Glen Ridge School Board Clears Two Bullying Complaints, Hears Frustration Over Construction Delays and Heat

The Glen Ridge Board of Education, meeting on January 27, 2020, voted unanimously to accept the Superintendent's findings that two separate Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB) investigations — listed as Report 19-20 RAS #4 and #5 — did not find evidence to substantiate the complaints.

On costs, the Board approved a revised out-of-district placement for a student at the Bergen Center for Child Development, totaling $64,473.32 in tuition, $10,297.80 for extended school year services, and $22,200.00 for a one-on-one aide over 111 days, along with a separate $40,067.00 placement at Chancellor Academy for another student. The Board also approved bills and claims of $630,636.74, ratified payroll and related bills of $1,337,194.67, and approved open purchase orders of $432,949.31. Two change orders with H&S Construction & Mechanical, totaling more than $9,400, were also unanimously approved to repair heating unit wall sleeves at Linden Avenue and Forest Avenue Schools and to install a condensate pump in a Linden Avenue art room. The Board also unanimously approved a settlement agreement for a student identified as #26096 for the current school year, and unanimously approved maternity leaves for staff members Sandra Gatsch and Cristina Rodriguez.

During public comment, several residents raised concerns tied to ongoing school construction. Chris Luzine asked about communication with parents regarding the project timeline and a cracked retaining wall at the Linden Avenue School property. Richard Wilkins, Mike Sillup, and Mark Theophilis raised concerns about construction safety and heating, with Mr. Romano telling residents the project's final completion date is about a month away and that delaying the work until summer would add costs not currently in the budget. Larry Lin asked about indoor recess at Linden Avenue School, and Mr. Phillips said construction or weather sometimes requires students to stay inside, but they are taken outside as much as possible. Harris Teran told the Board the district is "traumatizing our children with active shooter drills" and asked for follow-up on concerns raised by the group GRASE, including additional Orton-Gillingham reading training and special education access issues. Nadia Melicha raised concerns about kindergarten class sizes, and Ms. Ginsburg said the budget process is just beginning and that the comment would be noted. Responding to a question from Greta Sawa, Mr. de Leeuw said the Board has agreed on all major points in ongoing negotiations with teachers and is finalizing salary guides, pending ratification by teachers and then Board approval.

The Board also took time to recognize community members. Ms. Ginsburg honored the passing of Joanne Diglio, a longtime arts volunteer who helped organize the Glen Ridge Arts Festival and was a member of the Glen Ridge Arts Patrons Association. Mr. Phillips recognized four recipients of the Governor's Educator of the Year award and four Educator Service Professional honorees, with one pair coming from each of the district's four school buildings: Forest Avenue, Linden Avenue, Ridgewood Avenue, and Glen Ridge High School.

What to watch

• Final ratification of the new teacher contract, which still requires approval from teachers and then the Board.
• Whether construction reaches its stated completion target, roughly a month from the meeting, and how the district responds to residents' safety and heating concerns.
• Follow-up from the district on GRASE-related concerns, including Orton-Gillingham training and special education access, as requested by Harris Teran.