Various requests for public records from your school district
Dear Ridgewood 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
For any issues for the Business Administrator, please contact our Acting
Business Administrator - Jaime Rosado at [1][email address].
--
Scott T. Bisig, M.Ed.
Business Administrator
Ridgewood Public Schools
201-670-2700 ext. 10503
[2]www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us/
Dear Mr. Gottesman,
This correspondence is being sent in response to the Open Public Records
Act (“OPRA”) request you submitted to Ridgewood Public Schools. 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. I will be sending a response to your request within this
deadline.
Sincerely,
Jaime Rosado
Acting Business Administrator
Ridgewood Public Schools
--
Julie Yohana
Assistant to the Business Administrator & Manager of IT
Ridgewood Public Schools
201-670-2700 ext. 10543
[1]www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us
NOTICE:
You are advised that e-mail correspondence and attachments between the public
and the Ridgewood Board of Education are obtainable by any person who files a
request under the NJ Open Public Records Act (OPRA) unless it is subject to a
specific OPRA exception. You should have no expectation that the content of
e-mails sent to or from school district e-mail addresses, or between the public
and school district officials and employees, will remain private.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
References
Visible links
1. http://www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us/
Dear Mr. Gottesman:
The Ridgewood Public Schools (“District”) is responding to your Open
Public Records Act (“OPRA”) request. Your request is set forth below:
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;
1. 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.
1. 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.
1. 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.
1. 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.
1. 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.
1. Copies of any book removal or review requests made by residents of your school district since November 1, 2022 to present.
1. 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.
1. Any documents, policies or regulations relating to the review of current textbooks or the review of new textbooks or textbooks being considered for purchase.
1. Copies of all legal bills from the Board Attorney or from any outside council from January 1, 2023 to present
The Dropbox link below contains the information responsive to requests #1
- 9.
[1]https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/5peicv8aj...
The District requires additional time to compile, review, and redact (if
necessary) the legal bills that may be responsive to your request. The
District anticipates providing a response by August 31, 2023. The
District also reserves the right to request an additional extension of
time, if necessary. See Scheeler v. New Jersey Department of Educ., GRC
Complaint No. 2014-123 (2016).
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Jaime Rosado
Acting Business Administrator/Board Secretary
--
Julie Yohana
Assistant to the Business Administrator & Manager of IT
Ridgewood Public Schools
201-670-2700 ext. 10543
[2]www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us
NOTICE:
You are advised that e-mail correspondence and attachments between the public
and the Ridgewood Board of Education are obtainable by any person who files a
request under the NJ Open Public Records Act (OPRA) unless it is subject to a
specific OPRA exception. You should have no expectation that the content of
e-mails sent to or from school district e-mail addresses, or between the public
and school district officials and employees, will remain private.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
References
Visible links
1. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/5peicv8aj...
2. http://www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us/
Dear Mr. Gottesman:
The Ridgewood Public Schools (“District”) is responding to the outstanding
request #10 from your Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”) request as set
forth below:
10) Copies of all legal bills from the Board Attorney or from any outside
council from January 1, 2023 to present
In accordance with our August 21, 2023 correspondence and in light of the
volume of this request, the District requires additional time to compile,
review, and redact documents responsive to your request. The District
anticipates providing a response on or before September 14, 2023. The
District also reserves the right to request an additional extension of
time, if necessary. See Scheeler v. New Jersey Department of Educ., GRC
Complaint No. 2014-123 (2016).
Sincerely,
Julie Kot
Business Administrator/Board Secretary
Dear Mr. Gottesman:
The Ridgewood Public Schools (“District”) is responding to the outstanding
request #10 from your Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”) request as set
forth below:
10) Copies of all legal bills from the Board Attorney or from any outside
council from January 1, 2023 to present
Records from two out of our three board attorneys can be found on the
following Dropbox link:
[1]https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/6cos3f5yy...
In accordance with our August 31, 2023 correspondence and in light of the
volume of this request, the District requires additional time to compile,
review, and redact the remaining documents responsive to your request. The
District anticipates providing a response on or before September 28, 2023.
The District also reserves the right to request an additional extension of
time, if necessary. See Scheeler v. New Jersey Department of Educ., GRC
Complaint No. 2014-123 (2016).
Sincerely,
Julie Kot
Business Administrator
Ridgewood Public Schools
--
Julie Yohana
Assistant to the Business Administrator & Manager of IT
Ridgewood Public Schools
201-670-2700 ext. 10543
[2]www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us
NOTICE:
You are advised that e-mail correspondence and attachments between the public
and the Ridgewood Board of Education are obtainable by any person who files a
request under the NJ Open Public Records Act (OPRA) unless it is subject to a
specific OPRA exception. You should have no expectation that the content of
e-mails sent to or from school district e-mail addresses, or between the public
and school district officials and employees, will remain private.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
References
Visible links
1. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/6cos3f5yy...
2. http://www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us/
Dear Mr. Gottesman:
The Ridgewood Public Schools (“District”) is responding to your Open
Public Records Act (“OPRA”) request.
Your request is set forth below:
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.
5) 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
The District previously responded to paragraphs 1-9 of your request. With
respect to paragraph 10, enclosed please find the remaining 108 pages of
records which the District has identified as responsive. The District has
redacted the invoices to remove information protected by attorney-client
privilege and attorney work product. OPRA specifically provides that
certain records are deemed to be confidential, and thus are not
encompassed within the definition of a “government record” under OPRA.
This includes any record within the attorney-client privilege. See
N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1.1. OPRA further specifies that while attorney bills are
not fully exempt from public access, “such bills or invoices may be
redacted to remove any information protected by the attorney-client
privilege.” Accordingly, the attached bills have been redacted to remove
references to specific topics of legal research, legal strategies, and
discussion/correspondence between the District’s legal counsel and the
District’s representatives to ensure that confidential communications in
the course of the lawyer-client relationship are not inadvertently
revealed.
Please also note that the enclosed invoices contain personal identifying
information of students. N.J.S.A. 47:1A-9(b) allows exemptions from
disclosure for any grant of confidentiality established or recognized by
the Constitution of this State, statute, court rule or judicial case law,
to apply to OPRA. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”),
20 U.S.C. 1232(g) and its supplemental regulations codified under 34
C.F.R. 99.30, precludes schools from disclosing student names and personal
identifying information without obtaining consent. See also N.J.A.C.
6A:32-7.1 to -7.8. Accordingly, the invoices have also been redacted to
remove identifiable student information.
Your OPRA request is now deemed answered and closed. Thank you for your
attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Julie Kot
Business Administrator
--
Julie Yohana
Assistant to the Business Administrator & Manager of IT
Ridgewood Public Schools
201-670-2700 ext. 10543
[1]www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us
NOTICE:
You are advised that e-mail correspondence and attachments between the public
and the Ridgewood Board of Education are obtainable by any person who files a
request under the NJ Open Public Records Act (OPRA) unless it is subject to a
specific OPRA exception. You should have no expectation that the content of
e-mails sent to or from school district e-mail addresses, or between the public
and school district officials and employees, will remain private.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
References
Visible links
1. http://www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us/