BUENA VISTA -- It could be more than a month before Buena Regional School District learns if the N.J. Board of Education will declare it a special-needs district in line for more state aid.

The state board's Legal Committee recommended a week ago that applications for special aid filed by Buena Regional and 15 other rural school districts be granted. Local officials say they need the extra money to keep property taxes under control while continuing to offer a sound educational program.

But the state board does not have anything on the agenda for its July 6 meeting about voting whether to adopt the committee's report as its final decision, Education Department spokeswoman Cindy Bucchi said Wednesday.

It is "too early to tell" if the board would take the necessary action at its August meeting, she said.

The committee cited several reasons Buena Regional and the other districts need extra aid: falling test scores, high suspension rates, large class sizes, limited curriculum offerings, inadequate science laboratories and libraries, and low numbers of faculty members with advanced degrees.

The list also includes five districts in Cumberland County: Commercial, Maurice River, Fairfield, Lawrence and Upper Deerfield.

News of the board's delay in making a decision was a blow to Buena Regional Superintendent Diane DeGiacomo.

"We're in a desperate situation," she said. "Our school facilities are falling apart, and we don't have the money to fix them."

She said Cleary Middle School's core facilities -- its library, science lab and cafeteria -- are unsuitable for students because they're too small and antiquated. She also cited the district's need for a full-day preschool and additional Advanced Placement courses for the high school.

Several local officials, meanwhile, are scheduled to meet July 12 with Education Commissioner William L. Librera to plead their case. Those officials include DeGiacomo, Buena Vista Mayor Chuck Chiarello, Buena Mayor Joseph Baruffi, assemblymen Jeff Van Drew and Jack Gibson, state Sen. Nicholas Asselta and Atlantic County Schools Superintendent Dan Loggi.

"All I want is for them to give us more funding immediately so we can upgrade our curriculum, fix our buildings and build the middle school we so urgently need," DeGiacomo said.

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BUENA -- The school district's new summer learning program is finally getting off to a successful start.

Known as Buena Out Of School Time (BOOST) and based in the 21st Century Community Learning Center at J.P. Cleary Middle School, the free program starts June 27 and lasts for six weeks. Classes are held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday and the program is being funded by a $2.5 million grant from the state Department of Education. An after-school BOOST program also will start Sept. 15.

Out of 300 applicants, 100 students from Cleary and Collings Lakes Elementary School were selected for the summer program.

"A lot of people applied to send their children, but we only had a limited number of slots," said Shelly Ward Richards, the director of BOOST. "So it was on a first-come, first-served basis."

The biggest difference between BOOST and traditional after-school programs is family involvement, Richards said.

"Families who want their children accepted into the program will be required to volunteer their time in some way," she explained. "There's a wide variety of ways that they can participate. It could be that they enroll in our graduate equivalency program to get their high school diploma, if need be, or they could take an English as a Second Language course or computer technology class that we give, be in a workshop for communicating with their children, or they could just volunteer time at one of our activities."

Matt Mazzoni, the program's coordinator and Richards' assistant, said free transportation and meals would be provided for the students.

Educational enrichment activities to expand the students' learning is key to the program and will include such diverse courses as rocket building, cooking, theater arts and space camp, where one of the teachers will bring a portable astronomy or science lab to class, Mazzoni said.

"We had a huge response from teachers in the district who wanted to be instructors for the program during the summer, so we hired them," Mazzoni said. "We weren't expecting such a big response."

Other courses will include an emphasis on physical fitness with classes at the Vineland YMCA as part of a sports program geared toward team building, Mazzoni explained.

"We want the students to learn discipline to help them become fit and healthy," he said. "Our goal is to get them to become academically motivated throughout the summer and to increase their interest in learning during the school year."

ment activities to expand the students' learning is key to the program and will include such diverse courses as rocket building, cooking, theater arts and space camp, where one of the teachers will bring a portable astronomy or science lab to class, Mazzoni said.

"We had a huge response from teachers in the district who wanted to be instructors for the program during the summer, so we hired them," Mazzoni said. "We weren't expecting such a big response."

Other courses will include an emphasis on physical fitness with classes at the Vineland YMCA as part of a sports program geared toward team building, Mazzoni explained.

"We want the students to learn discipline to help them become fit and healthy," he said.

"Our goal is to get them to become academically motivated throughout the summer and to increase their interest in learning during the school year."

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SOARING INTO THE UNKNOWN: Local seniors leave high school behind 6/16/05

Joshua Giercyk celebrates after receiving his diploma during graduation exercises Wednesday evening at Buena Regional High School.

Avary Moskalow, 3, congratulates her cousin, Michelle Mesghali, following commencement.

From left, Philip E. Asencio, Anthony Badaracco, and George Pyffer trade congratulations as Pyffer leaves the podium with his diploma on Wednesday at Buena Regional High School.

With his "Thanks Mom" sign in hand, Victor Nieves celebrates his graduation with his mother, Jackie Butler.

