Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District

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Coordinates: 41°01′11″N 74°13′52″W / 41.019728°N 74.231052°W / 41.019728; -74.231052
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Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District
This is the logo for the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District.
Address
131 Yawpo Avenue
Oakland
, Bergen County, 07436
United States
Coordinates41°01′11″N 74°13′52″W / 41.019728°N 74.231052°W / 41.019728; -74.231052
District information
Grades9-12
SuperintendentRui Dionisio
Business administratorThomas Lambe
Schools2
Students and staff
Enrollment2,244 (as of 2020–21)[1]
Faculty217.6 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio10.3:1[1]
Other information
District Factor GroupI
Websitewww.rih.org
Ind. Per pupil District
spending		 Rank
(*)		 9-12
average		 %± vs.
average
1ATotal Spending$23,03936$18,89122.0%
1Budgetary Cost17,7733915,59214.0%
2Classroom Instruction9,440278,8077.2%
6Support Services2,660352,29416.0%
8Administrative Cost1,971451,59223.8%
10Operations & Maintenance2,369421,95421.2%
13Extracurricular Activities1,3024387349.1%
16Median Teacher Salary61,8071071,726
Data from NJDoE 2014 Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending.[2]
*Of 9-12 districts with any number of students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=47

The Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District is a comprehensive regional public school district consisting of two four-year public high schools serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Franklin Lakes, Oakland, and Wyckoff, three suburban communities in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[3][4][5] Students entering the district as freshmen have the option to attend either of the district's high schools, regardless of their residence, subject to a choice made during eighth grade.[6][7]

As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 2,244 students and 217.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.3:1.[1]

The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "I", the second-highest of eight groupings. District Factor Groups organize districts statewide to allow comparison by common socioeconomic characteristics of the local districts. From lowest socioeconomic status to highest, the categories are A, B, CD, DE, FG, GH, I and J.[8]

History[edit]

With baby boomers filling the school beyond capacity, the Ramsey Public School District informed its sending districts of Franklin Lakes and Wyckoff in 1954 that it would no longer accept students from those two communities at Ramsey High School beyond the 1956-57 school year.[9] Oakland, which sent its students to Pompton Lakes High School, joined the other two districts in pursuing a joint regional high school.[10]

With Ramsey High School having already issued an ultimatum to its two Franklin Lakes, Oakland and Wyckoff (often called the FLOW district for the initial letters in the names of the three communities) approved the creation of a regional high school in 1954 by a vote of 1,060 to 51.[11] The name "Ramapo Regional High School District" was chosen for the district in February 1954 when the inaugural board of education was sworn in.[12]

By a nearly 3-1 margin, voters approved a February 1955 referendum that would cover the bulk of the $2.2 million (equivalent to $23.9 million in 2023) required for the 50-acre (20 ha) site and the construction of the school building.[13] A steel strike, bad weather and other construction obstacles delayed the opening of the new school building, forcing Ramapo High School to start the 1956-57 school year with evening sessions held at Eastern Christian High School in North Haledon, with the school day running from 2:45 to 7:00 PM.[14] Constructed with a capacity for 1,080 students, the new almost-finished Ramapo High School building in Franklin Lakes opened in January 1957 with an enrollment of 655.[15][16]

In the years after Ramapo High School opened, district enrollment rose from 650 to more than 2,000, ultimately requiring the school to operate with double sessions. Constructed at a cost of $3 million (equivalent to $29.5 million in 2023), Indian Hills High School in Oakland opened in September 1964 serving 575 students in grades 9-11 from Oakland and portions of Franklin Lakes.[17]

In 1999, the district allowed students from Franklin Lakes to choose which high school to attend, ending the policy under which students in the eastern half of Franklin Lakes were required to attend Ramapo High School while those in the borough's western half were assigned to Indian Hills High School. Oakland students were generally assigned to Indian Hills while Wyckoff residents could select which school to attend.[18]

Schools[edit]

Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[19]) are:[20][21]

Administration[edit]

Core members of the district's administration are:[26]

  • Rui Dionisio, superintendent[27]
  • Thomas Lambe, business administrator[28]

Board of education[edit]

Overview[edit]

The district's board of education, comprised of nine members, sets policy and oversees the fiscal and educational operation of the district through its administration. As a Type II school district, the board's trustees are elected directly by voters to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election each year held (since 2012) as part of the November general election. The board appoints a superintendent to oversee the district's day-to-day operations and a business administrator to supervise the business functions of the district.[29][30] Seats on the board are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with four seats allocated to Wyckoff, three to Oakland and two to Franklin Lakes.[31]

