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Parents urge delay as Closter board tightens entrance-age policy; trustees approve second reading
Summary
Parents and a school counselor asked the board to delay approval of Policy 5112, saying it removes parental flexibility about delaying kindergarten. The board approved the policy's second reading after Superintendent Vincent McHale defended an age-based placement rule and said special needs are considered case by case.
The Closter Board of Education on June 25 approved a second reading of Policy 5112, clarifying entrance-age placement and limiting repeat prekindergarten placements to cases handled through an IEP or 504 plan, after several parents and a Hillside Elementary School counselor urged the board to pause the change.
Parents and staff urged trustees to postpone adoption of the policy revisions, saying the changes would remove parents' ability to delay kindergarten entry for developmental reasons. "Policy 5112 removes the flexibility parents currently have in making decisions for their child," said Hillside counselor Dara Weiss during public comment, asking the board to "table the approval" and gather teacher input before moving forward.
Supporters of a pause said the change could force some children into higher-grade placements they believe would not fit their developmental needs. "This decision should remain with parents, as they know their children best," said parent Erica Katz, who said a recommended delay for her son could be undone by the revised rule.
Superintendent Vincent McHale told the board the district drafted the policy to reduce abuse of the existing practice, which he said in some instances involved staff advising parents to request retention. McHale framed the change as aligning placement to the student's age at registration and cited mixed research about long-term outcomes of grade retention. He emphasized that "special needs and individual circumstances are always taken into consideration when making placement decisions," and said the policy permits exceptions established through IEPs or 504 plans.
The revised language clarified that a child who is five at the time of registration is enrolled as a Kindergarten student and a child who is six is enrolled as a First Grade student; the policy also states that students who attended Pre-K3 or Pre-K4 will be registered as Kindergarten students on turning five. At the meeting the policy was presented as Policy 5112 (Entrance Age) and voted on during the Policy Committee consent item.
Trustees approved the second reading by roll-call vote. The meeting record shows YEAS: Mr. Shih, Ms. Micera, Ms. Ravid, Mr. Choi, Ms. Argenziano, Ms. Lee, Mr. Paldi; NAYS: None.
What happens next: The second reading clears the policy for adoption under board procedure; parents concerned about placements will continue to have eligibility for exception pathways through special-education or 504 processes. The Superintendent said the district surveyed neighboring Northern Valley districts and found mixed practices but reiterated that the board's change is intended to standardize placement and limit ad hoc retention recommendations.
