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Parents urge Saddle River board to revisit calendar after alleged misstatements and graduation conflicts
Summary
During public comment, residents asked the Saddle River board to move a June meeting that conflicts with local high school graduations and criticized earlier board remarks about calendar policies for other districts; commenters also requested data on who submitted supportive emails and how many students observe the disputed holidays.
Residents used the meeting’s public-comment periods to press the Saddle River Board of Education for clarity and changes to the district calendar and to call for greater transparency about constituent communications.
At the start of the meeting, Yasmin El Shami asked the board to consider moving the June meeting date because it conflicts with Northern Highlands and Bergen County Academy graduations. “I did notice that in June the meeting date that was selected coincides with the Northern Highlands graduation and the Bergen County Academy's graduation,” El Shami said, asking the board to “do their due diligence and change the date.” Board members acknowledged the potential conflict and said the date could be changed.
In the second public-comment period, El Shami raised a longer set of concerns about how the district calendar was developed and about comments that had been made at a prior meeting. She challenged statements that had characterized the Ramsey Board of Education’s calendar practices and objected to usage of the term “discrimination” by a board member, saying that the description did not match how Ramsey schedules its holidays. El Shami said the calendar had been discussed in earlier public meetings and cited letters of support and prior agenda discussions, asking why potential concerns about finances, negotiations or legal implications had not been raised in committee or in executive session.
Maria Harper and other commenters also asked whether the emails the board received came from current Wendell parents or from other community members, and requested data on how many Wendell students observe the religious holidays at issue so the board can consider alignment with the middle-school calendar they will later enter.
Ruth Dugan offered brief praise for the new configuration of the board, saying she looked forward to a more functional team. The meeting record concludes with the board closing public comment, noting there was no executive session, and adjourning for the evening.
The board did not take formal action on any calendar changes during the meeting; members said the June meeting date could be changed and did not announce any immediate revisions.
