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Superintendent says Ridgefield Park out of state monitorship, highlights enrollment, pre-K expansion and test-score gains
Summary
Superintendent presented a state-of-the-district update reporting 2,117 students (Sept. 15), district release from state monitorship, expansion of tuition-free pre-K classrooms, technology upgrades and double-digit gains on state assessments.
The Ridgefield Park Board of Education heard a state-of-the-district presentation Sept. 17 in which the superintendent said the district has been released from state monitorship and reported current enrollment of 2,117 students.
The superintendent said the district was “officially released from State Monitorship” by the New Jersey Commissioner of Education and outlined three strategic goals: collaborative instructional plans with Little Ferry, enhanced special-education programming and optimized financial operations following monitorship. He told the board he will provide an action plan in September listing activities tied to those goals.
Board members asked for, and praised, specifics on facilities and academic progress. The superintendent said pre-K had been expanded: when he arrived two years ago there was one internal pre-K classroom; this year there are eight internal classrooms and 12 total including external providers, and the district is pursuing further expansion toward 16 classrooms. He also described shifts in staffing titles (no new FTEs), a new human-resources office manager and a newly hired financial analyst to support budgeting.
On student performance, the superintendent reported a 10% increase in NJSLA English language arts proficiency and an 11% increase in mathematics over two years, and cited a jump in geometry proficiency from 36% to 71%. He framed the improvements as the result of targeted professional learning, curriculum adjustments and initiatives such as the SNAP program. The presentation included a summary slide showing graduation counts for the prior year (231 total students, of whom 230 graduated and one denied completion of summer requirements) and other assessment details: 61 students passed substitute competency tests in ELA/math and 30 were IB-exempt.
Facility and technology upgrades described in the presentation included a near-complete high-school roof, a new EverAlert/clock system, installation of digital signs and TVs, cafeteria lighting and ceiling improvements paid through ROD grants, and campus outdoor spaces. Technology improvements include upgrading district connections from 1 gigabit to 10 gigabits, new Wi-Fi 6 access points across buildings, stronger network security and servers the superintendent said are “25 times faster,” intended to reduce downtime and support district learning software.
The superintendent also described curricular investments and CTE (career and technical education) expansions, including adding robotics into the middle-grade STEM sequence and a digital photography 2 course, and noted a Montclair State master’s-in-educational-leadership partnership launching an informational session Oct. 9 for staff.
Trustees unanimously praised the presentation and credited the administration and staff for the improvements. The superintendent said architects will present a feasibility update on possible grade-band reconfiguration (moving seventh and eighth grades) at the board’s November meeting, and he said the administration will circulate follow-up materials to the community.
The board’s next steps include the superintendent’s written action plan on district goals and the architect-led reconfiguration update expected in November.