As of 2024, the Ramapo Indian Hills Board of Education is composed of President Kim Ansh, Vice President Marianna Emmolo, Tom Bogdansky, Brian DeLaite, Melissa Kiel, Helen Koulikourdis, Aaron Lorenz, Doreen Mariani, and Audrey Souders.[32]

2014[edit]

In 2014, Board member Debra Strauss of Franklin Lakes resigned effective February 24 while members Elizabeth Pierce of Oakland as well as Isabelle Lanini and Lynn Budd of Wyckoff each resigned effective April 23.[33] Local media linked the four sudden resignations to the Board's "disputed" search for a permanent superintendent to succeed Lauren Schoen (who had transferred to a position in Mahwah the prior year), which, in May 2014, culminated in district curriculum director Beverly MacKay being chosen for the role; The Record, as evidence, highlighted how the Board was set to interview the final four superintendent candidates (including MacKay) the same week that the latter three resignations were announced.[34] In April 2014, Lisa Sciancalepore was appointed to the vacant Franklin Lakes seat, and, in May, Teresa Kilday filled the Oakland seat while Tom Madigan (who had previously served on the board for 12 years) and David Becker were appointed to the Wyckoff positions.[35]

In the November 2014 election, Lisa Sciancalepore was elected (with 865 votes) to the remaining one year of what had been Debra Strauss' term; Teresa Kilday was elected (with 912) to a new three-year term; board vice president Sadie Quinlan of Oakland was re-elected (with 1,136); Jane Castor was elected (also with 1,136) to a one-year unexpired term representing Oakland; Tom Madigan was elected (with 2,012) to the remaining two years of what had been Isabelle Lanini's term; and David Becker was elected (with 1,976) to a new three-year term.[36] Every candidate for the regional board of education ran unopposed in 2014.[37]

2015[edit]

In the November 2015 election, Lisa Sciancalepore of Franklin Lakes was elected (with 651 votes) to her first full term on the board, Jane Castor was re-elected (with 1,178) to her third term representing Oakland, and Kenneth Porro of Wyckoff was re-elected (with 1,631) to his second term on the body. All three candidates ran unopposed.[38][39]

2016[edit]

In January 2016, board member Tom Madigan resigned upon his being appointed to replace Dave Connolly on Wyckoff's township committee; Christine Becker (who was also considered for the committee position) was appointed to serve for the remainder of Madigan's term, which was set to expire in December 2016.[40][41]

In the November 2016 election, Christine Becker (with 2,592 votes) was elected to her first full term on the regional board of education and president Thomas Bunting (with 2,849) was re-elected to his third; both ran without competition and to represent Wyckoff. Meanwhile, incumbent John Butto of Franklin Lakes (with 1,492 votes) was elected to his second full term, defeating June-2016-Ramapo-High-School-graduate Thomas Rukaj (who earned 852).[40][42][43]

2017[edit]

In the November 2017 election, board member David Becker (with 2,262 votes) was re-elected to his second three-year term representing Wyckoff.[44] Sadie Quinlan and Teresa Kilday's Oakland seats were also up for re-election, but they decided not to run and no candidates filed to replace them — therefore the positions were to be filled by whichever individuals received the most write-in votes.[45] Quinlan and Kilday earned the most write-in votes, and they were both sworn into new terms (along with Becker) in January 2018.[46]

2018[edit]

In January 2018, 20-year-old Seton Hall University student Thomas Rukaj was appointed to represent Franklin Lakes on the Board for the remaining one year of what had been member Lisa Sciancalapore's term until she resigned.[47]

In the November 2018 election, Franklin Lakes board representative Thomas Rukaj (with 1,309 votes) was re-elected to his first full three-year term, Filomena LaForgia (with 1,924) was elected to the Oakland seat that had been opened by Jane Castor deciding against seeking re-election, and John Kinney (with 3,627) was elected to the Wyckoff seat that had been Kenneth Porro's.[48] All three races were uncontested.[49]

2019[edit]

In the November 2019 election, John Carolan (with 1,527 votes) and Robert Fortunato (with 1,298) defeated Marc Schaeffer (who earned 1,052 votes) and Frances Nelson (who earned 939), replacing Christine Becker and Thomas Bunting (who decided against running for re-election) to represent Wyckoff on the regional board of education. In Franklin Lakes, John Butto (with 766 votes) was re-elected to his third three-year term while, in Oakland, Judith Sullivan (with 1,029) was elected to her first full term; both the Franklin Lakes and Oakland races were uncontested, though 331 write-in votes were cast in opposition to Sullivan.[50][51]