Ian Maddox's excitement is contagious during Wednesday's graduation ceremony at Buena Regional High School.

BUENA VISTA -- Hot, humid and sticky weather could not frazzle the high spirits of the 230 graduating seniors attending Buena Regional High School's outdoor commencement on Wednesday.

Rousing cheers preceded valedictorian Ashle Bernard's speech at the high school's John J. Zucal Athletic Complex, and listeners paid close attention to her words.

"Our classes are finished, our finals are done, and we face new challenges as we leave old friends and the support of our teachers behind," Ashle said.

The 18-year-old scholar's identical twin sister, Britne Bernard, was the school's salutatorian. Both plan to major in marine biology and teaching at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey in Pomona on full scholarships.

Before the diplomas were handed out, Buena Regional Principal Kenneth C. Soboloski said that the graduating class received $2.5 million in scholarship money.

Senior class president Justine Paladino presented School Superintendent Diane DeGiacomo with a class gift of a laminating

machine and a $1,000 check for the Ricky Wilcox Memorial Scholarship Fund, named in honor of the promising athlete and wrestler who died in a car crash the day before he was to graduation from Buena Regional last June.

Michael D. Wilcox, 18, the late teenager's younger brother and a member of the Class of 2005, said he was very proud of the scholarship fund started last year in honor of his brother.

"It's good because it allows kids who might not have been able to afford to go to a good college to be able to attend one," said Wilcox, who has a 10-year-old sister, Eden.

He said the second annual "Run 4 Ricky" fund-raiser held earlier this month raised more than $20,000 for the scholarship fund.

Wilcox said he planned to attend Nassau Community College on Long Island, N.Y., and then transfer to either Hofstra University or the University of North Carolina to major in business or criminal law.

"I'd either like to become a U.S. Marshal or own a small bar and grill," Wilcox said. "After that, I might return to live in New Jersey or move elsewhere."

Ashle Bernard said in her

valedictory speech that not everyone was going to follow the same path in life, but added, "here we come, ready or not, to face the world."

"We can make the world better than it was before," she said.

Advising her peers to "keep in touch with yourselves and everything around you," Bernard said her classmates had the opportunity to become anything they wanted to be.

The Dr. J.P. Cleary Outstanding Citizenship Award was presented to August and Eleanore "Ellie" Merighi of Buena for exceptional volunteerism in the school and for their participation with the Buena Little League and the Buena Braves wrestling and football teams.

"They have donated time and gifts to the schools long after the children have graduated," DeGiacomo said as she presented the Merighis with a $50 U.S. savings bond, a plaque and a commemoration certificate.

August Merighi said he and his wife were "very surprised and grateful" for the award and intend to continue volunteering at school events.

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Twin graduates pack 1-2 punch at Buena Regional 6/16/05

BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP - More than 200 members of Buena Regional High School's Class of 2005 accepted their diplomas Wednesday.

Among them were twin sisters Ashle and Britne Bernard who - in both appearance and academics - are nearly inseparable.

The two sisters, residents of Buena, finished 1-2 in academic ranking. Only three-hundredths of a point separated Britne from Ashle.

A whiff of controversy wafted across the campus when the school came out with its rankings. Ashle was ranked No. 1 and named valedictorian. Britne was the No. 2 ranked student and named salutatorian. But it quickly disappeared as both sisters accepted the school's decision.

The sisters are accustomed to being that close in most things.

"We were together all through school except for sophomore year," Ashle said.

The sisters were both cheerleaders - captains their senior year. They played softball for three years together. They have the same career interests. Both are planning to attend The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey in Galloway Township this fall. There they will both pursue a major in marine biology and teaching.

On Wednesday, the two sisters prepared to march into the stadium at the John J. Zucal Athletic Complex shortly before 6 p.m.

"I know she's as nervous as I am," Ashle said.

She couldn't be sure - the two sisters were assigned to different columns of marchers and were separated by the length of a football field at the start of Wednesday's ceremony.

Britne told the audience that the students behind her had become who they are by the weight of all their experiences growing up here.

"As people come and go, we make new friends and part with old ones," Britne told her classmates.

She urged her classmates to seize their destinies.

"The future is before us, let's make it ours."

Ashle, who would follow her sister with her own speech, planned to touch on her class's yearbook theme of past and present.

"The only thing I'll cherish more than my memories of the past is the possibilities of the future."Buena Regional Candidates for Graduation 2005

The Press is not responsible for errors in graduate listings provided by schools.

