Various requests for public records from your school district
Dear Midland Park School District,
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
This correspondence is being sent in response to the Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”) request you submitted to the Midland Park Board of Education. As the official Records Custodian, I received this request on August 7, 2023. As such, the seven (7) business day deadline to respond to your request is August 16, 2023. This response is being sent within this deadline.
Please see responses below.
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.
Stacy Garvey
Business Administrator/Board Secretary
Midland Park Board of Education
-----Original Message-----
From: NJPEC [mailto:[OPRA #49673 email]]
Sent: Saturday, August 5, 2023 6:18 PM
To: Stacy Garvey <[email address]>
Subject: OPRA request - Various requests for public records from your school district
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Dear Midland Park School District,
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;
See attached ASSA Summary from October 15, 2022.
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.
11 children opted out of all of the NJSLAS CHPE, all in Grade 2
17 children opted out of portions of the CHPE curriculum:
Grade k - 1 = 0 students
Grade 2 = 6 students
Grade 3 = 1 student
Grade 4 = 3 students
Grade 5 = 7 students
Grade 6-12 = 0 students
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.
-Godwin School:
pdf attached- health opt out letter
-Highland School website:
https://www.mpsnj.org/academics/curricul...
-High School website:
https://mphs.mpsnj.org/resources/guidanc...
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.
-Godwin School:
https://godwin.mpsnj.org/administration/...
-Highland School:
https://highland.mpsnj.org/common/pages/...
Parent Presentation:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1...
Parent Updates:
September Update: https://highland.mpsnj.org/common/pages/...
September Update: https://highland.mpsnj.org/common/pages/...
October Update: https://highland.mpsnj.org/common/pages/...
March parent update: https://highland.mpsnj.org/common/pages/...
-High School:
See attached pdf HS final schedule letter
See attached pdf dated 9/7/22- page 4
See attached pdf BTS 9/30/22
See attached pdf Back to School Night Presentation- 2nd page middle slide.
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.
-Godwin School:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1...
See attached pdf- K-2 Health Curriculum Revised 2022
-Highland School:
•Sex Ed (girls): https://www.mpsnj.org/common/pages/UserF...
•Sex Ed (boys): https://www.mpsnj.org/common/pages/UserF...
-High School:
Implementation is delineated in the curriculum:
Grade 7 - Health
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://cdnsm5-ss8.sharpschool.com/UserF...
Grade 8- Health
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://cdnsm5-ss8.sharpschool.com/UserF...
Grade 9 Health
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.mpsnj.org/common/pages/UserF...
Grade 11- Health
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.mpsnj.org/common/pages/UserF...
Grade 12 Health
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.mpsnj.org/common/pages/UserF...
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.
See attached pdf Policies and Regs.
7) Copies of any book removal or review requests made by residents of your school district since November 1, 2022 to present.
There were no book removals or requests by residents- N/A
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.
There were no books removed from curriculum or libraries- N/A
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.
See attached pdf Policies and Regs.
10) Copies of all legal bills from the Board Attorney or from any outside council from January 1, 2023 to present
See attached pdf- Legal bills F&H and -Legal bills M&W
Yours faithfully,
Michael Gottesman, Individually and as Founder of the
New Jersey Public Education Coalition
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