2021[edit]

In the November 2021 election, a number of board candidates endorsed each other across municipal and school-district borders, forming an unprecedented coalition of parents'-rights-oriented "take back" candidates running for the regional as well as various local school boards; newcomers Marianna Emmolo of Wyckoff and Kim Ansh of Franklin lakes in addition to incumbent board president Filomena LaForgia of Oakland campaigned with this focus in the regional board of education elections.[52] In November 2021, Wyckoff challenger Emmolo (with 2,124 votes) defeated incumbent John Kinney (who earned 1,983), Franklin Lakes incumbent Helen Koulikourdis (with 1,530 votes) defeated challenger Ansh (who earned 1,503), and Oakland challenger — a dean at Ramapo College — Aaron Lorenz (with 1,620 votes) defeated incumbent LaForgia (who earned 1,427).[53] Leading up to election day, LaForgia had been, "...the most vocal of the anti-mask-mandate candidates, at first refusing to wear a mask at meetings and receiving a no-confidence vote from the faculty in response," while Ansh campaigned on, "...medical freedom, transparency, parental rights and...[banning] Critical Race Theory...from school curriculum";[54] meanwhile, fake brochures decorated with, "...symbols for LGBT...Rights [and] a Black Lives Matter clenched fist," were circulated (and thereafter condemned by both targeted candidates), which claimed Lorenz wanted to, "...[make] America 'less white,' '[abolish] the police,' and...'reprogram our youth to accept and promote racial and gender diversity,'" and stated that Koulikourdis advocated for, "...mandated vaccines for all students and faculty; implementing diversity, equity and inclusion curriculum; and promoting an 'LGBTQ atmosphere'".[55]

2022[edit]

Board member Vivian Yudin King was questioned over her role in approving purchases by the school district of appliances from her family business, Yudin's Appliances, which she worked for while serving on the Board; in 2022, the Yudins sued four politically-involved district parents (who were later cleared of wrongdoing in State Superior Court) for defamation over this continuous criticism. Franklin Lakes Borough Council candidate Joel Ansh, one of the individuals sued, used the lawsuit in his campaign, creating a website and distributing materials that, "accus[ed] the Yudins of attempting to suppress their First Amendment rights to free speech".[56]

In 2022, president John Carolan and member Robert Fortunato decided not to run for re-election to additional terms representing Wyckoff on the regional board of education. In the November election, a slate of Tom Bogdansky (with 3,203 votes) and Doreen Mariani (with 3,009) defeated the team of Brian DeLaite (who earned 2,475 votes) and Edward Seavers (who earned 2,365) to replace Carolan and Fortunato.[57] The two campaigns raised disagreements on issues including COVID-19 policies and curriculum implementation.[58][59][60] In Franklin Lakes, meanwhile, Kim Ansh (with 1,911 votes) defeated incumbent Maria Underfer (who earned 1,676) for a seat on the regional board;[61] Ansh's campaign associated itself with Bogdansky's candidacy as well as his and Mariani's ideology.[62]

Mirroring national trends,[63] both the 2021[64] and 2022[65] regional school board elections were markedly divisive and partisan. Following the 2022 election, a parents' rights bloc of Board members, made up of Judith Sullivan, Marianna Emmolo, Tom Bogdansky, Doreen Mariani, and Kim Ansh and focused in part on "...handling the implementation of [the] state’s mandates regarding health/physical education and diversity, equity, and inclusion,"[66] held a five-seat majority on the nine-seat body.[67]

In November 2022, Brian DeLaite (who was recently defeated in a race for a different seat on the body) was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Board following James Setteducato's resignation in September.[68]

2023[edit]

At the January 2023 reorganization meeting, the Board's parents' rights bloc selected a president (Judith Sullivan) and vice president (Kim Ansh) from among themselves and (with five-to-four votes) issued a number of controversial motions[69][70]

In February 2023, after the Board ended the relationship with its longtime attorney (Fogarty and Hara), Adam Weiss of Busch Law Group was hired to represent the district. In May 2023, Weiss resigned from the role, citing how the board, "...weaponiz[ed] our legal advice in attacks against each other," as there was, "...a marked degradation in the level of civility, trust and respect...[making] it particularly difficult to guide...the board".[71]

From April 2023 to October 2023, the Ramapo Indian Hills business administrator, superintendent, and curriculum director left their positions to fill similar roles in other districts[72][73][74]

