Students propose monthly "Festival Fridays" and expanded AP courses at Cliffside Park BOE meeting

Students from Park High School presented two proposals to the Cliffside Park Board of Education on May 16, 2025: a recurring school-event series called "Festival Fridays" and an expansion of Advanced Placement course offerings.

Student speakers said the goal of Festival Fridays is to "build school spirit and foster a stronger sense of community" by hosting monthly events with food trucks, music and student club booths that could raise funds and award service hours. They named prospective vendors, including Kona Ice and Napoli Pizza, and described partnerships with local family-owned bakeries; presenters said they had spoken with vendors and intended events to complement, not disrupt, instruction.

The students also requested new AP classes, specifically AP French, AP Italian and AP Seminar, arguing the district’s AP options are limited compared with neighboring schools and that expanded courses would better prepare students for college. A presenter said the high school principal must approve any new courses and that they had already raised the idea with him; board members stressed the decision requires principal and district staffing approvals.

Board members thanked the students for their presentation, noted they had scanned the materials provided, and asked staff to review feasibility and channels of approval. The board did not adopt any policy changes at the meeting; next steps identified by board members and presenters were to route the festival proposal through the high school principal and for staff to evaluate AP course staffing and scheduling.

The presentation was part of the public portion of the May 16 meeting; students were recognized earlier in the meeting for their year-long participation and were presented with tokens of appreciation.