Glen Ridge Board Adopts Tentative Budget as Parents Push for High School Volleyball

The board accepted, with regret, the resignations of Ira Ford, head spring track coach at Glen Ridge High School, and Carlos Shepherd, a part-time custodian at Ridgewood Avenue School. Board member Anthony Bonnett noted Ford's departure is tied to periodic active-duty military service and that the district hopes to welcome him back when he returns.

The board's biggest action of the night was the unanimous adoption of a tentative 2023-2024 budget totaling $41,997,916 in expenditures, supported by a local tax levy of $33,402,324, a 2.4% increase made possible by a state-allowed exception for a 15.6% jump in health insurance costs. Business Administrator Barbara Murphy said the owner of a home assessed at the district average of $670,102 will pay about $292 more in school taxes this year. The budget includes no staff cuts, an additional $250,000 in state aid, and capital spending including a $546,000 capital-reserve withdrawal toward high school HVAC upgrades, a $324,000 partial roof replacement, a $60,000 PA system upgrade and $72,000 for new Promethean panels, several of which the district hopes to partly offset with state ROD grants.

Board President Elisabeth Ginsburg opened the meeting by remembering Glen Ridge High School alum Alex Dawson, son of former councilman Art Dawson and Pam Dawson, who died recently. She also reported on a special Trenton Senate hearing addressing a statewide rise in student suicides and the resulting call for more student mental health resources. Superintendent Dirk Phillips recognized wrestler Stacy Bloomfield, who placed fourth at the Girls' State Wrestling Championships -- the first Glen Ridge girl to place at states and the second-highest finish in program history -- and announced the Class of 2023's valedictorian, Colin Pennington (4.7 GPA, 1580 SAT), and salutatorian, Ellis Kastenmeier (4.685 GPA, 1590 SAT, a National Merit finalist). Student representative Colin Pennington also reported that Clairidge Leota won the regional Shakespeare recitation competition and advances to nationals in April, and that Avery Kim, Ellie Hudon and Ahalia Raghavan won individual awards at a Philadelphia Model UN conference. Linden Avenue School dedicated its new playground buddy bench to Glen Ridge police Officer Rob Roberts during a Read Across America assembly.

A large contingent of speakers -- GRAA volleyball commissioner Matt DeLuca, coach Fulya Yagiz, sophomore player Sarp Yagiz, student Linus Tulleson and his parents Leigh Ann and Matt Tulleson -- asked the board to establish a high school volleyball program, presenting a petition that gathered nearly 300 signatures in four days. DeLuca said Glen Ridge Athletic Association volleyball has tripled in size, with 13 girls now on a fall team that lost only one game all season, 13 boys forming a new spring team, and dozens more in youth clinics and recreation leagues. Students described having no in-town outlet to continue playing at the high school level; Linus Tulleson said he had qualified for a national club tournament in Florida. Phillips said the request would go to the curriculum committee as a co-curricular matter, noting new Glen Ridge teams -- including past lacrosse, girls soccer and ice hockey programs -- have historically been funded by parents in their first years before the board takes them over. Later in the meeting, a Glen Ridge Education Association representative said the teachers' union had already donated $10,000 toward a new high school weight room and might help fund a volleyball program as well.

Resident Darius Dehnad asked how the district is spending roughly $37,000 in proceeds from the Home & School kitchen tour and whether the Linden Avenue School playground, which has components nearing the end of their useful life, is included in the budget. Phillips said the kitchen tour funds are being used for outdoor learning spaces and student enrichment assemblies rather than folded into the budget, and that while the Linden playground itself isn't funded in this budget, the district has applied for a grant toward it.

The board gave second and final reading to revised bomb threat, lockdown and active-shooter policies, along with other bylaw and student-records updates. It also accepted findings that Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying was not substantiated in ten separate investigations spanning Glen Ridge High School, Ridgewood Avenue School and Linden Avenue School.

In committee reports, the Glen Ridge Educational Foundation announced its anniversary party for April 15 at the Montclair Art Museum, the Gas Lamp Players said their spring production of "Aladdin" sold out in four minutes, and the group's Mayor's Gala fundraiser is set to return October 21 for the first time since before the pandemic. Forest Avenue School announced a Soccerthon fundraiser for April 23, open to all Glen Ridge children from pre-K through sixth grade.

Action items

• Adopted the tentative 2023-2024 budget totaling $41,997,916, with a local tax levy of $33,402,324 (a 2.4% increase, about $292 more per year for the average homeowner)
• Approved capital spending including a $546,000 withdrawal for high school HVAC upgrades and $324,000 for a partial roof replacement
• Accepted the resignations of spring track coach Ira Ford and part-time custodian Carlos Shepherd
• Accepted findings that HIB was not substantiated in ten separate investigations at the high school, Ridgewood Avenue and Linden Avenue schools
• Approved second reading (final adoption) of revised bomb threat, lockdown and active-shooter policies
• Approved field trips including Forest Avenue kindergartners' visit to Turtle Back Zoo (May 8)

Watch key moments

• 9:00 — Stacy Bloomfield honored as the first Glen Ridge girl to place at the state wrestling championships
• 31:34 — Parents, coaches and students press the board with a nearly 300-signature petition to start a high school volleyball team
• 57:59 — Teachers union says it already gave $10,000 for a new weight room and may help fund volleyball too