In July 2023, Kim Ansh, Judith Sullivan, Marianna Emmolo, and Doreen Mariani rejected three mental health programs recommendations, which would have renewed a contract for school-based counseling and made new agreements to train and certify school district personnel as well as establish online access to treatment providers for students and staff.[75] In August 2023, the Board held a special meeting where members reversed course and near-unanimously accepted the recommendations.[76]

In August 2023, the Board approved curriculum for the 2023-2024 school year by an 8-1 vote, with only Ansh voting no. During the meeting, Bogdansky asked about The 1619 Project and critical race theory; Ansh, meanwhile, criticized materials' references to same-sex relationships and gender ideology as well as how she perceived the materials as overemphasizing the academic contributions of individuals from certain minority groups, claiming, "Residents and parents want their children to be taught how to think, not what to think," and suggesting that the Board should be focusing on improving test scores and graduation readiness.[77]

In September 2023, board member Aaron Lorenz introduced a motion to remove Judith Sullivan, who had confirmed she was not running for re-election in November, as president of the body.[78][74]

In the November 2023 election, incumbent Brian DeLaite (with 2,293 votes) was elected to his first full term representing Wyckoff on the regional board of education, defeating challenger Jared Geist (who earned 2,059 votes). In Oakland, meanwhile, the team of Audrey Souders (with 2,072 votes) and Melissa Kiel (with 1,893) defeated incumbent Vivian Yudin King (who earned 1,414 votes) and her running-mate Amy Eilert (who earned 1,378);[79] board president Judith Sullivan was up for re-election alongside Yudin King, but she decided against running again.[80] In the Wyckoff race, Geist was described by media as, "...allied with 'Parents' Rights' groups," due to, for example, his campaign materials having stated, "'We're extremely committed to faith'...[and] 'I will promote transparency, support traditional academics without agendas or ideology'",[81] and, in the Oakland race, Yudin King was called "pro-public education" whereas Souders and Kiel were dubbed "parental rights candidates". Local media characterized the 2023 regional school board races as "where the action is", connected their divisiveness to a trending national "culture war", and suggested they were some of the cycle's key board races — microcosms, retrospectively, of "mixed results" statewide.[82][83]

2024[edit]

In January 2024, the Board approved $115,200 of its 2024-2025 budget to be used for the hiring of one armed guard at each district high school — both Class III officers who have full police powers as, "...retired law enforcement officers under age 65 who had served as full-time police officers in New Jersey within three years of appointment, and who were trained as school resource officers". The budgetary inclusion passed with only member Aaron Lorenz voting no; he argued it was a "hasty decision", that, "...the data is not clear that [armed guards] makes school safer," and that their presence, "...alters the atmosphere of the school itself".[84]

Also in January 2024, district Superintendent James Baker joined a board meeting to discuss "recent concerns with some hate issues" following a drawn swastika and written Jewish slur being discovered in a bathroom at Ramapo High School — the third antisemitic bias incident documented since the start of the school year. Though local Jewish leaders and police officials confirmed that, "the incident was reported properly to law enforcement," and school district officials wrote to parents that they, "unequivocally condemn acts of hatred of all types," some residents, "...criticized the seven-day delay in the school's announcement and said, as parent Jeffrey Greene put it, [the district] 'has simply tried to sweep the incident under the rug'".[85]

