Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Facilities Performing Arts topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parents press Ridgewood board for auditorium, rehearsal space and answers on turf safety; board asks medical and legal review
Summary
Community members urged the Ridgewood Board of Education to prioritize performance and rehearsal space improvements for Ridgewood High School's rapidly growing music program and sought a formal medical/legal position on artificial turf hazards and potential waivers; the board agreed to seek a district physician's opinion and attorney guidance and to include music wing issues in a comprehensive facilities assessment.
Several community members used the public‑comment period on June 10 to press the Ridgewood Board of Education for concrete action on performing‑arts facilities and on health and transparency for artificial turf fields.
Brian Ward, a longtime Ridgewood resident and outgoing Friends of Music president, walked trustees through enrollment figures for Ridgewood High School’s music programs and described the space constraints: "Ridgewood High School has 3 great music programs... but they only have 2 rehearsal spaces," he said, and later added, "It's like the football team practicing in a bowling alley," illustrating poor acoustics and undersized rooms.
Other parents recounted logistical and safety problems — moving large instruments up stairs, inadequate acoustic shells, and insufficient storage — and urged the district to study the high‑school music wing and to prioritize both short‑term upgrades (rehearsal rooms, storage, equipment) and long‑term planning for an auditorium.
On turf fields and public concern about PFAS and other contaminants, callers asked whether parents should sign waivers and whether the board vetted recent NJDEP applications that reference field capacities. Jacqueline Hone and other commenters requested an accounting of field‑use fees and a public explanation of the district’s role in a village application.
The board and administration responded with next steps rather than immediate policy changes. The superintendent said he asked the district physician (Dr. Yankis) to consult with Mount Sinai and other medical sources and will pursue a formal written medical position; "I asked doctor Yankis to get in touch with Mount Sinai," a trustee said, noting the district wants medical context before seeking a legal advisory opinion. Trustees also said the facilities committee will gather building administrator priorities and include the high‑school music wing in a planned comprehensive facilities assessment to itemize near‑term improvements versus a longer‑term performing‑arts center.
What’s next: the district will pursue a formal medical opinion and then consult the board’s attorneys about whether waivers or disclosures are legally advisable; facilities committee members said they will separate immediate, lower‑cost fixes from long‑range project planning and asked residents to send written comments and evidence for committee consideration.
Board‑level context: trustees framed the follow‑up as a mix of medical, legal and budgetary work that requires careful sequencing — medical input first, legal advice next, and a facilities assessment to establish costs and priorities.
