Eight of Livingston's nine school buildings are over capacity, Superintendent Mark Stern told the Board of Education on Tuesday, Sept. 29.

The finding, drawn from the district's building utilization report, comes as new residential developments push enrollment upward, as first reported by the West Essex Tribune. Stern said developments that opened less than a year ago have brought more than 80 additional students into the district, and each development met or exceeded the Rutgers formula for projected student population.

"As we start to look at some of the developments around town, in the developments that have opened less than a year ago … we have welcomed over 80 additional students to the district," Stern said.

The district counted 6,301 students enrolled as of Sept. 3, down from 6,428 on the same date in 2025. The drop is misleading, though. This year's kindergarten class had 188 fewer students than last year's, but enrollment across all other grades rose by 51 students. Another 17 students enrolled after the Sept. 3 count.

Stern said enrollment typically rises throughout the year as families move in. The district plans to review the capacity figures again at year's end.

The board also received the district's first results from the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment-Adaptive (NJSLA-A), a redesigned state exam that debuted statewide in spring 2026. Unlike the previous NJSLA, the adaptive version adjusts question difficulty based on each student's responses.

Natalie Topylko, director of curriculum and instruction, reported that Livingston students surpassed the state average in English Language Arts by about 30%. In math and science, students outpaced state averages by roughly 30 to 40%.

The NJSLA-A is graded on a one-to-five scale. English Language Arts and Literacy exams covered grades 3 through 9, math exams covered grades 3 through 8, and science exams were given to students in grades 5, 8 and 11. Federal funding requires at least 95% participation, and Topylko said "almost every single person who could test was tested."

Results arrived months after the spring testing window because the NJSLA-A was a brand-new format. NJ Spotlight News reported that many districts did not receive scores until fall.

Susan Burman, director of human resources, reported the district hired 33 new teaching staff members since spring, along with six administrators, 10 educational services staff and other support roles.

Jessica Rapp, business administrator and board secretary, detailed summer building improvements across the district. The work included a renovated nurse's office at Burnet Hill Elementary, a new sign and gym repairs at Harrison Elementary, and an emergency fire alarm replacement at Livingston High School.

Student representative Stevie Perl reported that students have adapted to the district's new bell-to-bell cell phone policy.

The board's next meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 13, as a combined workshop and voting session, according to the district's meeting calendar.