In March 2024, the Board's parents' rights bloc (President Kim Ansh, Vice President Marianna Emmolo, Tom Bogdansky, Melissa Kiel, Doreen Mariani, and Audrey Souders) passed a measure to rescind the district's policy regarding transgender students, which previously allowed students who changed their gender status with the school to decide whether or not their parents should be informed of the change. The Board majority argued that the policy violated a different district statute stipulating that parents, "...shall have access to records and information pertaining to his or her unemancipated child including but not limited to medical, dental insurance, child care and educational records." Board President Kim Ansh stated that a parent's trust in educators is a "sacred bond" and, "When you are now in a situation where the school may be lying to you about your child, that trust is broken," whereas member Brian DeLaite countered that abolishing the transgender policy was meant to, "appease a certain constituency in our community at the expense of those that need the most protection," as, "If you have a great relationship with your children, they're going to share with you [while] The children who need to be protected the most are the ones who are at risk in their own homes." Board attorney Kerri Wright cautioned that the vote may not ultimately have any impact on how the district will handle transgender students, as New Jersey guidelines, "...provide very specific protections for your students and obligations for the school board and the school district to abide by them," and, "...the law does very clearly protect the rights of transgender students."[86][87]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d District information for Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.
  2. ^ Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending April 2013, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 15, 2013.
  3. ^ Ramapo Indian Hills Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District. Accessed March 16, 2020. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades nine through twelve in the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District. Composition: The Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Franklin Lakes, Oakland, and Wyckoff."
  4. ^ Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District 2016 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 16, 2020. "The Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District serves students from Franklin Lakes, Oakland, and Wyckoff in a comprehensive two-campus setting. Students from the three communities may choose which of the two high schools they wish to attend for their four-year high school experience."
  5. ^ Sending Districts - FLOW Schools, Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District. Accessed March 16, 2020.
  6. ^ Van Dusen, Matthew. "Ramapo-Indian Hills schools chief to retire.", The Record, October 24, 2007. Accessed March 16, 2020. "Later, parents of Oakland students protested their lack of choice, and students in Wyckoff, Franklin Lakes and Oakland can now attend either school."
  7. ^ 8th Grade School Choice, Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District. Accessed March 16, 2020. "All eighth grade students from Franklin Lakes, Oakland, and Wyckoff may choose to attend the high school of their choice...."
  8. ^ NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed October 12, 2014.
  9. ^ Staff. "Enrollments Tax Schools In Bergen; Auxiliary Rooms Are Being Converted for Classes and Construction Is Pushed", The New York Times, September 4, 1954. Accessed November 14, 2017. "Crowding is a critical problem in the high schools of the triangular area embracing Wyckoff, Franklin Lakes and Oakland. They have united in a plan for a regional high school. How soon this plant will be ready is problematical, but there is pressure in the fact that Wyckoff and Franklin Lakes students will not be accepted at Ramsey High School after the fall of 1956."
  10. ^ "Regional High At Polls Jan. 26", The Morning Call, January 14, 1954. Accessed April 6, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Wyckoff, Franklin Lakes and Oakland voters will go to the polls at a special election Tuesday, Jan. 26 to vote on whether or not they, approve Board of Education plans for a regional high school for the three towns. Wyckoff and Franklin Lakes now send pupils to Ramsey High school and Oakland sends to Pompton Lakes High School."
  11. ^ "Voters Okay Three-Town High School", Ridgewood Herald-News, January 28, 1954. Accessed April 6, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "A new regional high school district to include Wyckoff, Franklin Lakes and Oakland received overwhelming approval Tuesday night as residents of the three towns voted 1,060 to 51 in favor of its formation.... Wyckoff and Franklin Lakes have already been informed by Ramsey High School to which they send senior high pupils that the school can accommodate them only until other arrangements can be made, Oakland is momentarily expecting a similar ultimatum from Pompton Lakes which Its students attend."
  12. ^ "'Ramapo Regional HS District' Is Name Selected As 3 Towns Organize Joint School Board", The Morning Call, February 12, 1954. Accessed April 6, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The new 'Ramapo Regional High School District' officially came into being last night with the organization of the nine-member regional Board of Education, here. The three towns involved are Wyckoff, Oakland and Franklin Lakes."
