Dear Mr. Gottesman,
Please accept this correspondence in response to the Open Public Records
Act (“OPRA”) request you submitted to the Old Tappan Public School
District (the “District”), which was received on August 7, 2023.

By way of your OPRA request, below is your list of the information you
seek along with my responses: 
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. RESPONSE:  The 2022-23 School Register is
attached, which is responsive to your request.
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. RESPONSE:  The District
doesn't have any documents that show the number of opt-outs by grade
levels. That said, a few parents did have their child(ren) opt out, but it
is my understanding that most of those requests were just
conversations with the school principal.   
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.  RESPONSE: 
It is my understanding there are no documents responsive to this request.
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. RESPONSE: The 2022-23 Health Overview
Sheets and the 2022-23 Curriculum Objectives for each grade in the
District are attached. These documents are available to parents via the
District's website.  Additionally, the 2022 summer newsletter is
attached.  Page four of this newsletter has a section titled "Curriculum
Questions". This newsletter was disseminated to all District families. 
5) (Note: this request was incorrectly listed as a second #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. RESPONSE:  There are no documents responsive to
this request.  That said, it's my understanding that the revised health
standards were taught to all students except for those few students who
opted out.  
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. RESPONSE:  The District's policies and
regulations can be found
here:  [1]https://www.straussesmay.com/seportal/Pu...
 
Please note the policies that could apply include, but are not limited to,
Policy 2362 (Media Center/Library), Policy and Regulation 2510 (Adoption
of Textbooks), and Policy 2530 (Resource Materials).
7) Copies of any book removal or review requests made by residents of your
school district since November 1, 2022 to present. RESPONSE:  It is my
understanding the District doesn't have anything responsive to this
request.
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. RESPONSE: It is my understanding the District
doesn't have anything responsive to this request.
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. RESPONSE:  The District's policies and
regulations can be found
here:  [2]https://www.straussesmay.com/seportal/Pu...
 
Please note that the pertinent policy includes, but is not limited to,
Policy and Regulation 2510 (Adoption of Textbooks).
10) Copies of all legal bills from the Board Attorney or from any outside
council from January 1, 2023 to present. RESPONSE: The redacted legal
bills from our Board Attorney from January 1, 2023 to present are
attached.  

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 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
email at [3][email address], or at their website
at [4]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.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Respectfully,
Doug Barrett
School Business Administrator / Board Secretary
Old Tappan Public Schools

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