HVAC Repairs Could Delay Glen Ridge High School's Oct. 5 Reopening as Advocate Cites Blanket Denials of COVID Accommodations

Glen Ridge school officials warned that ongoing repairs to the High School's HVAC system could delay the building's planned Oct. 5 shift to a hybrid schedule. Superintendent Dirk Phillips told the Board of Education on Sept. 21 that the contractor working daily at the high school needs to replace several motors and is racing to secure the parts in time; the district expected to make a decision by the end of that week and notify families by Friday on whether the Oct. 5 date would hold.

In the meantime, the district is running three different reopening models at once: primary schools on an AM/PM split, Ridgewood Avenue School on an A/B rotation, and the high school fully virtual. Phillips said Ridgewood Avenue School would begin letting students with greater needs attend in person daily, at parents' option, without loosening any social-distancing protocols.

GREA president Mary Lynn Savio pressed the board on behalf of staff members with documented medical conditions that put them at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 who have requested to teach remotely under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Savio said that despite the district's legal obligation to weigh each accommodation request individually, every one of these staffers has received the same blanket response denying work-from-home accommodations, and she asked the board to find a more creative solution that protects both instruction and staff safety. Phillips said personnel matters would be discussed with individuals privately, adding only that the hybrid model calls for a live instructor to be present for in-person students.

The board voted to accept, with regret, the resignations of four childcare workers and aides: Christina Rivera, a childcare worker at Linden Avenue School, effective Sept. 10; Renee Amos, a childcare worker at Ridgewood Avenue School, also effective Sept. 10; Geraldine Cahill, an aide at Ridgewood Avenue School, effective Oct. 16; and Karolina Minkiewicz, a childcare worker at Forest Avenue and Linden Avenue schools, effective Sept. 17.

Board President Elisabeth Ginsburg opened the meeting by remembering Robert Temmler, a crossing guard for eight years at the intersection of Bloomfield and Ridgewood avenues, who died the previous week; she extended condolences to his wife and family. Ginsburg also welcomed retired longtime elementary school teacher Laura Perrius to the district's substitute list.

The board approved bills and claims totaling $933,692.86 and an open purchase order report of $1,187,331.52 for the 2020-2021 year. It also accepted several donations: a $10,000 Chinese-language program grant from the Confucius Institute at Rutgers University, a small metal filing cabinet valued at $100 from Central School aide Janet Messineo, and a $2,000 payment from the Glen Ridge Educational Foundation covering the district's membership dues in the Central Jersey Consortium for Excellence and Equity. Separately, the board approved two change orders with GDS Mechanical, Inc. for work at Ridgewood Avenue School: a credit of $5,894.20 for repairing security cameras and fire alarms damaged during the project, and a credit of $1,799.40 for replacing a copper leader.

Central School is forming its first Home and School Association, with officer elections set for that Wednesday, and the community is also selecting a school mascot after surveying staff and parents, with students set to vote on finalists. The district's Equity Committee released its first newsletter, called EVOLVE, offering resources for staff and opportunities for reflection, which officials said will be posted online once the district's new website is finished. A 10-member staff team held its first two-and-a-half-hour session as part of the district's new membership in the Central Jersey Consortium for Excellence and Equity, based at Monmouth University, and a companion student team of 10 is expected to begin meeting next month.

Officials also reported on state-level changes: Trenton is expected to finalize its budget by Sept. 30 under an agreement that includes a millionaires tax, with some revenue earmarked for education; the governor has signed a law creating a School Nurse Coordinator position within the state Department of Education, and a separate Subcontractors Law limiting how much subcontracting districts can do during the life of existing employee contracts. Phillips reminded families that schools will be closed the following Monday and that, under a gubernatorial order, all Glen Ridge schools will go fully virtual on Nov. 3 for Election Day.

During public comment, Forest Avenue School Home and School Association co-president Yasamine Viehland, of Columbus Avenue, asked why the district was going all-virtual on Election Day; Ginsburg explained it stemmed directly from the governor's order. Savio also asked whether the district's 10-day return-to-school policy for students with COVID-like symptoms was being enforced and whether student-athletes are required to produce a doctor's note before returning to practice; Phillips said school nurses are coordinating with the local health department and that he had asked Director of Student Activities Rob Hill to remind coaches of the doctor's-note requirement.

Action items

• Accepted, with regret, the resignations of four childcare workers/aides: Christina Rivera, Renee Amos, Geraldine Cahill and Karolina Minkiewicz, effective on dates between Sept. 10 and Oct. 16.
• Approved bills and claims of $933,692.86 and an open purchase order report of $1,187,331.52 for 2020-2021.
• Accepted donations including a $10,000 Confucius Institute Chinese-program grant, a $100 filing cabinet from Janet Messineo, and a $2,000 Glen Ridge Educational Foundation payment for consortium dues.
• Approved GDS Mechanical, Inc. change orders for Ridgewood Avenue School: a $5,894.20 credit for security camera/fire alarm repairs and a $1,799.40 credit for a copper leader replacement.

Watch key moments

• 4:54 — Superintendent Phillips says HVAC motor replacement could delay the High School's Oct. 5 reopening
• 10:08 — GREA president Mary Lynn Savio says high-risk staff are getting a blanket denial of ADA remote-work requests
• 20:34 — Forest Avenue HSA co-president Yasamine Viehland questions the rationale for an all-virtual Election Day