  13. ^ "High School Is Approved, 3-1", The Wyckoff News, March 3, 1955. Accessed April 6, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "It was full speed ahead this week on plans for the Ramapo Regional High School on the heels of Thursday night's electorate approval of the $1,947,000 bond issue for construction of the building that will open in September, 1956, to serve Franklin Lakes, Wyckoff and Oakland.... The total cost of the school project, which has been in various stages of planning for about four years, is estimated at $2,200,000 for land, building and equipment. The expansive, one-story structure will be located on a 50-acre site at the Franklin Lakes-Wyckoff boundary."
  14. ^ "Quick Change Turns Eastern Christian High School Into Ramapo Regional High", Paterson Evening News, September 11, 1956. Accessed April 6, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "But in the Eastern Christian High School in North Haledon, the desk seats are still warm when the school is taken over by students and faculty of the uncompleted Ramapo Regional High School. The normal day students depart by 2:30 p.m. and by 2:45 the 14 buses transporting 660 regional students arrive."
  15. ^ "School Bell Heralds Opening Of Ramapo Regional High; Students Make Smooth Transfer To Long-Awaited Daytime Classes", Ridgewood Herald-News, January 3, 1957. Accessed April 6, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The ringing of a school bell at 8:30 a.m. yesterday heralded the long-awaited opening of the new Ramapo Regional High School for a current student body of 655 sent from the towns of Franklin Lakes, Wyckoff and Oakland.... Through a series of delays and setbacks, not the least of which was a steel strike, the school has experienced three different opening dates: the start of last falls term, then Dec. 1, and finally Jan. 2. The new building has been functionally constructed for 1,080 students.... The students enjoyed a long Christmas vacation that began on Dec. 14, after months of night classes in the Eastern Christian School, North Haledon."
  16. ^ "Students Study As Workmen Work", The Wyckoff News, January 3, 1957. Accessed April 6, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Ramapo Regional High School students attended their first classes in the new school on Wednesday morning after attending school at Eastern Christian High School all Fall."
  17. ^ Mulligan, Nancy. "Ramapo District Welcomes Indian Hills", The Sunday News, August 19, 1964. Accessed April 6, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Indian Hills High School, although located in Oakland, is not an Oakland School. It is an active part of the Ramapo Regional High School District. Although, because of its location, its student body will be made up mostly of Oakland youngsters, some Franklin Lakes students will also attend.... All Franklin Lakes students living within that distance will attend Indian Hills High. For this year only, Indian Hills will operate as a partial school, with only freshmen, sophomores and juniors.... Indian Hills this year, with only three classes, will have 575 students to start.... A bond issue approved by the voters in Oakland, Franklin Lakes and Wyckoff, the three communities within the District, totaled $2,865,000. An additional $200,000 was raised, and the total expenditure will include construction, equipment and athletic facilities."
  18. ^ Aberback, Brian. "Split's end turns out successful", The Record, June 29, 2003. Accessed April 6, 2022. "Four years ago, the students in the classes of 2003 at Ramapo High in Franklin Lakes and Indian Hills High in neighboring Oakland were the first to enter the district after the school board abolished a controversial policy known as the 'Franklin Lakes split' The policy determined which of the two high schools students from Franklin Lakes could attend. It created a suburban soap opera in Northwest Bergen County, replete with feelings of bitterness and resentment and accusations of class elitism. Under the policy, students from the more affluent east side of well-to-do Franklin Lakes went to Ramapo. Students on the west side had to go to Indian Hills, regarded as a fine school but not quite the equal of Ramapo in some respects..... In 1999, after years of debate, the 27-year-old split was abolished, giving all students from Franklin Lakes a choice between the two schools."
  19. ^ School Data for the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed March 24, 2024.
  20. ^ School Performance Reports for the Ramapo-Indian Hills Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 3, 2024.
  21. ^ New Jersey School Directory for the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  22. ^ Indian Hills High School, Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District. Accessed April 6, 2022.
  23. ^ Administration, Indian Hills High School. Accessed April 6, 2022.
  24. ^ Ramapo High School, Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District. Accessed April 6, 2022.
  25. ^ Administration, Ramapo High School. Accessed April 6, 2022.
  26. ^ New Jersey School Directory for Bergen County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  27. ^ Superintendent, Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District. Accessed March 16, 2020.
  28. ^ Business Office, Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District. Accessed March 16, 2020.
  29. ^ New Jersey Boards of Education by District Election Types - 2018 School Election, New Jersey Department of Education, updated February 16, 2018. Accessed January 26, 2020.
  30. ^ Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Ramapo-Indian Hills Regional High School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2019. Accessed June 1, 2020. " The school district is comprised of two high school buildings: Ramapo High School originally built in 1956 and Indian Hills High School built in 1964.... The Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District (the "Board" or the "District") is an instrumentality of the State of New Jersey, established to function as an education institution. The Board consists of nine elected officials from the Boroughs of Franklin Lakes and Oakland, and from the Township of Wyckoff. The Board is responsible for the fiscal control of the District. A superintendent of schools is appointed by the Board and is responsible for the administrative control of the District."
