Archive: August, 2012
Camden’s most at-risk students will continue to be taught and guided by a private alternative-education provider this upcoming school year.
The Camden School Board approved at its Tuesday meeting to renew Camelot’s annual $3.8 million contract with the district. However, Camelot’s plan to expand its “school within a school” program, which would have cost the district an additional $719,556, was tossed out after board members questioned where the district would get that money.
“I’m not comfortable spending money if I’m not 100 percent sure where the money is coming from,” said board member Kathryn Ribay. The 2012-2013 budget, as presented to the board earlier this year, did not allocate money for an additional Camelot program.
After much delay, Camden Mayor Dana L. Redd is setting Sept. 17 as the first day the citywide business curfew will be implemented.
The city will soon be sending out letters and posting fliers notifying affected businesses of the new regulation of hours of operation.
The curfew ordinance, intended to help curb crime, was enacted on Sept. 19, 2011. It requires businesses in residential zones or within 200 feet of a residential zone to close between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. on weekdays and between midnight and 6 a.m. on weekends. The curfew does not apply to pharmacies or businesses holding liquor licenses or selling fuel.
As promised, Rutgers-Camden’s newest residence hall, on Cooper Street, will house three businesses at street level — a 7-Eleven, a Subway, and a Three Chiles Grill.
The eateries will be accessible to the public and offer job opportunities for 35 to 55 people, according to Rutgers-Camden.
“Each business anticipates maintaining day and evening hours; 7-Eleven will be open 24 hours daily,” the university says in a news release.
The Camden school district has recruited two educators from across the river to fill the principal spots at two of its most challenging schools. Tuesday evening, the school board approved the hiring of:
- Karen Jones-Rodgers, an elementary school principal in the Chester Upland School District. She will be principal at Henry L. Bonsall Elementary. She is no stranger to Camden, having worked at Freedom Academy Charter School there from 2004 to 2005.
- Lisa Thomas, a high school administrator in the Philadelphia School District, will be the new principal at Woodrow Wilson High School.
A second round of interviews is to be conducted next week to fill the principal spot at Charles Sumner Elementary, said Interim Superintendent Reuben Mills.
The current vice principal at East Camden Middle School, Shareef Daaliya, was promoted to principal there.
Tonight’s Camden council meeting was wall-to-wall packed with city residents and dozens of police-union representatives from all over the state and Philadelphia in support of maintaining a Camden police force.
Although council was not scheduled to vote on an ordinance or resolution related to the proposed Camden County police force, people came out to state their overwhelmingly negative opinions of the plan (or lack of a plan).
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