District Pandemic Response Team Meeting Minutes 2020-2021 school year
Dear Ridgewood Public School District,
This is a request for public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access. I am not required to fill out an official form. Please acknowledge receipt of this message.
Records requested:
Kindly provide electronic copies of minutes of meeting for all meetings of the District Pandemic Response Team for the 2020-2021 school year
Yours faithfully,
Susan Madison
This correspondence is being sent in response to the Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”) request you submitted to the Ridgewood Public Schools. As the official Records Custodian, I received this request on April 12, 2021. As such, the seven (7) business day deadline to respond to your request is April 21, 2021. I will be sending a response to your request within this deadline.
If your request for access to a government record has been denied or unfilled within the seven business days required by law, you have a right to challenge the Board’s decision to deny access. At your option, you may either institute a proceeding in the Superior Court of New Jersey or file a complaint with the GRC by completing the Denial of Access Complaint Form. You may contact the GRC by toll-free telephone at (866)-850-0511, by mail at P.O. Box 819, Trenton, New Jersey, 08625, by e-mail at [email address], or at their website at www.state.nj.us/grc. The Council can also answer other questions about the law. All questions regarding complaints filed in Superior Court should be directed to the Court Clerk in your County.
Scott T. Bisig, M.Ed.
Business Administrator/Board Secretary
Ridgewood Public Schools
April 21, 2021
Dear Ms. Madison,
Ridgewood Public Schools received your Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request on April 12, 2021. As the official Records Custodian, I received your OPRA request on April 12, 2021. As such, the seven (7) business day deadline to respond to your request is April 21, 2021. This response to your request is being provided to you on the 7th business day after the custodian’s receipt of said request.
The following records (two separate dropbox links) are being provided in their entirety with redactions as required by law and are responsive to your request.
Pandemic Response Team Meeting Minutes - Redacted, 106 pages (see dropbox link below - if the link doesn't open when you click on it, please copy and paste the link into your web browser) .
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qi6ii6p8v472mf...
NOTE: We redacted the staff member's name from page 49 because that sentence consists of a personnel/medical record. [See N.J.S.A. 47:1A-10 & New Jersey Executive Order 26]. We also redacted the staff member's name on page 50 where it indicates that they asked about needing to take a sick day after receiving the vaccine. While this was probably a hypothetical question and not for their own personal situation, since we cannot be sure we redacted it to be on the safe side.
Additional Pandemic Response Team Meeting Minutes - Unredacted
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8q9lbchjih6ehm...
These records are being transmitted to you via OPRAmachine, as per your request. There is no cost associated with this request.
If your request for access to a government record has been denied or unfilled within the seven (7) business days required by law, you have a right to challenge the decision by the [insert name of agency] to deny access. At your option, you may either institute a proceeding in the Superior Court of New Jersey or file a complaint with the Government Records Council (GRC) by completing the Denial of Access Complaint Form. You may contact the GRC by toll-free telephone at 866-850-0511, by mail at P.O. Box 819, Trenton, NJ, 08625, by e-mail at [email address], or at their web site at www.state.nj.us/grc. The GRC can also answer other questions about the law. All questions regarding complaints filed in Superior Court should be directed to the Court Clerk in your County.
Sincerely,
Scott T. Bisig, M.Ed.
Business Administrator
Ridgewood Public Schools
[email address]
Dear Scott T. Bisig,
Thank you for the additional minutes from the school level pandemic teams. However I am requesting meeting minutes from the district level pandemic team. This team is identified on page 5 of Ridgewood Public Schools Reopening and Operations Plan 2020-2021. The following describes this team in the report:
Pandemic Response Team
The district established a school-based Pandemic Response Team in each school to centralize,
expedite, and implement COVID-19-related decision-making. Each school team has a liaison
that reports to district-level administrators to ensure coordinated actions across the district.
Members of the school teams include a cross-section of administrators, teachers, and staff and
parents. Naturally, decision-making and communication are more effective if decision-makers
reflect the makeup of the community. Therefore, our Pandemic Responses Teams represent a
cross-section of the schools and district.
Please provide all meeting minutes for the district level pandemic team between August 2020 and April 2021.
Yours sincerely,
Susan Madison
Dear Ms. Madison:
As the Ridgewood Public Schools (“District”) records custodian, I received
your clarified Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”) request on April 21, 2021.
The seven (7) business day deadline to respond to your request is April
30, 2021. As such, the District is timely responding to your OPRA request
in accordance with New Jersey law.
Your clarified OPRA request seeks the following records:
Please provide all meeting minutes for the district level pandemic team
between August 2020 and April 2021
The District has identified eighteen (18) pages of records as responsive
to your request. Please be advised, however, that these records are being
withheld as they reflect “intra-agency advisory, consultative, or
deliberative material” pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1.1
(exempting “inter-agency or intra-agency advisory, consultative, or
deliberative material” from the definition of a government record).
Your OPRA request is now deemed answered and closed. Thank you for your
attention to this matter.
Very truly yours,
Scott Bisig
Business Administrator/Board Secretary
On Wed, Apr 21, 2021 at 11:42 AM Susan Madison
<[1][OPRA #21641 email]> wrote:
Dear Scott T. Bisig,
Thank you for the additional minutes from the school level pandemic
teams. However I am requesting meeting minutes from the district level
pandemic team. This team is identified on page 5 of Ridgewood Public
Schools Reopening and Operations Plan 2020-2021. The following
describes this team in the report:
Pandemic Response Team
The district established a school-based Pandemic Response Team in each
school to centralize,
expedite, and implement COVID-19-related decision-making. Each school
team has a liaison
that reports to district-level administrators to ensure coordinated
actions across the district.
