If you visit the East Brunswick Public Schools website, you’ll notice some recurring themes—most notably, repeated references to the district’s “11 National Blue Ribbon Schools” and a Redbook magazine article naming East Brunswick High School (EBHS) the best in New Jersey and one of the 51 best in the nation. The district proudly displays these accolades across multiple pages, including Our Schools, Staff and Community, Awards and Accomplishments 2021–2022, and Awards and Accomplishments 2022–2023.
But if you look closer—really look—you’ll see what’s not there: dates.
The Omission of Time Matters
It’s a deliberate choice not to include the years when these awards were granted. And when it comes to public trust and transparency, that matters.
The Redbook article? That was published in April 1996—28 years ago. The Blue Ribbon designations? The most recent was over a decade ago, and many date back to the early 1990s. Yet, on all three of these webpages, the district fails to provide that critical context. Instead, the accolades are presented in a way that suggests current relevance—painting a picture of a district at the peak of excellence today, rather than one coasting on achievements from a different generation of students, staff, and leadership.
Misleading by Omission
No one is disputing that the honors were real. EBHS was named one of the best in the nation—in 1996. Several schools were awarded Blue Ribbon status—in the 1990s and early 2000s. But to present these honors without the years is a subtle form of misrepresentation. It creates the illusion that the district is still being recognized at the national level, which is simply not the case.
In fact, since 2012–2013, East Brunswick has not received a new Blue Ribbon award. That’s more than a decade without the kind of recognition it continues to advertise as a defining trait.
Why This Matters Now
This matters because East Brunswick is facing very real challenges. Recent years have brought deep budget cuts, arts program reductions, staff attrition, and parental frustration over transparency and leadership. And yet, in the face of all this, the district clings to decades-old accolades as if they still hold the same weight.
It’s not just about outdated facts—it’s about accountability. It’s about whether families and taxpayers are being presented with an honest picture of the current state of the schools.
A Call for Transparency
We should take pride in our history—but not at the expense of truth. The continued omission of dates on the district’s Blue Ribbon and Redbook references is not just a formatting oversight. It’s an editorial choice. And it’s one that misleads the community.
If we want to move forward—if we truly care about rebuilding trust and restoring East Brunswick’s reputation—we must start by telling the whole story. That includes when these accolades were earned, and more importantly, what has happened since.
Sources:
https://www.ebnet.org/about-us/awards-and-accomplishments/awards-and-accomplishments-2022-2023-school-year
https://www.ebnet.org/about-us/awards-and-accomplishments/awards-and-accomplishments-2021-2022-school-year
https://www.ebnet.org/departments/human-resources/our-schools-staff-and-community
