Dear Spring Lake Board of Education Records Custodian,
Please accept this electronic request for public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access. I am not required to fill out an official form or use a particular software platform to submit my request per N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5(f), which states that an email from a requestor including all of the information required on the adopted form shall suffice in place of a completed form as a valid government record request.
I HAVE NOT been convicted of any indictable offense under the laws of New Jersey, any other state, or the United States.
I WILL NOT use the requested government records for a commercial purpose.
I AM NOT seeking records in connection with a legal proceeding.
Records Requested:
In connection with a meeting or gathering that took place at H.W. Mountz School, 411 Tuttle Avenue, Spring Lake, New Jersey 07762, on or about May 10, 2024, please produce:

1. All written communications — including emails, text messages, and internal memoranda — sent or received by Superintendent LaValva, any Board of Education member, or any district administrator to or from parents, community members, or law enforcement personnel inviting, scheduling, or otherwise relating to any meeting held at H.W. Mountz School on or about May 9, 2024 or May 10, 2024.

2. All agendas, talking points, presentation materials, notes, or written materials prepared for, distributed at, or generated in connection with any meeting held at H.W. Mountz School on or about May 10, 2024.

3. All sign-in sheets, attendance logs, or any other records reflecting the identity of individuals present at any meeting held at H.W. Mountz School on or about May 10, 2024.

4. All records, notes, memoranda, summaries, or written communications generated by Superintendent LaValva, any Board of Education member, or any district administrator following any meeting held at H.W. Mountz School on or about May 10, 2024, reflecting, memorializing, or referencing the substance, outcome, attendees, or any action taken as a result of that meeting.

5. All written communications — including emails, text messages, and internal memoranda — between any Board of Education member or district administrator and any Spring Lake Police Department personnel, including but not limited to Captain Timothy Giblin, from May 1, 2024 through May 31, 2024, relating to any meeting, event, or gathering at H.W. Mountz School.

My preferred delivery method for response(s) to this request is by e-mail as attachments. Please confirm you have received this request. If you are not the custodian of records, please forward my request to that person and provide their email address to me for future reference.

Regards,

Robert D. Clark

Dear Dr. LaValva,

Thank you for your response dated April 22, 2026. I write to follow up on several aspects of that response.

With respect to Items 2, 3, and 4, the District's representation that "there is no record" is difficult to reconcile with the circumstances. The May 9, 2024 email — which the District produced in response to Item 1 — confirms that a meeting was scheduled and held at H.W. Mountz School on May 10, 2024, to address concerns serious enough to warrant a community-wide safety letter co-signed by the Board President and Superintendent on May 6, 2024. It is the District's position that this meeting was convened without any agenda, talking points, or preparatory materials; that no sign-in sheet or attendance record was maintained; and that no notes, summary, or follow-up communication of any kind was generated afterward. Please confirm whether this is the District's position, and if so, please identify the District's records retention policy applicable to meetings held on school grounds involving school administrators and Board of Education members.

With respect to Item 5, the District produced only the outbound email dated May 5, 2024, from Superintendent LaValva to Captain Timothy Giblin. The request sought "all written communications" between any Board of Education member or district administrator and any Spring Lake Police Department personnel from May 1 through May 31, 2024. Please confirm whether the District conducted a search for any responses or reply communications from Captain Timothy Giblin, his superior, the Chief, or any other Spring Lake Police Department personnel to the May 5, 2024 email, and if so, whether any such responsive records exist. If no search was conducted for reply communications, please conduct one and supplement your response accordingly.

Regards,
Robert D. Clark