  31. ^ Board Members, Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District. Accessed March 16, 2020. "The Board of Education is comprised of nine citizens who are elected by the public in the November general election. Each member serves a three year term. Representatives are elected from each of the constituent districts based on population. Currently, there are four representatives from Wyckoff, three from Oakland and two from Franklin Lakes."
  32. ^ "Board Members". rih.org. Ramapo Indian Hills School District. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  33. ^ [rih.org "RAMAPO INDIAN HILLS REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF EDUCATION SPECIAL PUBLIC MEETING"]. rih.org. Ramapo Indian Hills School District. May 20, 2014. Retrieved September 29, 2023. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  34. ^ Mazzola, Jessica (May 1, 2014). "RIH Names New Superintendent Amid Three Board of Ed Resignations". patch.com. Patch. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  35. ^ Greene, Rebecca (June 5, 2014). "Three sworn to board, filling sudden vacancies". newspapers.com. Midland Park Suburban News. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  36. ^ "2014 General Election Final Results". bergencountyclerk.org. Bergen County Clerk. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  37. ^ Greene, Rebecca (November 13, 2014). "Sending districts' easy task: returning their representatives". newspapers.com. Wyckoff Suburban News. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  38. ^ "2015 General Election Official Results". bergencountyclerk.org. Bergen County Clerk. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  39. ^ McMahon, Frank (November 12, 2015). "Incumbents returned to regional school board". newspapers.com. Wyckoff Suburban News. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  40. ^ a b Torrejon, Rodrigo (November 17, 2016). "Three incumbents returned to Ramapo Indian Hills Board". newspapers.com. Suburban News - South. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  41. ^ Loffredo, Nicholas (October 6, 2010). "Madigan Appointed to Fill Vacant Township Committee Seat". patch.com. Patch. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  42. ^ "2016 General Election Official Results". bergencountyclerk.org. Bergen County Clerk. pp. 141, 185. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  43. ^ Torrejon, Rodrigo (October 20, 2016). "Two Franklin Lakes residents vie for seat on Ramapo Indian Hills school board". northjersey.com. The Record. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  44. ^ "2017 General Election Official Results". bergencountyclerk.org. Bergen County Clerk. p. 196. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  45. ^ Shkolnikova, Svetlana. "School vote: Residents assess three referendum questions, elect board members", The Record, November 7, 2017. Accessed April 3, 2024. "A lack of engagement extended to the school boards in multiple districts, including Moonachie, Dumont, Ridgefield, Ramapo Indian Hills Regional and River Dell Regional, where there were more open seats than candidates. The leftover seats will be filled by write-in candidates."
  46. ^ "January 2018 Reorganization / Action / Work Session Minutes". rih.org. Ramapo Indian Hills School District. January 8, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  47. ^ Stoltz, Marsha (March 10, 2018). "Ramapo Indian Hills' new school board member is 20-year-old college student Thomas Rukaj". northjersey.com. The Record. At 20, the borough resident is already a certified paralegal, studies criminal justice at Seton Hall University and is now the youngest member of the Ramapo Indian Hills school board. He was appointed to fill the one-year unexpired term of Lisa Sciancalepore.
  48. ^ "Official 11-6-2018 General Election Results". bergencountyclerk.org. Bergen County Clerk. pp. 150, 170, 198. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  49. ^ "Municipal and Board of Education election results". newspapers.com. Suburban News - South. November 15, 2018. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  50. ^ "2019 General Election Results". bergencountyclerk.org. Bergen County Clerk. pp. 112, 132, 157. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  51. ^ Pries, Allison (November 7, 2019). "N.J. election results 2019: Bergen County". nj.com. NJ.com. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  52. ^ Stoltz, Marsha (November 5, 2021). "'Take back' candidates win 4 of 9 races in Ramapo Indian Hills". northjersey.com. The Record. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  53. ^ "2021 General Election Results by Precinct". bergencountyclerk.org. Bergen County Clerk. pp. 168, 190, 216. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  54. ^ Stoltz, Marsha (October 21, 2021). "Across three NJ school board races, theme unites a group of candidates: 'Parental rights'". northjersey.com. The Record. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  55. ^ Stoltz, Marsha (October 21, 2021). "Ramapo Indian Hills school board candidates tell police that campaign flyer is a fake". northjersey.com. The Record. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  56. ^ Stoltz, Marsha (October 4, 2022). "Lawsuit against Ramapo Indian Hills parents by appliance store gets political". northjersey.com. The Record. Republican candidate Joel Ansh is one of four Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School parents cleared Thursday in state Superior Court in Bergen County of most charges filed against them by Yudin's Appliance store. The Wyckoff business owners' August lawsuit claims the parents made "defamatory" remarks against them during public comments at the school board meeting and in YouTube analysis videos. The owners' lawsuit claims the store suffered after the parents questioned the business relationship between the store and the school board, where their daughter is a trustee
