West Essex Advances on MSG Varsity's 'The Challenge'

Team faces Lakeland High School in third round of regional competition.

West Essex Regional High School is one of a dozen remaining teams vying to qualify for the Tri-State Championship Playoffs of MSG Varsity’s “The Challenge.” The winning participants of the quiz show receive $500 each, as well as $10,000 for their school. West Essex advanced to the third round of competition and will face Lakeland Regional High School on Friday, May 17, at 6:30 p.m., on Cablevision’s Optimum, Channel 14. The quiz show challenges students on their knowledge of various subjects in front of a live studio audience. “The Challenge” is hosted by Jared Cotter, an American Idol semi-finalist. “The action is really heating up as we progress to the final rounds of the Regional Championships,” Cotter stated in a release. “You can see …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

Superintendent Calls Departing Business Administrator 'Great Partner'

West Essex Regional Schools Business Administrator Michael Falkowski accepts position with Ridgewood.

West Essex Regional Schools Business Administrator and Board of Education Secretary Michael Falkowski has announced his resignation, school officials said Thursday. Falkowski’s last day will be June 30. He has accepted a position as Business Administrator and Board Secretary at Ridgewood Public Schools. “Mr. Falkowski is leaving West Essex for a career opportunity in a larger district with greater responsibilities,” said West Essex Superintendent Barbara Longo in a statement. “Mr. Falkowski has spent the last three years at West Essex spearheading some great facilities upgrades as well as overseeing our fiscal operations.” Falkowski came to the district, which consists of West Essex Regional Middle School and West Essex Regional High …

• Photos (1)

West Essex Business Administrator to Leave District

Michael Falkowski started with West Essex in May 2010, also serves as treasurer for Roseland and North Caldwell.

Michael Falkowski, current school business administrator of West Essex Regional Schools, was approved unanimously Monday by the Ridgewood Board of Education to serve as the district's next business administrator and board secretary. Falkowski will replace Angelo DeSimone, who will retire at the end of the school year. He will start on July 1, 2013, with an annual salary of $165,000. Falkowski attended the Monday school board meeting in Ridgewood with his wife and children. "I'm very excited," Falkowski told school board members and administrators. "This is going to be a really great fit." Falkowski has been the business administrator/board secretary of West Essex since May 2010, and also doubles as treasurer at Caldwell-West Caldwell and …

• Photos (1)

Mentalist Visits West Essex Math Class

Teaches students to use memory to help with math.

West Essex Hosts Third Annual Trotting for Technology 5K

Proceeds from this event will be directed to enhancing technology in the West Essex Regional Middle and High Schools.

The West Essex Foundation for Education (WEFE) is hosting its 3rd Annual “Trotting for Technology 5K Run/Walk,” a USATF certified race, on Sunday, May 19.   Proceeds from this event will be directed to enhancing technology in the West Essex Regional Middle and High Schools.        The entire West Essex community is invited to support the event by registering as participants or becoming sponsors. Individuals as well as teams may register for the 5K run/walk. To register online, visit www.compuscore.com.  For more information or to sponsor the event, visit www.westex.org.

• Photos (1)

West Essex 8th Grader Shares Grandfather's Experiences in Holocaust

West Essex Middle School student Jake Wolf, an eighth grader from North Caldwell, decided he wanted to do something different for his bar mitzvah project.

West Essex Challenges Parsippany on MSG Varsity Quiz Show

High schools from tri-state area compete for $10,000 prize on "The Challenge."

West Essex High School will face Parsippany High School in round two of MSG Varsity’s The Challenge, the cable network has announced. The quiz show featuring the local high schools will air on Thursday, April 18, at 6:30 p.m., on Cablevision’s Optimum, Channel 14. West Essex is one of 47 New Jersey schools vying to qualify for the Tri-State Championship Playoffs. The West Essex team includes Jerry Groome, Ben Gersten, Tom Haversang (Captain) and Erik Maher, and alternates Michael Caggiano and Mark Mascera. The academic advisors are C.J. Rauch and Caroline Blanchard. The Challenge host Jared Cotter, a semi-finalist on American Idol, tests the students’ knowledge in a variety of subjects, from history, current events and science to math, …

• Photos (1)

West Essex Superintendent 'Pleased' With Flat State Aid

Caldwell-West Caldwell and West Essex react to governor's state aid announcement.

Local school districts reacted positively Friday to flat 2013-14 state aid figures released by the governor earlier this week, although it remains unclear what the impact might be of federal spending cuts that went into effect at the end of the day. Caldwell-West Caldwell Schools will receive $961,290 in state aid, the same amount the district received last year, the governor announced Thursday afternoon. The district waited to learn state aid figures this week to finalize the 2013-14 school budget. “In the budget work that we have conducted over the past several months, the main scenario for which we had planned was flat state aid,” Caldwell-West Caldwell Schools Superintendent James Heinegg said Friday. “So we were prepared, and are …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

State Aid Remains Consistent for Districts in the Caldwells

Caldwell-West Caldwell, West Essex and North Caldwell schools will get the same amounts they took in last year.

School districts in the Caldwells will receive the same amount of state aid in 2013-14 as they did this year.   Gov. Chris Christie’s office released the state aid figures for school districts in New Jersey for 2013-14 on Thursday afternoon, which included an increase of about $93 million from last year’s numbers. In what was widely anticipated by local school administrators, there will be no change in state aid next year. Caldwell-West Caldwell Schools will get $961,290 in state aid for the 2013-14 school year. This figure includes $848,871 for special education, $72,385 for transportation aid and $40,034 for security aid. The state aid will be factored into the 2013-14 budget which is expected to be introduced by the board of education …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Sequestration Could Impact Caldwell-West Caldwell School Budget

Districts across New Jersey await state aid figures this week with uncertainty.

Caldwell-West Caldwell Schools face the deadline to submit the 2013-2014 budget to the county next week with uncertainty as to whether $85 billion in federal "sequestration" spending cuts will be stopped by Congress before Friday.  James Heinegg, superintendent of Caldwell-West Caldwell Schools, said the district will learn its state aid figures this week after Gov. Chris Christie delivers his fiscal year 2014 budget address Tuesday afternoon. The release of the state aid figures triggers a sequence of events related to the budget process, Heinegg said, including the Board of Education approving the proposed school budget on March 5. The budget is due to the county for review next week. “The governor gives his address tomorrow and then 48 …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)