Woodbridge School Board Rejects All Bids for Elementary Reading Program
The district will have to start over on a contract for outside help in improving reading instruction. State data show that Woodbridge students are reading below the statewide average.
Children’s books on a shelf. (credit: Robyn Budlender)
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Chris Howell | June 22, 2026
The Woodbridge Township Board of Education voted Thursday to reject all proposals it received from an outside company to improve reading instruction in its elementary schools, with no public explanation for the decision.
The board had gone out to bid in May for a vendor to provide coaching and consulting services to elementary school teachers on reading instruction. Eight companies submitted proposals by the June 3 deadline. The board voted Thursday to reject them all, citing the public interest, and authorized the business administrator to go back out to bid if the board decides to try again.
No board member nor Superintendent Dr. Joseph Massimino offered a reason for the rejection during the meeting. The vote was taken without discussion as part of a larger block of action items.
The decision comes as state data show that Woodbridge students are reading below the state average. According to the New Jersey Department of Education’s most recent school performance report, 40% of Woodbridge students met or exceeded the state’s reading standard on the 2023-2024 state assessment. The statewide average was 52%.
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The state also tracks how much students improve from one year to the next compared to students elsewhere with similar starting points. On that measure, Woodbridge came in at a score of 37 in English language arts in 2023-2024, below the state’s acceptable range of 40 to 59.5 and below the statewide median of 50.
During public comment on Thursday, resident Paul Lund raised the reading figures and pressed the board on whether the district was prioritizing academics. Massimino responded to Lund’s broader questions about the budget and state mandates but did not address the reading data specifically.
The board finalized a separate contract Thursday for outside help with math instruction. A company called Innovamat Education, based in California, was selected from five proposals to provide coaching and support to teachers working with students who need extra help in math. That contract is funded through federal Title II dollars, which are designated for teacher training.
The district is also continuing a grant-funded program that uses regular assessments to track student progress and help teachers identify students who are falling behind. The board renewed that grant, worth about $40,000, at its May meeting.
Editor’s note: The Central Jerseyan is free to read and supported by advertising. If you value this kind of local reporting and want to help sustain it, you can become a citizen supporter on Patreon. Your contribution helps fund continued coverage of local government, schools, and community issues.