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Board approves consent agenda; residents press for budget transparency and superintendent outlines enrollment snapshot
Summary
The Saddle River Board of Education unanimously approved minutes and grouped action items. During public comment residents questioned the timing of budget rollouts and calendar process; the Superintendent provided current enrollment numbers and estimated about 10 new students from nearby development before next school year.
The Saddle River Board of Education moved and approved a series of routine motions by roll call at its meeting, including approval of minutes from Feb. 25 and Feb. 27, 2026 and grouped action items covering administration, human resources, education and finance. Roll-call votes recorded five yes votes from Miss Ketta, Miss Jazinski, Miss Kaufman, Miss Salazar and Dr. Holden for each motion.
During the public-comment period a resident raised questions about budget oversight and timing, asking how many days in advance the full board received budget materials "so that a proper, informed, and legally sound review could occur." The resident said there had been "no significant board discussions" this year and expressed concern about the potential tax impact of enrollment adjustments.
A finance-committee representative replied that preliminary budget numbers had been reviewed by the finance committee, highlights were distributed to the full board in a packet prior to the meeting and that a full public budget review with the business administrator would be scheduled at the next meeting to present a detailed breakdown.
Residents also raised concerns about calendar posting and transparency around an ethics training, saying some items were posted late and not recorded; one commenter disputed a board member's earlier stated reasons for opposing the calendar and asked why processes differed from prior years.
In response to public questions about enrollment, the Superintendent provided a current snapshot and a short-term projection: "We're currently at 142 students" at Wandell (Wandelle), 59 at Smith, 10 at Ramsey High School, 108 at Northern Highlands, roughly 25 in out-of-district placements and a district total snapshot of 344 students. The Superintendent estimated about 10 additional students from a nearby development before next September and said staff would return with a feasibility-study-informed forecast at a future meeting.
The meeting closed after brief board comments praising school events and programs and a motion to adjourn passed unanimously.
