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Board member urges delay to calendar vote, says procedure was rushed
Summary
A board member read a statement into the record clarifying that a recent calendar vote covered the full calendar and was not a vote on recognizing Ramadan or Diwali; the speaker said timing and lack of prior boardwide discussion created governance and contractual concerns and urged postponing such votes until proper deliberation.
At the end of the Saddle River Board of Education meeting, a board member read a statement seeking to correct public characterizations of the board’s recent calendar vote and to flag procedural concerns.
"The board voted on the entire school calendar, not on individual holidays in isolation," the board member said, noting that any differences in votes reflected concerns about governance, timing, instructional requirements and contractual implications rather than opposition to recognizing particular community holidays.
The speaker described longstanding local practice of reviewing and approving the school calendar in January after full board discussion and administrative and legal review. "Calendar changes, no matter the reason, directly affect state-mandated instructional days, staffing requirements, transportation, testing schedules, and our upcoming teacher negotiations," the speaker said, arguing those operational and contractual impacts "are not minor administrative adjustments."
Citing those risks, the board member urged that calendar votes be postponed until the board can review them in January with proper deliberation and legal input. "Rushing this vote sets a precedent that undermines transparency, consistency, and responsible governance," the speaker told the meeting and requested the exact statement be entered into the record.
The board did not take additional action during the meeting; the statement was presented for the record. No recorded public rebuttal occurred during the session.
The meeting’s agenda earlier had included an announcement of a special ethics training session for board members to take place Friday at Wendell at 1:00 p.m., which the speaker and others referenced when discussing process and training needs.
