Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Operations Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Superintendent outlines staffing, busing and playground safety plans
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Kravitz told the Fort Lee Board of Education the district is expediting certification for substitutes to cover shortages in biology, math and special education, will enable Transfinder bus-tracking for parents once configured, and has fenced an unsafe playground area while waiting on repair/replace quotes.
Dr. Kravitz, the district superintendent, used the Sept. 10 meeting to summarize operational priorities as schools reopened: addressing teacher shortages, improving transportation communication, and responding to an insurance finding that rendered part of School No. 1's playground unusable.
“We have a shortage of teachers, in the state of New Jersey and nationally,” Dr. Kravitz said, describing the district’s approach of recruiting substitutes with relevant degrees and helping them expedite certification so they can teach while completing endorsement requirements. He said the district is currently seeking one or two special-education teachers and has placed qualified substitutes in classrooms while the county office assists with certification steps.
On busing, administration told the board that the district has contracted additional buses and created its own routes where feasible. “Transfinder is a new program that this district has engaged with this year,” Dr. Kravitz said. He said the system has a component that allows bus tracking and that the district will enable that feature once the vendor-side setup is complete so parents can see a bus’s approach to a stop.
Regarding playground safety, Dr. Kravitz said an annual inspection and the insurance company's assessment identified tripping hazards on a playground bridge; the district obtained one quote for roughly $125,000 and expects a second quote that may be substantially lower. He said the area will be fenced off while the district finalizes repair or replacement plans. "We have a quote to repair it…we hope to have that final information either today or tomorrow," he said.
Board members asked about response times for parent inquiries and whether staff should follow specific time guidelines for replying. Dr. Kravitz described chain-of-command and escalation processes and noted an email account and central-office access had been corrected so transportation questions can be routed appropriately.
Why this matters: Teacher shortages and transportation reliability directly affect instruction and families’ ability to plan. Playground safety implicates student safety and potential insurance and procurement decisions.
Next steps: Administration will follow up with parents on individual concerns, finalize playground cost estimates when the second vendor response arrives, continue recruiting for vacancies, and enable Transfinder tracking when system setup is complete.
