the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, IMPORTANT NOTICE: Board of Education Budget Election will be held Tuesday, April 16, 2019 – polls will be open 6am – 8pm. Sample ballots, mailed to Ridgewood voters, incorrectly note polls open at 2pm. Please share this important information with friends and neighbors.
Board of Education Budget Election – Tuesday, April 16, 2019 – POLLS OPEN 6am – 8pm.
” Ridgewood school district is great, but recent increases in Budget driven by employee medical benefits and special ed. Meanwhile school rankings are dropping compared to competitors.
I know very little about educating kids except that it’s an extremely tough job. However I do know quite a bit about budgeting. It’s imperative to always question how $ is spent, otherwise it will be spent with less care than warranted. Voting no therefore makes sense in this case, as the board did not address concerns posed above.
Many parents defend the educators by questioning the no vote, but this is not a educators vs parents story. Rather it’s an action point for BoE to regain public trust by acknowledging raised issues and proposing solutions. I doubt there’s a resident who wishes bad upon our great educators, so let’s not confuse the issues. “
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Board of Education puts the wrong voter times (2-8 pm)on the sample ballot for the April 16th $111 million budget vote (More like 6am to 8pm).
Sources say the BOE claims it was just a ,”wink wink” miss print ?
The vote on the 2019-2020 $111 million school budget is Tuesday, April 16, during Spring Recess for the Ridgewood Public Schools.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The countdown to the School Election is underway! Next Tuesday, April 16, Ridgewood voters will cast their ballots on next year’s school budget. Schools will be closed for Spring Recess but the polls will be open from 6 a.m.-8 p.m.
This the school board that puts their own interests above that of the students or the taxpayers , using taxpayer money to circumvent the community by extending their terms till 2020 .
Continue reading Ridgewood School Board Faces “No Confidence” Vote Over $111 Million Budget
file photo by ArtChick
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, according to a report from the Ridgewood Board of Education , last May, the New Jersey Coalition for Diverse and Inclusive Schools sued New Jersey to desegregate our public schools. Gary Stein, former NJ Supreme Court Justice, chairs this group.
Since the suit, the Coalition and the state have been in settlement talks. Eleven months later, the Coalition is frustrated by the lack of progress and is ready to go back to court. They allege that the state’s school residency requirements are unconstitutional because these regulations lead to school segregation.
” Very Low attendance at Ridgewood Strategic Planning meeting yesterday. Same faces as usual, maybe 30 in total. Topic for discussion is how to make our school district better. No word from presenters on the cost, which indicates our concerns aren’t sinking in. I’m for one not ready to abandon the village just yet and will be voting no to school Budget until leadership takes concrete actions to address the cost spiraling out of control. “
Continue reading Reader says ,”No word from presenters on the cost, which indicates our concerns aren’t sinking in”
the staff of the Ridgewood Blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Board of Education will hold its next Regular Public Meeting on Monday, April 1, 2019. The Board meets at the Education Center, 49 Cottage Place, Floor 3 at 7:30 p.m.
The public is welcome to attend the meeting, or to watch from home on Fios channel 33 or Optimum channel 77. Meetings are also streamed via the “BOE Webcast” tab on the district website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us.
Meeting webcasts are immediately available on the district website.
” Voting no for first time in 40 years, for the sake of the Village.
The math is simple – – taxes get to the point where i decide its time leave my 4 bedroom, 4 bath house. Right now, the Village makes a lot off of my empty nest. But if they tax me to the point where i leave, then a family with three children move in at a cost of 10 to 15k a year each child to educate. That cost of 30 to 40,000 equals or exceeds what they collect from me now in taxes. The Village goes from positive income flow from me and my property taxes, to at best breaking even and more likely losing money. “
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Board of Education has approved an enormous $111.6 million budget on Monday.
The average village home is assessed at $702,225 would see an increase of $173.96 om their property taxes .
Continue reading Enormous $111 Million Ridgewood School Budget Will Result in $174 Tax Increase Per Home
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Public Schools is embarking upon a strategic planning initiative to examine its strengths, challenges and opportunities. The public is encouraged to attend a public information session about the initiative, set for 7 p.m. on TUESDAY, April 2 at the Ridgewood High School Campus Center.
