the staff of the Ridgewood Blog
Ridgewood NJ ,Congratulations to the following Ridgewood High School orchestra students for their acceptance to the 2019 All State Orchestra:
All State High School Orchestra:
Isabel Lee, violin (9)
Ryan Rhew, violin (11)
Eric Baw, violin (9)
Ashley Kim, violin (9)
Daniel Son, viola (11)
All State Intermediate Orchestra:
David Mo, violin (9)
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”
” I’ve observed a series of these Ridgewood-trashing posts on this blog. Poorly written, without any details aside from occasional reference to “gargantuan garage” or “getting overwhelmed with affordable housing.”
I’m the afore-mentioned transplant from NYC, although I consider myself a conservative by today’s standards. What’s your message to me exactly? To vote down village exco? To sell my house and move to greener pastures… in Dallas? What exactly are you offering? Where is the link to community events where the Reader gets off his ass and shares with newcomers how to make Ridgewood great again? Where I come from we take leadership and leave complaining to ex wives. Common, Reader, you could do better than that! “
| Talking about the budget: Please vote on Tuesday, April 16 March 2019 column by Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D. |
| Link to 2019-2020 budget and voting information |
The following column appeared in The Ridgewood News on March 29, 2019.
On Tuesday, April 16, 2019 the Ridgewood community will be asked to vote on the Ridgewood Public Schools 2019-2020 school budget as proposed by the Board of Education. The change back to public voting on the school budget occurred in July of 2018 when the Ridgewood Village Council opted to move the Ridgewood Board of Education School Election from November to April.
It is important to note that this year the election falls within the school district’s April break. For this reason, we are making a special effort to inform residents of the option of voting by mail. Information about voting by mail and applications can be found on the home page of our district website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us and on each of our school websites as well as at www.njelections.org /vote-by-mail.shtml.
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. “
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Ridgewood ARTBeat: A RHS Student Congress Committee that celebrates the talented young adult musicians and artists in the high school and community at large .
Ridewood ARTBeat will be hosting a FREE! creative event organized by RHS students. This Sunday, 11-2pm, RHS campus center. It is a Van Gogh-themed afternoon in the Campus Center on March 31st! Enjoy the talents of RHS artists and musicians, savor a delicious crêpe (or two… or three), and contribute to our wall of stars, sunflowers, and swirls.
Ridewood ARTBeat showcases beautiful fine art and a true inspiration for elementary and middle school kids to continue their of the arts!
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Monroe Township NJ, Declaring that teachers and school districts are paying too much for their healthcare coverage, Senate President Steve Sweeney today called for the merger of the high-cost School Employees Health Benefits Plan into the lower-cost State Health Benefits Plan to take advantage of the cost savings negotiated by the Governor and the state’s largest public workers union.
Speaking at a meeting of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, Senator Sweeney said legislation merging the two healthcare plans would be a cornerstone of the Path to Progress legislative package that will be introduced to implement recommendations of the bipartisan Economic and Fiscal Policy Workgroup.
Continue reading Senate President Steve Sweeney calls for the merger of the high-cost School Employees Health Benefits Plan into the lower-cost State Health Benefits Plan
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 Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, RHS Principal Tom Gorman, Assistant Principal for Guidance Jeff Nyhuis and Supervisor of Athletics Keith Cook presented research on later start times for students. Their overview included information from the NJ Department of Education and The American Academy of Pediatrics that suggests students need nine hours of sleep each night. The many positive benefits of extra sleep are counterbalanced by obstacles of busing, athletic schedules and child care. RHS will be conducting more research via a survey of students and parents / guardians, and also is exploring other means of improving quality sleep such as encouraging limits on social media and screen time. Improvements at RHS already in place include enrichment mornings for staff that occur several times per year and allow students to sleep in; a built-in free period that gives 825 students a sleep-in once per week; and stress management exercises taught in wellness classes. The slide portion of the presentation may be viewed here.
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
” Of course you know exactly what Fishbein will say and do, announce it’s all due to “false news and schools in Ridgewood were obviously misrepresented in the survey.” That huge budget increase (look at Glen Rock’s whose scores are almost always well above us and the comparison in budget requests is a complete horror.) “
