Dear Mr. Gottesman, 
The district is in receipt of your Open Public Records act (OPRA) request
dated August 5, 2023 which stated:
    "Dear Jersey City Board of Education,
In accordance with the New Jersey open public records Act, we hereby
request for response to the following request hold

1) Please provide documents indicating the total number of students
enrolled in all public schools and charter schools in your District for
the 2022-2023 school year;
2) Please provide documents indicating the total number of students whose
parents have availed themselves of the opt-out provisions of
N.J.S.A.18A:35-4.7 and opted their child out of all or a portion of the
2020 NJSLS-CHPE mandate or curriculum promulgated in accordance thereto
for the 2022-2023 school year. Please provide documents indicating the
number of opt-outs by individual grade levels.
3) Please provide a copy of the document(s) used by the district by which
parents can opt-out or opt-in their children from all or a portion of the
curriculum mandated by the 2020 NJSLS-CHPE in your district.
4) Please provide documents showing how you implemented the “parent
opt-out” for the 2020 NJSLS-CHPE and Health & Physical Education
curriculum and a copy of the document by which parents can opt-out their
children from all or a portion of the curriculum mandated by the 2020
NJSLS-CHPE in your district. Including but not limited to forms, flyers,
emails to parents and/or a website.
4) Please provide documents showing how the 2020 NJSLS-CHPE mandate was
implemented in your district, for example: a) in the classroom; b) at home
by parents; c) as a homework assignment; d) in an assembly; e) as a
webinar; f) being taught on the last day of school; g) any methods but
with elements removed; h) not at all.
6) Copies of the BOE policies and regulations regarding the composition of
your “Book Review Committee,” as well as policies controlling book reviews
or book removal requests.
7) Copies of any book removal or review requests made by residents of your
school district since November 1, 2022 to present.

8) If any books have been removed from curriculum or from public school
libraries as a result of a demand for removal or by the Board action in
accordance with your book removal policy, copies of all documents relating
to the review or removal.
9) Any documents, policies or regulations relating to the review of
current textbooks or the review of new textbooks or textbooks being
considered for purchase.
10) Copies of all legal bills from the Board Attorney or from any outside
council from January 1, 2023 to present

Yours faithfully,
Michael Gottesman, Individually and as Founder of the
New Jersey Public Education Coalition

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Please deliver records electronically via email to the below UNIQUE
address for all replies to this request:
[1][OPRA #49620 email]"
Please be advised that there was a delay in addressing your request as it
was sent to a mailbox that is not monitored on a daily basis as the
employee to whom it was addressed is on leave. In the future, if there is
a need to submit an OPRA request kindly visit the district website
([2]www.jcboe.org). On the homepage select "Board of Education" and from a
drop down list you will be able to access the page for submitting OPRA
requests. 
Attached you will find a copy of the district's ASSA from October of 2022
report which details enrollment for the 2022-23 school year. 
Attached you will find a package of documents provided  by the Curriculum
Department giving a statistical analysis of curriculum opt outs in
2022-23.
You may visit the district website ([3]www.jcboe.org) to obtain a copy of
the parental opt out letter. On the home page choose "Departments". From
the drop down list choose "Curriculum and Instruction". When redirected to
that page choose "Health and Physical Education" from the box on the
right. You will be directed to the page that contains the parental opt out
letter. On that page you will also find the curricula requested. 
Attached you will find the form completed when approving a book to be used
in the district's curriculum.
Please be advised that there were no book requests made by residents in
the Jersey City Public high Schools to Curriculum and Instruction in the
High Schools for book removals or reviews or requests this year.
Please also be advised that no books in the high schools have been removed
from the curriculum by a demand of removal or in accordance with our book
removal policy.
Attached you will find a spreadsheet reflecting opt out requests received
detailing specific schools and grade levels. 
Thank you for your patience as the documents responsive to your request
have been retrieved. This is a busy time for the school district managing
end of year fiscal rollovers, staff vacations and school opening efforts.
The district has assigned staff to retrieve the additional records
responsive to your request for legal billings. It is anticipated that the
retrieval and review will be completed so that responsive documents can be
forwarded to you by Monday, September 18, 2023. 
Thank you for your interest in the Jersey City Public Schools. 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.jcboe.org/
3. http://www.jcboe.org/

Dear Mr. Gottesman, 
On August 5, 2023 you submitted an Open public Records Act (OPRA) request
which stated:
"Dear Jersey City Board of Education,
In accordance with the New Jersey open public records Act, we hereby
request for response to the following request hold

1) Please provide documents indicating the total number of students
enrolled in all public schools and charter schools in your District for
the 2022-2023 school year;
2) Please provide documents indicating the total number of students whose
parents have availed themselves of the opt-out provisions of
N.J.S.A.18A:35-4.7 and opted their child out of all or a portion of the
2020 NJSLS-CHPE mandate or curriculum promulgated in accordance thereto
for the 2022-2023 school year. Please provide documents indicating the
number of opt-outs by individual grade levels.
3) Please provide a copy of the document(s) used by the district by which
parents can opt-out or opt-in their children from all or a portion of the
curriculum mandated by the 2020 NJSLS-CHPE in your district.
4) Please provide documents showing how you implemented the “parent
opt-out” for the 2020 NJSLS-CHPE and Health & Physical Education
curriculum and a copy of the document by which parents can opt-out their
children from all or a portion of the curriculum mandated by the 2020
NJSLS-CHPE in your district. Including but not limited to forms, flyers,
emails to parents and/or a website.
4) Please provide documents showing how the 2020 NJSLS-CHPE mandate was
implemented in your district, for example: a) in the classroom; b) at home
by parents; c) as a homework assignment; d) in an assembly; e) as a
webinar; f) being taught on the last day of school; g) any methods but
with elements removed; h) not at all.
6) Copies of the BOE policies and regulations regarding the composition of
your “Book Review Committee,” as well as policies controlling book reviews
or book removal requests.
7) Copies of any book removal or review requests made by residents of your
school district since November 1, 2022 to present.

8) If any books have been removed from curriculum or from public school
libraries as a result of a demand for removal or by the Board action in
accordance with your book removal policy, copies of all documents relating
to the review or removal.
9) Any documents, policies or regulations relating to the review of
current textbooks or the review of new textbooks or textbooks being
considered for purchase.
10) Copies of all legal bills from the Board Attorney or from any outside
council from January 1, 2023 to present

Yours faithfully,
Michael Gottesman, Individually and as Founder of the
New Jersey Public Education Coalition"
On august 18, 2023 the district provided a partial response providing
various responsive documents. At that time you were informed that
additional time was needed to retrieve, review and redact legal billings. 
That process has been completed and you will find 7 attachments to this
email containing copies of the requested billings. Please note that
redactions (in yellow) have been made due to attorney/client privilege and
in some instances to protect the identities of minors.
Thank you for your patience as the district took efforts to comply with
this request.