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Residents urge clearer complaint response process and raise class-size concerns; board reiterates chain-of-command
Summary
During public comment residents asked for faster responses to personnel and student concerns and for clarity about assembly content; trustees reiterated that the chain of command — principal, assistant superintendent, superintendent, board — is the recommended route and provided elementary class-size ranges.
Several residents used public comment at the Teaneck Board of Education workshop on Feb. 5 to request a clearer, faster response process for concerns about employees or students and to ask about class size and assembly content.
David Mirsky, a Teaneck resident, asked the board to consider "some sort of response plan with follow-up that things don't take as long" after people email concerns about teachers or staff. He also asked for details about an "EZ Bridal" assembly (bike/scooter safety) so families could reinforce safety messaging at home.
A second caller, Deborah Baeberg, asked whether recurring year-end fund balances meant the district was overtaxing residents. Administrators later explained that fund balances do not equate to overtaxation and that reserves are earmarked for capital, maintenance and other designated needs.
Dr. Spencer, superintendent, outlined the district—s formal chain of command for concerns: campus principal (and assistant principal or dean at the high school) first, then the assistant superintendent, then the superintendent, and finally the board if prior steps do not produce a satisfactory resolution. "Start with the campus and have a conversation with the campus because at the point that it comes to myself, that's one of the first questions that I'm asking: has campus administration had the opportunity to address the situation?" he said.
Nut graf: Residents asked for faster, clearer responses to personnel and student concerns and raised class-size and assembly-content questions. Trustees and administrators reiterated the district—s established complaint-handling sequence and offered class-size data for elementary schools.
Dr. Spencer read elementary class-size ranges for kindergarten through grade four: Hawthorne and Lowell reported ranges generally between 21 and 24; Whittier (transcript spelled "Woodier" in some places) had classes between 14 and 25, with a third-grade class at 25. He said the district had no classes in the 30s and explained how inclusion is counted within class-size numbers.
Ending: Board members urged the public to rely on the principal-first chain of command and said the district would post or share audit and budget documents and respond to specific information requests through administration.
