Board Adopts Final $45 Million Budget as Second Bullying Complaint This Spring Is Substantiated

The board found a Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying complaint at Glen Ridge High School, Report #288593, substantiated — the second substantiated HIB finding in two months — while a separate complaint at Ridgewood Avenue School, Report #289518, was not substantiated.

The board accepted the resignation of a high school teacher, identified in the record only as employee #5693, effective June 18.

The board formally adopted its final $44,995,627 budget for the 2025-2026 school year, already approved by the county's executive superintendent, raising the local tax levy by 3.5% to $36,943,996 — an estimated $412.42 increase for the year, or about $34.37 a month, on an average assessed home. The final budget increased the district's planned capital-reserve withdrawal to $1,329,815, up from the $811,235 outlined at the tentative budget hearing in March, after adding two HVAC chiller-replacement projects: $109,745 at the high school and $408,835 at Central School, on top of previously planned work replacing the high school's partial roof, gym bleachers, HVAC system and office flooring and abatement. The district is also withdrawing $400,000 from its maintenance reserve for paving repairs at Linden Avenue, Central and Ridgewood Avenue schools.

Board President Elisabeth Ginsburg reported the passing of Anna Arlington, mother of Superintendent Kyle Arlington, offering the board and community's condolences to his family. She also described attending a presentation at Ridgewood Avenue School by Michael Bornstein, one of the last living Holocaust survivors, who was four years old when he was imprisoned at Auschwitz and later co-wrote a memoir with his daughter; Ginsburg said she was moved to tears by how attentively students listened throughout the hour-long talk.

Superintendent Arlington reported that 100% of the Class of 2024 graduated, 86% of juniors and seniors are enrolled in at least one AP course, and the high school produced 68 AP Scholars, including 29 AP Scholars with Honor and 57 AP Scholars with Distinction, along with 19 AP Capstone diplomas and two AP International diplomas. Thirty-five seniors earned the state's Seal of Biliteracy, and Glen Ridge High School again ranked 11th in New Jersey and 198th nationally in U.S. News's high school rankings. Linden Avenue, Forest Avenue and Central schools were all newly named "Rising Star" schools by the Capturing Kids' Hearts program, which is funded by the Glen Ridge Educational Foundation.

Arlington also reported that districtwide enrollment has declined from 1,862 students in the 2019-2020 school year to 1,748 this year, a drop of 114 students over five years, prompting the district to hire a firm to study population trends, housing developments and birth rates to project future enrollment.

The board accepted a $3,600 donation from the Glen Ridge Educational Foundation to support the Capturing Kids' Hearts program and $74.95 in books donated by Marion Tande, and approved bills and claims of $448,895.17 and payroll and related expenses of $1,814,103.82.

Action items

• Found HIB Report #288593 (GRHS) substantiated and Report #289518 (RAS) not substantiated.
• Accepted the resignation of a GRHS teacher (employee #5693), effective 6/18/25.
• Adopted the final $44,995,627 budget for 2025-2026, raising the tax levy 3.5% to $36,943,996 (about $412.42/year more for the average homeowner).
• Approved a $1,329,815 capital reserve withdrawal, including new HVAC chiller replacements at the high school and Central School, and a $400,000 maintenance reserve withdrawal for paving repairs.
• Accepted a $3,600 donation from the Glen Ridge Educational Foundation and $74.95 in books from Marion Tande.

Watch key moments

• 6:32 — Board President Ginsburg describes how attentively students listened during a talk by Holocaust survivor Michael Bornstein, who was imprisoned at Auschwitz as a four-year-old.
• 27:56 — Business Administrator Barbara Murphy reveals the average Glen Ridge homeowner will pay about $412 more a year, driven partly by newly added chiller-replacement projects at the high school and Central School.