Resident says district has no records justifying superintendent residency waiver, asks board to investigate

Hana Banda, a district resident who said she filed an Open Public Records Act request, told the Englewood Board of Education the district produced no supporting documentation for any waiver to the New Jersey residency statute RS 52:14-7 that would allow the superintendent to live outside the state.

"The answer came back, no such record exists. No findings, no justification, no supporting documentation for a waiver of state law granted to the highest ranking employee in our district," Banda said, asking the board to disclose the basis for any waiver, open an inquiry and provide a written response by the next regular meeting.

Banda asked the board four specific questions: why an exception was sought, how the district qualified for an employer-critical-need waiver if no records exist, why the critical need would arise months into the superintendent's contract rather than at hire, and what the board attorney did to verify compliance with RS 52:14-7.

Board members acknowledged the request; the superintendent said she had had an informal conversation with the mayor about district land (a separate inquiry), and the board attorney later presented confidential student settlements. The transcript records no formal board response to Banda's request during the meeting and no documentation was produced in the public record at that time.

Authorities mentioned: RS 52:14-7 (New Jersey residency statute) and NJAC 6A:9B (state administrative code on supervisory certification) were cited in public comment.

What happens next: Banda asked for a written response before the next meeting and said she would email her statement to each board member. The board did not announce an internal inquiry or timeline during the session.