Salvatore Acilio, Jaime Adams, Edward Agnew, Raymond Allen, Krestina Almanza, Hillary Ambrose, Philip Asencio, Anthony Badaracco, Sean Baitinger, Thomas Balnis, Deborah Banks, Carl Barbatto Jr., John Barber, Steven Bass Jr., Christopher Beamer, Fatima Becton, Joseph Belawsky, Ashle Bernard, Britne Bernard, Peter Bohren, Stephen Bounds, Christopher Bowser, John Bright, Terrell Brown, Elyse Brumbach, Brian Buck, Kenneth Bucknam, Nicholas Buono, Daina Burk, Krystal Burnett, Tiffany Burnett, Clifford Burns, Jessica Burns, Tiffany Camacho, Jomarie Candelaria, Douglas Carey, Anthony Carlini, Amy Carr, Robert Carter, Jared Castellari, George Centeno, Jeannine Cheli, Charmaine Cirino, Nicholas Cocca, DeJuan Corbitt, Krista Cordero, Samantha Costa, Ciara Cramer, Katrina Crites, Yadira Matias-Cruz, Danielle Dalton, Ikea Davis, Jimmy DeJesus, Daniel Delcher, Cynthia Dever, Nicole Donnelly, Amanda Dreyer, Ian Dreyer, Anna Drozd, Marina Drozd, Gregory Duca, Stacey Duda, Melissa Eickmeyer, Robert Eidam, Daniel Esquilin, Alison Farinaccio , Tatyana Felder, Louis Ferrucci, Jacob Fleming, Sarah Flood, Darrin Ford, Nicholas Fountas, Jonathan Frick, Peter Gallagher, Jessica Geisenhoffer, Beth Genovese, Joshua Giercyk, Laura Gillespie, Derek Gordillo, Brendan Gormley, Daniel Gossin, Samantha Griffith, Kimberly Gross, Laura Hannah, Michael Hadwen, Leon Hardwick, Ashley Harlan, Michael Heilman, Sheena Hernandez, Lisa Hintzer, Andrew Horner, Elyssa Horner, Samantha Horner, Saneeta Hunt, Sara Jackson, Kelly Jargowsky, Ryan Johnson, Shamaya Jones, Danielle Joslin, Bethany Kahoe, Stefan Kandabarow, Ashlee Krichmar, Eric Lacontora, Jasmine LaFontaine, Justin Lamkin, Dennis LaRosa Jr., Erika Leaty, Michael Lee, Manuel Leon, Karen Leslie, Linda Linsinbigler, Nicholas LiPuma, Joshua Lloyd, Jaclynn Lochner, Leah Lohr, Brian Lolli, Amanda Lopez, Kathryn Luciano, Donald McCardell Jr., Bryan McFarland, Ian Maddox, James Madjeski, Jason Maher, Angel Maldonado, Francesca Mancuso, Melissa Mangiaracina, Marcellus Manning, James Marandino, Melissa Martinez, Yuneth Martinez, Thomas Mason Jr., Nick Maurelli, Andrew Mercado, Kelly Mercardo, Jaclyn Mercurio, Michelle Mesghali, Joseph Mihalics, Christopher Miller, Brittany Mitros, Brooke Mitros, Jose Moran, Adam Moratelli, Claribel Mundo, Lauren Muzzarelli, Rebecca Myers, Andrew Nelson Jr., Dana Nelson , Thomas Nichols, Luis Nieves, Victor Nieves, Cory Nilsen, Donald Nowell, Danielle Oliveri, Justine Paladino, Allen Parks, Erin Passmore, Sweeti Patel, Suzanne Patterson, Felix Perez, Latasha Peterson, Theodore Petrie, Raymond Phelps, Bryan Phillips, Jessica Platania, Heather Pruitt, George Pyffer, Amanda Reid, Nicole Richards, Victor Rivera, Ashley Roberts, Ricardo Rodriguez, Jeremy Ruga, MaryAnn Ruga, Jason Ruhlman, Brian Saccomanno, Michael Sahms, Sergio Salinas Guadarrama, Christopher Salotti, Brandi Sanders, Robert Sansalone, Dennis Santaniello, Julius Santiago, William Seeds, Shannon Seelman, Kelley Selby, Ryan Sendrick, Robert Shea, Heather Shuman, Christopher Sikking, Jennifer Sikora, Adriana Silva, Jamie Simione, Nicole Simons, Casey-Ann Smith, Justin Smith, Marie Smith, Corrie Snyder, Joseph Solomon Jr., Francisco Soto Jr., Crystal Spinuzza, Megan St.Marie, Jackelyn Staffieri, Tishona Still, Wesley Storar, Tiffany Suarez, Emmitt Summers II, John Sutton, David Swadis, Amber Swain, Janay Taylor, Latia Teat, Valorie Thomas, Donta' Thompson, Jessica Titherington, Kortney Todd, Nicole Trommello, Daniel Ushler, Natalie Velez, Kelsey Wallace, Danielle Walsh, Michael Warren, Amanda Welischek, Michael Wilcox, Ebony Wright, Heather Wynavage, Nicholas Yetter, Kristi Zanghi, Paul Zemanik and Lukasz Grabowski, honorary graduate.

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Buena Regional High School 2005 Graduating Class 6/16/05

Key:

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Goodbye to all that

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