October 12, 2021

Dear Sir or Madam,

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 October 11, 2021. As such, the seven (7) business day deadline to respond to your request is October 20, 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

October 20, 2021

Dear Sir/Madam:

The Ridgewood Board of Education (“District”) received your Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”) request on October 11, 2021. The seven (7) business day deadline to respond to your request is October 20, 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:

Request copies of all and any email or texts sent or received on Mr. S. Dani's personal computer during the following BOE public meetings: 4/26/21, 5/10/21, 5/24/21, 6/14/21, 6/21/21, 7/26/21, 9/13/21, 9/20/21

Your request is invalid under OPRA. The New Jersey Government Records Council (“GRC”) has upheld an established criteria deemed necessary to specifically identify and facilitate a search for responsive e-mails and other written communications. See Armenti v. Robbinsville Bd. of Educ., GRC Complaint No. 2009-154 (Interim Order May 24, 2011); see also Zahler v. Ocean Cty. College, GRC Complaint No. 2013-266 (Jan. 2016); Elcavage v. West Milford Twp., GRC Complaint No. 2009-07 and 2009-08 (April 2010).

In Elcavage v. West Milford Twp., GRC Complaint No. 2009-07 and 2009-08 (April 2010), the GRC determined that in accordance with legal precedent: “[I]n order to specifically identify an e-mail the request must contain (1) the content and/or subject of the e-mail, (2) the specific date or range of dates during which the e-mail was transmitted or the e-mails were transmitted, and (3) identification of the sender and/or the recipient thereof.”

Here, your OPRA request fails to set forth the content and/or subject matter of the requested e-mail correspondence. Please re-submit your request so that the District may search for responsive records.

Your OPRA request has been closed.

Very truly yours,


Scott Bisig
Business Administrator/Board Secretary