Board Finds Bullying Complaint Substantiated, Moves to Revise Policies on HIB, Surveillance and Police Cooperation

The board found a Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying complaint, Report #285116 at Glen Ridge High School, substantiated. The finding came the same night the board approved first readings of revised policies covering HIB, student smoking, electronic surveillance in school buildings and grounds, and cooperation with law enforcement agencies.

The board accepted, with regret, four resignations: Amy Cicenia, an accounts payable employee for the district, effective April 11; substitute teacher Adam Kraemer at Ridgewood Avenue School, effective February 14; paraprofessional Xavier Krok at Glen Ridge High School, effective March 7; and learning resource teacher Sherilyn Nuguid at Linden Avenue School, effective March 24.

In a surprise presentation, cross country and track coach Ira Ford, who has coached in Glen Ridge for 17 years and retired last November after 40 years in the U.S. military — rising to command sergeant major — presented Athletic Director Rob Hill with the Department of Defense's 2024 Patriot Award, which Ford had nominated Hill for in recognition of the district's support for his National Guard service and deployments, including one to South Korea. Elsewhere, the district's robotics teams competed against 40 schools at the VEX High Stakes competition at Franklin High School, with both Glen Ridge teams reaching the quarterfinals; the "Record Ridgers," including seniors Dan Stratton and Aaron Foster, closed out their season, while the GRHS team led by George Desisto and Neville Kentala and coached by Foster finished sixth. Middle schoolers also brought home first and second place at the History Bowl championships in Washington, D.C., with a seventh-grade team captained by Mark Buco beating an eighth-grade team captained by James Keefe.

Board President Elisabeth Ginsburg reported that written communications since the last meeting included a letter from Cynthia Garcia urging the district to continue protecting transgender students under New Jersey's anti-discrimination law, and one from Greg McDonald raising concerns about the Glen Ridge Athletic Association's use of school facilities, which Superintendent Kyle Arlington is following up on. Ginsburg also reported that Governor Murphy's budget address indicated no district would lose more than 3% of its state aid, with Glen Ridge's actual figures due later in the week, and that the state may shift to using districts' actual special education enrollment, rather than a flat statewide percentage, to calculate aid — a change that could benefit Glen Ridge. She also relayed that borough officials disclosed the sudden closure of the Immaculate Conception school's athletic field, which the district has used, and are still determining next steps, and that officials are exploring rain gardens and stormwater storage to address flooding, along with the future of the district's shared George Washington Field with Montclair, whose surface is nearing the end of its life.

The board accepted a $671.76 donation from the Glen Ridge High School Home and School Association to cover travel costs for the "Colleges That Change Lives" event presenter, and a $5,000 donation from the Sharing the Arts Corp to benefit the high school's Sharing the Arts program. Board members approved bills and claims of $612,797.17 and payroll and related expenses of $3,382,858.51.

Action items

• Found HIB Report #285116 (GRHS) substantiated.
• Approved first reading of revised policies on HIB, student smoking, electronic surveillance in school buildings/grounds, and cooperation with law enforcement agencies.
• Accepted resignations of Amy Cicenia, Adam Kraemer, Xavier Krok and Sherilyn Nuguid.
• Accepted donations of $671.76 from the GRHS Home and School Association and $5,000 from Sharing the Arts Corp.
• Approved bills and claims of $612,797.17 and payroll of $3,382,858.51.

Watch key moments

• 9:04 — Coach Ira Ford surprises Athletic Director Rob Hill with the Department of Defense's 2024 Patriot Award for supporting his military service.
• 18:32 — Superintendent Arlington announces student representative Maggie de la Fuente was accepted to her first-choice school, Boston College — and she happens to be wearing a Boston College sweatshirt.
• 25:52 — Board President Ginsburg reveals the borough disclosed, that same day, the sudden closure of the Immaculate Conception school's athletic field, long used by the district.