2019-2020 PROPOSED PRELIMINARY BUDGET The slide portion of the presentation — reflecting Board-approved financial revisions — may be viewed here.
Following a presentation and discussion, the Board approved a Resolution for adoption of the 2019-2020 Proposed Preliminary Budget for Submission to the Executive County Superintendent of Schools. as follows:
The General Fund Tax Levy is $96,014,943 for the ensuing School Year: (2019-2020).
Board of Education Meets Monday, March 11, 2019 49 Cottage Place 7:30 p.m.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Board of Education will hold its next Regular Public Meeting on Monday, March 11, 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 https://www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us.
Meeting webcasts are immediately available on the district website.
Monday, March 18 to GWMS or Tuesday, March 19 to BFMS, to learn about the proposed 2019-20 school budget. Presentations will be at 7 p.m. The public vote on the budget is Tuesday, April 16. Questions on the budget can be sent to [email protected].
Ridgewood NJ, Voters! Please come on Monday, March 18 to GWMS or Tuesday, March 19 to BFMS, to learn about the proposed 2019-20 $111,000,000 Ridgewood school budget.
Presentations will be at 7 p.m. The public vote on the budget is Tuesday, April 16. Questions on the budget can be sent to [email protected].
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood school district has asked the privately owned Ridgewood Nursery School to vacate the space it currently leases inside Glen School by the end of the school year. The eviction came unexpectedly ,giving students barely 5 months to relocate. Superintendent Daniel Fishbein told the Bergen Record in a statement that Ridgewood is following its signed contract, and will “continue to attempt to work with RNS in a collaborative versus litigious manner.”
Ridgewood NJ, Residents are invited to stop by the Education Center for coffee and casual conversation with Board of Education members and Superintendent Dr. Daniel Fishbein. Mark your calendars for March 20 from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Education Center, 49 Cottage Place. Come with your thoughts, ideas, questions, suggestions and concerns.
Ridgewood NJ, Dr. Fishbein spoke about the BOE Finance Committee’s request last year of looking into the viability of selling the Education Center and moving elsewhere. A formal market appraisal of the Education Center came in at $2.8 million in April 2018. LAN also prepared preliminary drawings for a new building in the space in front of Glen School that came in at an estimated $10 million. Rental fees would range from $150k – $260k per year, with the likelihood of a necessary relocation outside of Ridgewood. The conclusion was that it is financially prudent to stay at the current site, 49 Cottage Place.
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Board of Education will hold its next Regular Public Meeting on Monday, February 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.
” Sure, our BOE probably overspends by $25-35 mm just here in Ridgewood alone. Just look at all of the virtually empty buses taking one or two students a few miles every day back and forth… and we’re a magnet for special needs kids because of all of the resources in our $111 mm BOE budget dedicated to special needs resources. While that’s great, what about the other 5,000 kids in our public schools who rank 23rd in SAT scores for the state? And don’t have statistically significant acceptance rates to top colleges & universities? From a high school most recently ranked 26th in the state with a declining trend now for years? #ChangeStartsAtTheTop #MommiesWontVoteNo #NotGettingOurMoneysWorth “
I keep hoping people will stop swallowing — and repeating — the propaganda being fed them about “tradition of excellence”. It is easier and more comfortable to believe that, but they are being shortchanged. We can and should do better! The large and small examples of dysfunction that disprove the propaganda are out in the open. I support the “no-confidence” vote proposal you are putting forward, and I am a Ridgewood mom with kids in the system!
Ridgewood NJ, after filing a lawsuit that offered no tangible benefit to Ridgewood taxpayers or school children . The Judge ruled that the terms of a board of education member cannot be shortened, thereby extending the term of some increasingly unpopular Board of Education members .
Since the Village is currently stuck with these “trustees” for a longer duration , the next best thing would be to vote “NO” on the school budget as a “NO CONFIDENCE” vote against current board members.
If past precedence is any indication there is limited risk to the school system . Time for residents to put their “Resistance” to a better more productive use and none better than improving a child’s education . Resist the BOE and just say NO to the gigantic $111,000,000 budget.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood residents interested in becoming a candidate for the Board of Education should review the School Board Candidate Kit published by the New Jersey School Boards Association, available through this link.
Candidate petitions are available at the office of the Board Secretary, 49 Cottage Place, Ridgewood, NJ between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Completed petitions must be submitted to the Board Secretary. The deadline for candidates to submit their nominating petitions is Monday, February 25th at 4:00 p.m.
Additional resources from NJSBA :
Running for School Board? Click here for ten things you should know.
Serving on the Board of Education Information
Click here for Fundamentals of School Board Membership.
Click here for 13 Things School Board Members Wish People Knew About Them.
Ridgewood NJ, Today February 15, 2019 in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Bergen County Law Division, The Honorable Robert C. Wilson, J.S.C, issued the following opinion in the Verified Complaint filed on January 18, 2019, by the Office of the Superintendent of Ridgewood Public Schools seeking clarification of Ridgewood Board of Education Member election dates:Judge Wilson ruled that the terms of a board of education member cannot be shortened.
Therefore, there will only be a budget election during April 2019 and not an election for seats on the Ridgewood Board of Education. Based on this opinion, elections for seats on the Ridgewood Board of Education will be scheduled as follows: The next board of education election will be in April 2020. Those interested in running for a seat on the Ridgewood Board of Education in April 2020 and beyond are encouraged to check out candidate information available on the Ridgewood Public School website.
Ridgewood NJ, Recently, there has been much dialogue on the Board of Education . We find it totally ridiculous that there are some members of the community that feel no need to exercise their right to vote on a $111,000,000 school budget . There is no larger issue facing the future of the Village of Ridgewood then the magnitude of the Ridgewood School budget .They feel instead its best to leave up to bureaucrats who have done virtually everything in their powers to keep the public in the dark as to school spending and issues.
In reading comments, we believe some residents are dangerously misinformed and are missing the history behind the matter. The BOE was UNANIMOUSLY in favor of an April election. They fought AGAINST a November election and requested Council and community support. However, Gov. Christie caused a change which mandated a Nov. election and budget cap (no budget vote) until May 2018. Once that order lifted, many districts started the process of returning to an April election, including Ridgewood. Interesting, the same BOE inexplicably did a 180, and are against all they once fought for. Well informed residents are holding these elected officials accountable.
Ridgewood NJ, Dr. Fishbein reviewed the schedule for the state aid numbers from Trenton, which will follow the governor’s budget address on March 5. Accordingly, the March 4 Board meeting will be moved to March 11, with an additional meeting on March 8 at 5 p.m. if needed.
Business Administrator Antoinette Kelly reviewed the basics of budgeting and the big-picture areas of the RPS budget (Special Programs, healthcare costs, staffing, security/technology, capital projects, revenue, appropriations). The slide portion of the presentation, which is posted on the district website, may be viewed here
Ridgewood NJ, reader says, “Chris Kaufman made a motion to withdraw the lawsuit. No one seconded his motion so there could not be a vote. I am so proud that I voted for this man.”
Cristopher Kaufman at the last Board of Ed meeting said : “I accept the consequences of [having the election in April 2019, thereby shortening the terms of existing members to 2.5 years] will have on my own term, but I feel it’s in the best interest of the Community that we have the Board of Education election with the budget vote this April.” Putting the Community first .
Disgraceful that the BOE Board members still do not want to take responsibility for the term extension law suit ?
Residents continue to question Board actions and get no response.
