Various requests for public records from your school district
Dear East Greenwich 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
Dear Michael Gottesman,
I am the Custodian of Records for the East Greenwich Township Board of
Education (“Board”). I am in receipt of your request pursuant to the New
Jersey Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”), dated Saturday, August 5, 2023
and received on Monday, August 7, 2023.
Please see below for information about the documents requested and any
clarification needed. The attached documents contain most of the
information that you requested. Please be advised that the remainder of
your request will not be provided as under New Jersey law, a public entity
is not required to create documents, and no documents exist which
incorporate the remaining fields of your request. Specifically, “OPRA
does not require public agencies to create records.” Sussex Commons
Assocs., LLC v. Rutgers, 210 N.J. 531, 544 (2012).
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;
included with attachment
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.
Included with attachment, student names redacted
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.
Included with attachment
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.
Included with attachment
5) (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.
Included as additional attachment
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.
Included with attachment
7) Copies of any book removal or review requests made by residents of your
school district since November 1, 2022 to present.
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.
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.
Included with attachment
10) Copies of all legal bills from the Board Attorney or from any outside
council from January 1, 2023 to present
Please clarify if the legal bill request is for items related to the
opt-out provisions of N.J.S.A.18A:35-4.7 and opt-outs related to the 2020
NJSLS-CHPE mandate only. Once I receive the clarification, I will
consider the request.
This should conclude items 1-9 of your request. Once I receive
clarification on #10, I will respond accordingly. Please let me know if
you have any questions. Thank you.
Gregory Wilson
School Business Administrator
East Greenwich Township School District
559 Kings Highway
Mickleton, NJ 08056b
856-423-2958 x1002
Hello Michael Gottesman,
I responded to your OPRA request on August 14, 2023, however I did not
receive a Delivery Receipt or Read Receipt back in return. Can you please
confirm that you have received the response. Thank you.
Gregory Wilson
School Business Administrator
East Greenwich Township School District
559 Kings Highway
Mickleton, NJ 08056
856-423-2958 x1002
From: Gregory Wilson <[1][East Greenwich Board of Education request email]>
Sent: Monday, August 14, 2023 10:03 AM
To: '[2][OPRA #49544 email]'
<[3][OPRA #49544 email]>
Subject: OPRA request - Various requests for public records from your
school district
Dear Michael Gottesman,
I am the Custodian of Records for the East Greenwich Township Board of
Education (“Board”). I am in receipt of your request pursuant to the New
Jersey Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”), dated Saturday, August 5, 2023
and received on Monday, August 7, 2023.
Please see below for information about the documents requested and any
clarification needed. The attached documents contain most of the
information that you requested. Please be advised that the remainder of
your request will not be provided as under New Jersey law, a public entity
is not required to create documents, and no documents exist which
incorporate the remaining fields of your request. Specifically, “OPRA
does not require public agencies to create records.” Sussex Commons
Assocs., LLC v. Rutgers, 210 N.J. 531, 544 (2012).
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;
included with attachment
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.
Included with attachment, student names redacted
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.
Included with attachment
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.
Included with attachment
5) (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.
Included as additional attachment
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.
Included with attachment
7) Copies of any book removal or review requests made by residents of your
school district since November 1, 2022 to present.
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.
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.
Included with attachment
10) Copies of all legal bills from the Board Attorney or from any outside
council from January 1, 2023 to present
Please clarify if the legal bill request is for items related to the
opt-out provisions of N.J.S.A.18A:35-4.7 and opt-outs related to the 2020
NJSLS-CHPE mandate only. Once I receive the clarification, I will
consider the request.
This should conclude items 1-9 of your request. Once I receive
clarification on #10, I will respond accordingly. Please let me know if
you have any questions. Thank you.
Gregory Wilson
School Business Administrator
East Greenwich Township School District
559 Kings Highway
Mickleton, NJ 08056b
856-423-2958 x1002