In addition, a community survey has been created we are asking all to take by Monday, April 8. We hope you will go to our website to RSVP for the Tuesday, April 2 info session and also access the survey link below.
the staff of the Ridgewoodblog
Ridgewood NJ, Approval: Resolution for Adoption of the 2019-2020 Budget for Submission to the Executive County Superintendent of Schools The Ridgewood Board of Education, upon the recommendation of the Superintendent of Schools, approves the following resolution: BE IT RESOLVED, that the Ridgewood Board of Education approves the 2019-2020 school district budget, as follows, for submission to the Executive County Superintendent of Schools: Dr. Fishbein Budget Tax Levy General Fund $107,043,634 $96,014,943 Special Revenue Fund $ 1,467,567 $ 0 Debt Service Fund $ 3,138,550 $ 2,869,732 Total Budget $111,649,751 $98,884,675
The district has proposed programs and services in addition to the Core Curriculum Content Standards adopted by the State Board of Education. Information on this budget and the programs and services it provides is available from the school district.
There should be raised for the General Fund Tax Levy $96,014,943 for the ensuing School Year: (2019-2020). The General Fund includes $300,000 which is to be withdrawn from Emergency Reserve. CAPITAL RESERVE STATEMENT OF PURPOSE Included in budget line 620, Budgeted Withdrawal from Capital Reserve – Excess Cost & Other Capital Projects, is $1,300,000 for the following construction projects: • Renovation of Four Bathrooms at BFMS and GWMS • Replacement of Stadium Turf Field at RHS • Districtwide Parking Lot Paving • Repairs to the BFMS Track Pole Vault & Javelin Areas
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Board of Education will hold its next Regular Public Meeting on Monday, March 25, 2019. The Board meets at the Education Center, 49 Cottage Place, Floor 3 at 7:30 p.m.
The public is welcome to attend the meeting, or to watch from home on Fios channel 33 or Optimum channel 77. Meetings are also streamed via the “BOE Webcast” tab on the district website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us.
Meeting webcasts are immediately available on the district website.
Click here to view the agenda in PDF format.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Governor Phil Murphy has signed legislation sponsored by Senator Anthony Bucco (R-25) to expand the categories of those who are eligible to serve as Class Three officers, a special class of retired-in-good-standing law enforcement officers who provide security at New Jersey’s schools and county colleges.
Bucco was the sponsor of the 2016 law that created class three officers, vastly expanding opportunities for local municipalities to increase school security.
Continue reading Governor Signs Bill to Expand Eligibility Requirements to Allow More Retired Law Enforcement Officers to Protect NJ Schools
Questions about the 2019-2020 budget may be directed to [email protected].
The vote on the 2019-2020 school budget is Tuesday, April 16, during Spring Recess for the Ridgewood Public Schools. Any registered voter may vote by mail! Please consider doing so, especially if you are unable to get to the polls on School Election Day.
Public presentations on the 2019-2020 school budget have been planned, as follows:
Monday, March 18 at George Washington Middle School auditorium at 7 p.m.
Tuesday, March 19 at Benjamin Franklin Middle School auditorium at 7 p.m.
The latest 2019-2020 preliminary budget presentation may be found here.
Voter information on how to vote, voting by mail and more, may be found here.
Are you registered to vote? Tuesday, March 26 is the deadline to register to vote on the school budget on April 16. Registration forms may be found here.
Vote by mail: Download a vote-by-mail application here. The deadline is Tuesday, April 9 to apply by mail.
The Board presentation on the 2019-20 Preliminary Assumption Budget was given on February 11, 2019. The slide portion of the presentation may be viewed here.
Court issues opinion on Board of Education election dates
In February a judge ruled that board of education member terms may not be shortened. The full statement may be viewed here
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, New Jersey’s latest school grades are out, giving parents in every community a snapshot of what the state thinks of their local schools.The state Department of Education on Tuesday released the new scores, which are graded on a scale of 0-100 and consider standardized test results, graduation rates and other factors. The ratings were established to comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which replaced the No Child Left Behind Act.
The system has been very controversial , with critics claiming the ranking system hardly reflects the quality of the education.
Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi , “Trying to decipher the scoring system used in this new grading system by the State Department of Education. Some of the disturbing trends in the data include that school districts in which the state has made significant financial investments continue to see the lowest scores and in some local communities one grammar school may rank among the lowest while others in the same community are ranked incredibly high. We need to start looking at better and different ways to help our children succeed within our schools. Merely sending additional monies does not seem to be working.”
Continue reading NJ Department of Education Grades Ridgewood Schools
