Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Facilities And Closure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parents press board over School 10 closure, long-range facilities plan and $4M pool item
Summary
Residents and parent advocates questioned whether the state had approved the district's long-range facilities plan and raised concerns about School 10's proposed closure, ESL continuity, special services, and a $4,000,000 pool item in the capital plan; administration said state approval is pending and pledged follow-up.
Residents and parent advocates pressed the Passaic City School District Board of Education about facilities planning and a proposed closure of School 10 during the public-comment portion of the June meeting, raising questions about state approval, student services and a $4,000,000 capital item for a pool.
A resident said they had only learned last month that School 10 was slated to close and described the practical burdens families would face if children were reassigned to School 19, including longer travel and possible loss of ESL classes. The resident also asked whether the state had already approved the closure and whether district documents previously requested would be available.
Superintendent (as recorded in the meeting) responded that the district submitted the long-range facilities plan through the state review process (noted in the transcript as submission through CDS/SDA channels) and that final state approval is pending. The superintendent said the district completed required enrollment and demographer analyses and that the district would provide follow-up information after submission to the state. On the $4,000,000 figure cited by the resident as a pool item in the 2026-27 capital plan, district staff confirmed the amount is part of the capital program and indicated it would come from district capital funds to meet requirements for including the project in state construction planning.
Parent advocates also raised special-education concerns. Rosie Hernandez, vice president of the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (CPAC), requested a formal meeting between CPAC members and the board's special education committee, citing staffing shortages, interruptions in services, and administrative inefficiencies affecting students with disabilities. Hernandez asked that her statement be included in the official minutes. Board members and staff agreed to schedule a meeting and to follow up by email to coordinate participants and dates.
Why it matters: proposed school closures and capital investments change student assignment, transportation needs and specialized-service delivery, particularly for students who depend on individualized education programs (IEPs) and ESL services. Families and advocacy groups can request committee meetings and official minutes to ensure concerns are formally documented.
What happens next: the administration said it will provide the requested documents and timeline following state submission of the long-range facilities plan and will schedule the CPAC-special-education committee meeting. Any final decisions about closures or capital projects will depend on state review and subsequent board votes.
(Reporting based only on statements recorded in the meeting transcript.)
