This year, the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District is transitioning from the self-contained Academically Independent (AI) program to a schoolwide model, which is a research-based redesign that expands access to gifted instruction across all home schools. This was an administrative decision made in the best interest of every student in our district. A careful review of outcomes revealed important limitations of the current model: more than two-thirds of students in our Grade 6 accelerated courses did not participate in the AI program, demonstrating that the AI pathway is not the only route to advanced achievement. At the same time, the district spends approximately $512,000 annually, or roughly $7,000 per student, to maintain a program that does not reflect best practices in gifted and talented education.  

Under the new model, current AI students will become part of a mixed cohort with students who meet the qualifications for gifted and talented services.  Their daily programs will include Math and ELA cluster groups as well as extended learning blocks.  By Grade 6, all students will have access to the full suite of 6E accelerated courses in Math, ELA, Science, and Social Studies.  Our goal has never been to reduce rigor, but to build instead a system that finds and develops potential in more students, more consistently, across every school in our community.

Thank you for your continued support in this endeavor.  

The Festival of the Arts, the pride of the Visual and Performing Arts program in the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District, will be presented over four days, including three in March, at Bridgewater-Raritan High School's spacious Vaughn Stapleton Gymnasium.

Students from Bridgewater-Raritan High School, Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School, Eisenhower Intermediate School,  Hillside Intermediate School and the 4th Grade students from the seven primary schools will perform at the Chorus Concert on Tuesday, March 24. The High School, Middle School, Eisenhower and Hillside students will perform in the Orchestra Concert on Wednesday, March 25, and the Band Concert on Thursday, March 26.

The Visual Arts show will be exhibited on Thursday, June 4, in the Bridgewater-Raritan High School cafeteria and small gymnasium.

A classic evening of basketball was experienced before a large crowd at the Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School on Thursday, February 26.

The Big Nick Classic, a signature event held at the Middle School, featured a team of students challenging a squad of teachers in front of an energetic audience in the school’s gymnasium.

The event, sponsored by the Middle School Student Council, honors the late Nick Klecz, who served as a teacher and coach in the school district for nearly 40 years.

For those keeping score, the students earned bragging rights with their 30-25 victory over their teachers. That victory was the fourth in the past five years by the student squad.

The month of February was highly successful for our high school student-athletes, as three Bridgewater-Raritan High School teams earned State Championships!  

The wrestling team achieved the first honor when it repeated as the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 state sectional champion on February 18. On that evening before an enthusiastic crowd at Vaughn Stapleton Gymnasium, Bridgewater-Raritan defeated Union High School, 33-29, to win the program's fourth state sectional championship. Bridgewater-Raritan's attempt to return to the Group 5 state final was thwarted when the Panthers fell to Old Bridge High School, 37-30, in the state semifinals on February 20 to end the dual season with a 20-9 record.

The boys' and girls' swim teams, then, took center stage on February 25, when both captured the Group A state championship.

The Bridgewater-Raritan boys' team, ranked No. 1 in New Jersey, defeated rival and fourth-ranked Hillsborough High School, 108-62, to win the program's fifth state title and first since 2018. The boys' team ended the season with a 12-0 record.

The high school's girls' team claimed the program's sixth state championship when the third-ranked Panthers breezed past 10th-ranked Cherry Hill High School East, 102.5-67.5, ending the season with a 12-1 record.

Congratulations to our three teams on achieving this prestigious honor.

On Tuesday, February 24, Alexis Goldman from Solutions Architecture provided a referendum status update to the public at our board of education meeting.  Here are the highlights:  

The Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District's $155M facilities referendum is now approximately halfway complete, with significant progress across all district buildings. Completed projects include the High School Auditorium renovation, Basilone Memorial Field House, district-wide secure vestibules, full-day kindergarten classroom renovations at seven schools, toilet renovations at multiple buildings, boiler upgrades, window replacements, and clock and speaker system upgrades. The referendum is currently tracking at break-even within the approved budget.

Active construction continues on several major projects, including the Middle School Addition, Middle School Interior Renovations, HVAC upgrades at multiple schools, the Bradley Gardens Addition, and primary school toilet room renovations. Projects scheduled next include Science Renovations at the Middle School, Site Improvements at the High School and Middle School, and HVAC and gymnasium upgrades. Full completion of all referendum projects is anticipated by 2030, with the final phase focusing on roofing and site improvements, which was intentionally sequenced last to protect previously completed work.

On Tuesday, February 17, staff members participated in a full-day professional learning session. The unofficial theme for teachers in Kindergarten through Grade 8 was The Adventure Ahead: 2026–2027, as the day focused on preparing for next year’s transitions. Teachers attended sessions tailored to their roles for the 2026–2027 school year. 

Session topics included Planning for Full-Day Kindergarten, The Adventure Ahead: Teaching in the Content Areas, Child Development, and Extended Learning. Principals from the intermediate and middle schools welcomed new staff members and led sessions designed to build strong school communities. Across all levels, PreK–12, supervisors facilitated cross-grade meetings, while principals, ETSs, and instructional coaches supported and guided professional learning.

At the high school, building committees met to advance current initiatives, and teachers were provided with dedicated professional time to collaborate and plan. Counselors participated in a session with a Nurtured Heart consultant and later engaged in learning focused on the Zones of Regulation.

Overall, the day offered valuable opportunities for collaboration, reflection, and forward thinking as we continue preparing for a successful 2026–2027 school year.

The Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District will have two meetings this month. Our annual budget retreat, open to the public, will be held on Thursday, March 5, at 6 PM, and the monthly Board of Education meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 17, at 7 PM.  

Meetings are held at the Wade Administration Building, 836 Newmans Lane, Martinsville, NJ.  Meetings are livestreamed and can be accessed at BOE Livestream