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Students and parents urge West Milford board to approve fall coaches; board moves personnel items
Summary
A student and parents told the West Milford Township Public School District board that delaying approval of fall-sports coaches risks lost training, liability and student attrition. The board amended the agenda and moved three personnel items for approval after public comment.
Lauren Fry, a senior and captain of the West Milford High School girls cross-country team, told the West Milford Township Public School District board that summer training builds team cohesion and is vital to the fall season. “Without these coaches, our training would be put on pause,” Fry said, urging the board to approve fall-sports coaches at tonight’s meeting.
Jessica Sprague, a lifelong West Milford resident and parent, told trustees she was "disappointed" that coaches had not been approved at the prior meeting and urged immediate action. She told the board that delaying approval is "fiscally irresponsible," could create liability and might push students to seek opportunities elsewhere: "This should be approved tonight."
Board President (speaking for the board) responded to the community’s concerns, saying the board did not intend to prevent summer practices and that some reports circulating were "misinformation." The president said coaches are covered under district insurance and that practices could have started under that policy: "In no way was this meant to hold you back... all of our coaches are, under our insurance policy, and practices could have started."
Following public comment, a trustee moved to take personnel items 1, 2 and 3 under the personnel section; the motion was seconded and a roll-call vote was conducted. The transcript records multiple "yes" responses and at least one abstention (a trustee stated she "abstain[ed] on 1 and 2, and yes on 3"). The meeting record does not provide a clear consolidated numeric tally for each numbered personnel item in the transcript excerpt.
A resident, Rebecca Zepka, spoke twice during the meeting: she first raised a separate concern about a school-choice denial and, during the second public-comment period, asked the board to "please step in and try to help us" after receiving a short denial letter with no explanation. The board president said the school-choice matter was not on tonight’s agenda but that it would be discussed at a committee meeting next month.
The meeting proceeded after the votes on personnel items and later adjourned without an executive session.
