Various requests for public records from your school district
Dear Rockaway Borough 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
Mr. Gottesman,
I hereby acknowledge that I am the Custodian of Records for this school
district and in receipt of your OPRA request dated August 5, 2023, asking
for 10 different/various items: from the "NJSLS-CHPE" mandate to the
"Book Review Committee" board policies, among other items you listed.
Given the length and breadth of your detailed requests, I need additional
time to research, compile, scan, and deliver all the applicable items you
wish to possess.
I will be in contact with you via the "OPRA Machine" portal.
Thank you, William Stepka.
Mr. William T. Stepka, RSBA
District Business Administrator &
Secretary of the Board of Education
Rockaway Borough Public School District
New Jersey 07866, [1]rockboro.org
Phone: 973-625-8600, ext.106
References
Visible links
1. http://rockboro.org/
Good afternoon,
I have attached, in pdf form, various responses to your initial OPRA
request dated August 5, 2023.
If you have any particular questions or concerns, you may directly contact
our Superintendent, Mr. Anthony Grieco
at [1][email address] for further information regarding our
responses.
We thank you for allowing us additional time to compile this
information.
As custodian of school records, I hereby designate this OPRA request as
satisfied and closed.
Thank you, Bill.
Mr. William T. Stepka, RSBA
District Business Administrator &
Secretary of the Board of Education
Rockaway Borough Public School District
New Jersey 07866, [2]rockboro.org
Phone: 973-625-8600, ext.106
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://rockboro.org/