Glen Ridge Board Adopts Final Budget, Honors Veteran Teacher Diane Blazier's Retirement

The board accepted, with regret, the retirement of Diane Blazier, a longtime second-grade teacher at Forest Avenue School and, as Superintendent Dirk Phillips noted, the district's most senior staff member. Board President Elisabeth Ginsburg offered a personal tribute, recalling that her own daughter had been a student in Blazier's class years ago. The board also accepted the resignations of psychologist Nicole Lombard; teachers Edward Salaski and Yuri Ortega at Glen Ridge High School; teacher Alissa Mahadeen at Central School; and nurse Jasmine Santillan Jimenez at Glen Ridge High School, all effective June 30.

The board formally adopted its final 2023-2024 budget, totaling $41,997,916 in expenditures, supported by a local tax levy of $33,402,324 -- a 2.4% increase allowed under a state exception for rising health benefit costs, which required an additional $130,478 set aside for health premiums. Business Administrator Barbara Murphy said the budget includes no staff reductions for a second consecutive year and funds a $546,000 capital-reserve withdrawal toward a $910,000 high school HVAC project, a $324,000 partial roof replacement, a $72,000 upgrade to Promethean classroom panels, a $60,000 high school PA system upgrade, and other building repairs, several of which the district hopes to partly offset with state ROD grants.

Dr. Keisha Harris gave an enthusiastic update on new initiatives at Central School, including a partnership called Level Up Village that connects Central's second-graders in asynchronous exchanges with classrooms in Argentina, a new playground shade structure funded through a group effort involving the district, Central's Home & School Association and the Glen Ridge Preservation Society, and a new "bookworm" vending machine, funded by the Home & School Association and the Glen Ridge Educational Foundation, that rewards students working on self-regulation with free books. Ridgewood Avenue School's musical director, Heather Ballantyne, previewed the school's upcoming production of Disney's "Descendants," featuring 200 students and slated for May 12-13; she said advance sales had already broken the school's box-office record, previously held by "The Lion King" in 2018. The district also recognized the Glen Ridge Marching Band's win for Best Musical Entry at the Killarney St. Patrick's Day Parade in Ireland, student Lucy Nelson's third-place national finish in the World Language group at the National Chinese Speech Contest, and freshman Clairidge Liotta's advance to the top 10 performers nationally at the National Shakespeare Competition in New York City.

The board accepted several donations: $8,250 from the Glen Ridge Educational Foundation for 150 Virtual High School seats, $17,480.76 from the Foundation for two Rigamajig STEAM kits for Linden Avenue and Central schools, roughly $60,000 from the Glen Ridge High School Home & School Association for fitness center renovations and new equipment, and $3,000 from Glen Ridge Baseball Parents for a pitching machine.

The board gave first reading to a slate of policy updates, including a new corporal-punishment policy for support staff and a revised one for teaching staff. Resident Darius Dehnad asked what prompted the new corporal-punishment policy and why certain provisions -- including language spelling out the board's authority to remove staff who violate the policy -- had been removed from the teaching-staff version. Phillips said nearly all such policy changes are driven by updates to the New Jersey Administrative Code rather than any local incident or choice, and that specific rationale would have to come from the state Legislature. Dehnad also asked about projected class sizes for grades two through four; Phillips said they are expected to be similar to current levels since no new sections are being added.

Resident Leeann Tolleson used public comment to reiterate community interest in starting a high school volleyball program, telling the board a number of parents remain eager to help make it happen. The board also accepted findings that HIB was not substantiated in two investigations, one at Glen Ridge High School and one at Central School.

Action items

• Adopted the final 2023-2024 budget totaling $41,997,916, with a local tax levy of $33,402,324 (a 2.4% increase)
• Accepted the retirement of teacher Diane Blazier and resignations of Nicole Lombard, Edward Salaski, Alissa Mahadeen, Yuri Ortega and Jasmine Santillan Jimenez
• Accepted donations including $8,250 and $17,480.76 from the Glen Ridge Educational Foundation, about $60,000 from the GRHS Home & School Association, and $3,000 from Glen Ridge Baseball Parents
• Gave first reading to updated policies including new and revised corporal-punishment regulations
• Found HIB not substantiated in two investigations at Glen Ridge High School and Central School

Watch key moments

• 8:26 — Board President Elisabeth Ginsburg gives an emotional tribute to retiring teacher Diane Blazier
• 34:44 — Dr. Keisha Harris's colorful Central School update, including a bookworm vending machine and a partnership with classrooms in Argentina
• 1:11:42 — Resident presses the board on why a new corporal-punishment policy was drafted and why enforcement language was removed