• WE ARE THE SBJC
    The South Bergen Jointure Commission is a school district whose classrooms are not defined by walls and whose students are not defined by their classifications.

    Our vision centers on establishing a formalized system that ensures the federal mandate of Least Restrictive Environment is being best achieved, and our goal as an educational institution is to prepare our students for independent living following their completion of our program. We know that it is only through the collective efforts of our key stakeholders—board members, faculty, staff, students, parents, partners, and our communities—that we’ll be able to achieve this vision and goal.

    We serve as a lead agency for the purposes of creating consortiums or cooperative enterprises. The SBJC provides services to participating school districts with an emphasis on shared services in the following areas:

    Special Education Classrooms ● Curriculum ● Outreach & Related Services ● Transportation ● Professional Development ● Home Programming ● Students Transitioning to Adult Responsibilities ● Extended School Year

    The SBJC is accredited by the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Read more about it here.

  • Special Education Classes
    The South Bergen Jointure Commission provides special education classes for children of varying classifications, including Autism, Multiply Disabled, and Behavioral Disorders, from pre-k to 21 years of age. Classes are located at campuses in Maywood, Lodi, Garfield, Carlstadt, South Hackensack, Felician University (Lodi), and Moonachie. The programs offered provide all the services listed in each child’s Individualized Education Plan. Our main campuses house speech therapists, occupational and physical therapists, behavior/counseling departments, and also offer music, art, physical education, and mindfulness classes. Our annexes provide opportunities for students to attend classes in a general education setting.

    Curriculum
    We’ve developed and implemented an academic curriculum that is fully aligned to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards, including Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards, as well as nine K-12 standards for the following content areas: 21st Century Life and Careers; Comprehensive Health and Physical Education; English Language Arts; Mathematics; Science; Social Studies; Technology; Visual and Performing Arts; and World Languages.

    Outreach and Related Services
    The SBJC employs psychologists, social workers, Learning Disabilities (LDT) Consultants, art and music teachers, and special education transitional counselors. These employees are assigned to participating districts on a partial-week basis. Districts in need of a part-time professional could engage the Jointure Commission to employ individuals.

    The South Bergen Jointure Commission employs OT, PT, Speech and Behavior personnel to provide services to students of the SBJC and to students of participating districts.

  • Home Programming
    The goal of the SBJC Home Program is to teach students to become productive and independent members of their families and communities. Home Programming focuses on working with students and their families to develop and generalize skills in and to the natural environment. The SBJC Home Program will assist families and caregivers with techniques used during the school day which have been proven to be successful for their child’s needs. Using Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) strategies to teach skills and manage behaviors, all home programming is data driven and evaluated on an ongoing basis to guide future programming.

    Students Transitioning to Adult Responsibilities
    The SBJC Students Transitioning to Adult Responsibilities (STAR) program is for students ages 18-21 who have completed the mandated requirements for high school graduation. It is the goal of the STAR Program to enable students to transition successfully from high school to adulthood as an active member of society and the workforce. The STAR Program provides students with the opportunity to venture into the local community under the supervision of their teachers, paraprofessionals, job coaches, and therapists.

    Extended School Year
    The South Bergen Jointure Commission provides extended school year to support students in maintaining the academic, social/behavioral, communication, or other skills that they have learned as part of their Individualized Education Program (IEP). Teachers, paraprofessionals, and related services are continued through the month of July.

    Transportation
    As a state approved Coordinating Transportation Services Agency (CTSA), the South Bergen Jointure Commission provides coordination of transportation for Bergen County School Districts at a cost savings per district. Our Board Office location serves as the central office for receipt of all transportation requests from participating districts. Transportation is coordinated and/or arranged for special education, regular education, and non-public school children. The SBJC presently services the member districts with over 500 routes, and public, non-public, and special education transportation are coordinated to maximize the vehicles use on each route, including athletic and field trips.