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Parents press Fort Lee board on special-education outreach, playground access, internet outages and ties to national groups
Summary
Multiple public commenters asked the Fort Lee Board of Education for clearer data on special-education subgroups, access to school playgrounds for special-needs children, solutions for a district internet outage and expanded busing; one commenter accused individuals connected to the board of associating with a national group he described as a hate group.
During public comment at the Fort Lee Board of Education meeting, parents and residents raised several distinct concerns: access for children with special needs to school playgrounds, transportation for after-school athletics, the district's internet outage earlier in the day, and allegations about local ties to national advocacy groups.
Keith Gosling, identifying himself by address, asked parents to attend the Special Education Parents Advisory Group (SEPAG) meeting and raised a practical question about playground access for children with special needs, saying parents are sometimes unable to access fenced play areas when schools are closed (Keith Gosling). Dr. Kravitz responded that playgrounds are generally open when schools are open and noted insurance and supervision considerations.
Multiple commenters praised the district's renewed goals and extracurricular offerings. Brad Raimondo thanked the board for supporting student activities and drew attention to a new high-school club, No Place for Hate, calling it a step toward making students feel safe.
Several residents raised operational concerns. Kyle Sanford urged the board to revisit plans to provide transportation to Vance Lawn Park for youth sports, saying crossing busy highways creates a safety issue; Dr. Kravitz explained the district operates nine buses and that late-day availability is limited to a smaller number of buses and drivers, and that outsourcing a route could cost roughly $100'$300 per outing. Multiple commenters and a board member also urged the district to improve the website (registration details and newly adopted goals) and to review internet redundancy after a multihour outage that disrupted classes earlier in the day.
The meeting also featured a pointed accusation from resident Daniel Martino about prior events and associations. Martino said a "known hate group" had been brought to Fort Lee in the past and warned that "the community is watching" board members' associations; he told the board the group "will now be holding a rally" and named "Moms for Liberty" in context (Daniel Martino). The board did not take formal disciplinary action during the meeting; Dr. Kravitz and other board members declined to expand on the allegation in that moment.
Why it matters: The comments highlight recurring operational issues (transportation, connectivity, website transparency) that affect students' daily access to school services and extracurriculars, and they document community concern about board member behavior and external groups.
What's next: Board members referred some requests to the policy committee (camera-on remote participation) and authorized staff to keep working on internet redundancy and transportation options; commenters were directed to staff and principals for follow-up on classwork missed during the outage.
