Editor’s Note: Asbury Park Press staff writers produce a lot of great work. Every reporter is picking their favorite story of 2025. Here’s why Charles Daye selected this one:
The story I am most proud of in 2025 is the investigative report conducted by Amanda Oglesby and me into the Asbury Park School District’s “64 floor” and the subsequent butterfly effect it had on not only the district but the community and state of New Jersey. The 64 Floor forbid teachers from giving a grade below 64, essentially making it impossible to fail and rubberstamping graduation.
For years parents and residents argued their school district was used as a steppingstone for administrators moving on to better jobs and the teachers felt scapegoated despite following their bosses’ orders. The investigation started because of the number of lawsuits the district was involved in and seemingly everyone on the ground pointing the finger at the same man, Lamont Repollet, a man who eventually left the district after being hired by Governor Murphy as education commissioner for the job he did in Asbury. We worked incredibly hard crossing all the t’s and dotting all the i’s, and the community appreciated it. …