME on those that are collecting high paychecks & pentions with the funds not going to the Children.(( & yes I vote for the budget every year but really wondering where that $$ is going))

When our citizens voted to save the garbage collection and police instead with a substantial tax increase (which it seems we now didn't have to do) but not a small increase to help out the schools (which I recall was approxmiately a $50 per household and we sorely DO need), well here is your immediate statistic. I can only remember one time in the past several years that we've passed an increase in taxes to help out the schools. Getting grants by the state helps but obviously this isn't enough. Our kids went to Brick schools but now we pay to send our kids out of Brick. I wouldn't generalize and say those teachers are any better than Brick teachers, as in all districts, I believe there are great teaches and mediocre ones. The difference is the facility and the educational services offered are better. Brick citizens need to get with it. You can't expect our schools to continue to get better if we don't put money into improving them. Yes, the other problem is having a qualified BOE, but so far at this point, i'm impressed that they've managed to work out a budget with the help of state aid and grants for our schools because our own citizens won't help. Of course it's going to cost more to update sorely outdated educational/facility/equipment needs. And for those of you who think you're entitled to not help out the schools because you don't have kids attending, good luck in trying to sell your house for more than it's worth if these statistics keep getting worse.