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Parent warns Ridgewood board that Travell kindergartens of 21–22 students need full-time aides
Summary
During public comment parent Corey Abramson urged the board to provide a full-time paraprofessional in each Travell kindergarten class, calling current staffing (one teacher and a shared paraprofessional) a safety and instructional risk; the superintendent offered to re-check enrollment and directed follow-up to assistant superintendent Fenwick and enrollment manager Lucy Papamica.
A Ridgewood parent pressed the Board of Education on July 14 to reconsider staffing for incoming kindergarten sections at Travell Elementary, saying the three classes planned at 21–22 students each should have a full-time classroom aide.
Corey Abramson, who identified herself at the public microphone, told trustees that with 21–22 five-year-olds in a class, "one teacher is a lot to manage, especially at the beginning of the year," and described bathroom and injury events that leave the rest of the class with less supervision. She asked how the district determines hiring an additional 0.25 section or an aide and cited neighboring Wyckoff schools where kindergarten classes of about 16 students had one teacher and one full-time aide.
Superintendent Doctor Schwarz thanked Abramson and said the district generally tries to keep kindergarten sections at or below 22 students as a soft cap but that budget constraints limit automatic staffing increases. He invited the parent to supply specific comparisons and said Assistant Superintendent Fenwick and enrollment manager Lucy Papamica would review Travell's enrollment and consider extenuating circumstances that could warrant additional staff.
Why it matters: class-size and aide allocations affect early learning and student safety. The board—s response emphasized the tension between staffing standards and current budget constraints, and committed to local follow-up rather than immediate action at the table.
Next steps: administration will review Travell—s enrollment and report back; the parent was invited to follow up at a scheduled informal meeting (a coffee) with district leaders.
