August 31, 2026
Dear North Hanover Township School District Families,
Welcome back! I hope that you and your families have had a wonderful and relaxing summer. We are excited to welcome our students back for the 2026–2027 school year on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.
While our schools may have been a little quieter over the summer, it has certainly been a busy one behind the scenes. Our staff, administrators, and facilities teams have been working hard to prepare our schools for the year ahead, and I am excited to share some of the improvements that have taken place across the District.
At Upper Elementary School, we completed a significant refresh of 23 classrooms and small-group instructional spaces, including new flooring and cabinetry and the addition of built-in bookshelves. We also repaired and replaced the existing roof. At Endeavour Elementary School, we completed exterior fascia and gutter replacement, helping to address both the appearance and long-term maintenance of the building.
Perhaps the most visible transformation this summer has taken place at C.B. Lamb Elementary School, where our 20,000-square-foot addition is nearing completion. The addition includes four new classrooms, two small-group instructional rooms, and two interior courtyards that will provide unique outdoor learning spaces for our students. The new gymnasium is also part of this exciting addition and is progressing well, with completion anticipated this winter. We have also made substantial improvements to the existing CB Lamb building, including replacing the roof over the older front addition, adding bathrooms to two classrooms, renovating and repairing four faculty restrooms, replacing bathroom flooring in three classrooms, and converting two classrooms into four smaller instructional spaces. We are also looking forward to the expansion and resurfacing of the existing playground, which will be coming soon.
These projects represent a tremendous investment in our schools and in the experience we provide for our students. I am grateful to our Board of Education, our staff, and everyone who worked throughout the summer to help make these improvements possible. Much of this work happens when our buildings are quiet and our students are away, but its impact will be felt by our students and staff every day throughout the school year.
A Note About Cell Phones and Internet-Enabled Devices
As we prepare for the start of the school year, I also want to share an important update regarding student use of cell phones and other internet-enabled devices. In January 2026, New Jersey enacted P.L. 2025, c. 195, which requires public school districts to adopt and implement a “bell-to-bell” policy governing student use of personal internet-enabled devices during the school day. This includes smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, and other devices capable of connecting to the internet.
I want to emphasize that this is not a significant change to what we have traditionally expected of our students in North Hanover. We have not permitted students to use cell phones during the school day in the past. The new state law, however, provides a more comprehensive framework that addresses cell phones as well as other internet-enabled devices. In response to the new law, the District is updating Policy 5516 and Regulation 5516 to ensure that our expectations are clearly outlined and aligned with the new state requirements. The Board of Education will consider and formally adopt the updated policy and regulation in the coming months.
For our Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 6 students, personal internet-enabled devices are not permitted to be used on school grounds during the school day. Students who choose to bring a device to school will be expected to turn it off, password protect it, and keep it stored in their backpack, locker, or other designated bag throughout the school day.
There are specific times and circumstances when students may use these devices. Students are permitted to use their devices on a school bus while traveling to school at the beginning of the school day or home at the end of the school day. However, devices may not be used on school grounds before the start of the regular school day or after the regular school day, and they may not be used during school-sponsored activities when students are under the direct supervision of District staff, such as field trips or before/after-school clubs. We recognize that you will need to maintain communication with your child while at school when you feel it necessary and we encourage you to, in case of an emergency, contact the school’s main office, and staff will ensure messages are delivered promptly. In addition, students may access the main office if they need to contact a parent or caregiver.
Our purpose is straightforward: we want our schools to be places where students are engaged with their teachers, their classmates, and their learning. Technology certainly has an important place in education, but there are also times when putting devices away allows students to be more present and connected to the people and experiences around them.
As we head into another school year, there is a great deal to be excited about. We have made important investments in our facilities, continued to strengthen our instructional programs, and spent the summer preparing our schools and staff to welcome our students back.
Thank you to our staff for the tremendous work that has gone into preparing for this year, and thank you to our families for your continued partnership and support. We cannot wait to see our students back in our schools on September 8.
Welcome back, North Hanover! Here’s to a great 2026–2027 school year!
Sincerely,
Dr. Michael B. Maschi
Superintendent of Schools
North Hanover Township School District