Parents and teachers press board on middle‑school librarian, science Olympiad funding and professional development changes
Summary
During public comment at the March 17 Tenafly Board of Education meeting, teachers and parents urged the board to keep a certificated middle‑school librarian, maintain support for Science Olympiad and revisit recent changes to department professional‑development funding. The board responded with schedule and process clarifications.
Several parents and staff used the board’s public comment periods on March 17 to press the Tenafly Board of Education on staffing and extracurricular funding.
Nazife Balali, identified as president of the Tenafly Association (TA) and a Cliffside Park resident, asked the board to retain a certificated librarian at the middle school, saying a credentialed librarian is important for fostering research skills and a love of reading for sixth through eighth graders. She said the high‑school staffing model is not an appropriate comparison for middle‑school needs and urged the board to conduct a needs assessment and develop a plan with clear goals before changing staffing models.
Parents and community members also spoke in support of the high‑school Science Olympiad team. Yoon Beck and other parents described the team as a substantive extracurricular that helps students feel connected; they asked the board to maintain funding and noted the team’s success at state and Ivy‑league invitational competitions. One parent said her family could not provide additional fundraising support, noting participation by lower‑income families.
A high‑school world‑language teacher, Beatrice Martinez, raised concerns about recent changes to how the district budgets and approves professional development. She said the current approach, which allocates a set PD budget to departments, creates internal competition and can impede teachers’ ability to present at national or regional conferences—opportunities that can benefit students and staff. The administration responded that supervisors control department PD budgets and acknowledged the budgetary limits make priorities necessary.
Board and administrative responses: The administration clarified that the district is available by email and direct contact outside meetings and said the calendar for 2026–27 was set with a first day of school of Monday, Aug. 31, 2026 (the 2025–26 calendar had already been approved). The board also confirmed a March 26 special meeting to approve a referendum bid and reiterated that the tentative budget is scheduled for final consideration after a public hearing April 28.
Why this matters: The comments highlight community priorities—library staffing, support for academic competitions, and teacher development—that may influence department and building budgets as the board finalizes the 2025–26 budget and implements referendum projects.
