Various requests for public records from your school district
Dear Somers Point 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
Please see the attached regarding your August 7, 2023 request.
Mary Conroy
School Business Administrator/Board Secretary
Somers Point School District
609-927-2053
Please see attached.
*For each of the below requests we have listed the documents and/or links
we would suggest utilizing to answer. As always we are here to answer any
questions or review any documents you believe are responsive.*
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. Audit; or
2. Budget; or = 718 Charter =1 **
3. ASSA Count
*If you have a website link or sub-link to any of this information you may
provide it.
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.
**** 0 Parents have opted out
*Some Districts are keeping track and some are not. If you have a
spreadsheet or other document which is not a student record, but simply
shows the number of people, please provide same.
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.
1. Send any form(s), if applicable;
2. And any letter(s) that would go out to parents;
3. And any responsive link(s) on your website.
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.
*Send your curriculum (a website link is fine as well, if
available).** [1]www.sptsd.org Departments, Curriculum, Curriculum
Documents
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.
*Send your curriculum (a website link is fine as well, if available).
** [2]www.sptsd.org Under Board of Education, Policies and Bylaws
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.
*Send a link to District Policy #9130, or any other policies or regulation
that are or may be directly responsive to this
request.**[3]https://www.straussesmay.com/seportal/Pu...
7) Copies of any book removal or review requests made by residents of your
school district since November 1, 2022 to present.
*Please provide any such requests for our review. If there are no such
requests, please so advise. ** 0
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.
*Please provide any such requests for our review. If there are no such
requests, please so advise.**0
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.
*Send a link to District Policy #2000, or any other policies or regulation
that are or may be directly responsive to this request.
**[4]https://www.straussesmay.com/seportal/Pu...
10) Copies of all legal bills from the Board Attorney or from any outside
council from January 1, 2023 to present.
*Please provide any and all responsive documents for the time period
requested so that we may review and redact.
***
Mary Conroy
School Business Administrator/Board Secretary
Somers Point School District
609-927-2053