Members of the school teams include a cross-section of administrators,
teachers, and staff and
parents. Naturally, decision-making and communication are more effective
if decision-makers
reflect the makeup of the community. Therefore, our Pandemic Responses
Teams represent a
cross-section of the schools and district.
Please provide all meeting minutes for the district level pandemic team
between August 2020 and April 2021.
Yours sincerely,
Susan Madison
-----Original Message-----
April 21, 2021
Dear Ms. Madison,
Ridgewood Public Schools received your Open Public Records Act (OPRA)
request on April 12, 2021. As the official Records Custodian, I received
your OPRA request on April 12, 2021. As such, the seven (7) business day
deadline to respond to your request is April 21, 2021. This response to
your request is being provided to you on the 7th business day after the
custodian’s receipt of said request.
The following records (two separate dropbox links) are being provided in
their entirety with redactions as required by law and are responsive to
your request.
Pandemic Response Team Meeting Minutes - Redacted, 106 pages (see
dropbox link below - if the link doesn't open when you click on it,
please copy and paste the link into your web browser) .
[2]https://www.dropbox.com/s/qi6ii6p8v472mf...
NOTE: We redacted the staff member's name from page 49 because that
sentence consists of a personnel/medical record. [See N.J.S.A. 47:1A-10
& New Jersey Executive Order 26]. We also redacted the staff member's
name on page 50 where it indicates that they asked about needing to take
a sick day after receiving the vaccine. While this was probably a
hypothetical question and not for their own personal situation, since we
cannot be sure we redacted it to be on the safe side.
Additional Pandemic Response Team Meeting Minutes - Unredacted
[3]https://www.dropbox.com/s/8q9lbchjih6ehm...
These records are being transmitted to you via OPRAmachine, as per your
request. There is no cost associated with this request.
If your request for access to a government record has been denied or
unfilled within the seven (7) business days required by law, you have a
right to challenge the decision by the [insert name of agency] to deny
access. At your option, you may either institute a proceeding in the
Superior Court of New Jersey or file a complaint with the Government
Records Council (GRC) by completing the Denial of Access Complaint Form.
You may contact the GRC by toll-free telephone at 866-850-0511, by mail
at P.O. Box 819, Trenton, NJ, 08625, by e-mail at [email address], or at
their web site at [4]www.state.nj.us/grc. The GRC can also answer other
questions about the law. All questions regarding complaints filed in
Superior Court should be directed to the Court Clerk in your County.
Sincerely,
Scott T. Bisig, M.Ed.
Business Administrator
Ridgewood Public Schools
[Ridgewood Public School District request email]
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Dear Scott Bisig,
Thank you for your response. Can you please provide the dates of the meetings covered by the additional 18 pages of notes, a list of attendees and any agendas for these meetings. I believe this information can be provided even if the contents of the notes are not.
Yours sincerely,
Susan Madison
This correspondence is being sent in response to the Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”) request you submitted to the Ridgewood Public Schools. As the official Records Custodian, I received this request on May 19, 2021. As such, the seven (7) business day deadline to respond to your request is May 28, 2021. I will be sending a response to your request within this deadline.
If your request for access to a government record has been denied or unfilled within the seven business days required by law, you have a right to challenge the Board’s decision to deny access. At your option, you may either institute a proceeding in the Superior Court of New Jersey or file a complaint with the GRC by completing the Denial of Access Complaint Form. You may contact the GRC by toll-free telephone at (866)-850-0511, by mail at P.O. Box 819, Trenton, New Jersey, 08625, by e-mail at [email address], or at their website at www.state.nj.us/grc. The Council can also answer other questions about the law. All questions regarding complaints filed in Superior Court should be directed to the Court Clerk in your County.
Scott T. Bisig, M.Ed.
Business Administrator/Board Secretary
Ridgewood Public Schools
May 26, 2021
Dear Ms. Madison:
As the Ridgewood Public Schools (“District”) records custodian, I received your Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”) request on May 19, 2021. The seven (7) business day deadline to respond to your request is May 28, 2021. As such, the District is timely responding to your OPRA request in accordance with New Jersey law.
Your OPRA request seeks the following records:
Can you please provide the dates of the meetings covered by the additional 18 pages of notes, a list of attendees and any agendas for these meetings. I believe this information can be provided even if the contents of the notes are not.
The District requires additional time to compile, review, and redact (if necessary) the documents that may be responsive to your request. The District anticipates finalizing your request by June 4, 2021. The District also reserves the right to request an additional extension of time, if necessary. See Scheeler v. New Jersey Department of Educ., GRC Complaint No. 2014-123 (2016).
Very truly yours,
Scott Bisig
Business Administrator/Board Secretary
Dear Ms. Madison:
The Ridgewood Board of Education (“Board”) received your Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”) request.
Your request is as follows:
Can you please provide the dates of the meetings covered by the additional 18 pages of notes [Administrator Leadership Meetings] and any agendas for these meetings
The District has identified 21 pages of records as responsive to your request. Please be advised that redactions have been made with respect to “intra-agency advisory, consultative, or deliberative material” pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1.1 (exempting “inter-agency or intra-agency advisory, consultative, or deliberative material” from the definition of a government record).
The records can be found in the dropbox link below:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/tj6hcl6dp13ufh...
Your OPRA request is now deemed answered and closed.
Very truly yours,
Scott Bisig
Business Administrator/Board Secretary