  57. ^ "OFFICIAL 2022 General Election by Precinct". bergencountyclerk.org. Bergen County Clerk. p. 159. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  58. ^ Marsha, Stoltz (October 21, 2022). "Politics are a top concern in Ramapo Indian Hills nonpartisan school board races". northjersey.com. The Record. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  59. ^ Williamson, Logan (October 24, 2022). "Ramapo Indian Hills Regional BOE Candidate Profile: Thomas Bogdansky". patch.com. Patch. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  60. ^ Williamson, Logan (October 21, 2022). "Ramapo Indian Hills Regional BOE Candidate Profile: Brian DeLaite". patch.com. Patch. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  61. ^ "OFFICIAL 2022 General Election by Precinct". bergencountyclerk.org. Bergen County Clerk. p. 112. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  62. ^ Stoltz, Marsha (November 10, 2022). "Franklin Lakes couple wins seats on Council, school board with 'rights' campaign". northjersey.com. The Record. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  63. ^ Groves, Stephen. "Tears, politics and money: School boards become battle zones". AP News. Local school boards around the country are increasingly becoming cauldrons of anger and political division, boiling with disputes over such issues as COVID-19 mask rules, the treatment of transgender students and how to teach the history of racism and slavery in America.
  64. ^ Stoltz, Marsha. "'Take back' candidates win 4 of 9 races in Ramapo Indian Hills". northjersey.com. Incumbents faced challengers for all nine spots. And in an unprecedented show of support, like-minded candidates identified and endorsed one another across district and municipal borders. Perhaps the most sweeping impact of the so-called parents' rights movement was the election of three "take back" candidates — Ari Donio, Scott Loia and Kathryn D'Agostino — to the nine-seat Franklin Lakes grade-school board. They displaced incumbent Jackie Veliky, who was seeking a fourth term. Two other incumbents — Vicki Holst and Amanda Krakowiak — did not run for third terms.
  65. ^ Stoltz, Marsha. "Wyckoff elects parents' rights candidates to elementary, high school boards". northjersey.com. In an election that blurred the lines between partisan and nonpartisan politics, voters elected Republican-supported parents' rights slates to the regional high school and grade school board seats in Tuesday's race.
  66. ^ Stoltz, Marsha. "'Take back' candidates win 4 of 9 races in Ramapo Indian Hills". northjersey.com. The 'For Our Children' candidates jointly proposed 'to create a committee of parents focused on handling the implementation of state's mandates regarding health/physical education and Diversity Equity & Inclusion.'
  67. ^ Stoltz, Marsha. "Wyckoff elects parents' rights candidates to elementary, high school boards". Together with Kim Ansh, who won a Franklin Lakes seat this year, Bogdansky and Mariani will constitute a parents' rights voting majority on the nine-member board with trustees Judith Sullivan and Marianna Emmolo.
  68. ^ Williamson, Logan (November 16, 2022). "Unsuccessful Candidate Appointed To Regional School Board Wyckoff Seat". patch.com. Patch. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  69. ^ Stoltz, Marsha. "'Dumpster fire': New Ramapo Indian Hills trustees start term with changes". northjersey.com. The Record. A new Ramapo Indian Hills parents' rights five-vote school board majority...[introducted] a series of written motions and agenda changes, including: Limited the Superintendent and Business Administrator...[questioning]...Limited board members...questioning...Gave 30-days' notice to long-term board attorney Fogarty & Hara that the firm's contract with the district will not be renewed. Voted not to pay for police presence at school board meeting...Changed the final agenda deadline from 48 hours to five days before board meetings. Changed eight board meeting dates...[and] Overturned two of three Harassment/Intimidation/Bullying recommendations of the superintendent
  70. ^ Stoltz, Marsha. "Ramapo Indian Hills BOE overturns more of superintendent's new discipline recommendations". northjersey.com. The Record. The Ramapo Indian Hills Board of Education overturned four more discipline recommendations...bringing the total to six out of nine so far this year...In 2022...HIB recommendations received 12 no-votes each from Board President Judith Sullivan, and then newly-elected Trustee Marianna Emmolo. Their votes were not enough to defeat the superintendent's recommendations last year
  71. ^ Stoltz, Marsha. "Ramapo Indian Hills attorney resigns because of trustees' 'attacks against each other'". northjersey.com. The Record. The ongoing disputes between factions of the Ramapo Indian Hills Board of Education have cost it an attorney, according to the law firm's May 12 resignation letter [which is] Signed by senior partner Adam Weiss
  72. ^ Stoltz, Marsha (April 26, 2023). "Ramapo Indian Hills school board's legal fees overshadow budget talks as accusations fly". northjersey.com. The Record. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  73. ^ Stoltz, Marsha (August 30, 2023). "Ramapo Indian Hills approves school curriculum, interim superintendent search". northjersey.com. The Record. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  74. ^ a b Stoltz, Marsha (September 12, 2023). "Ramapo Indian Hills board fell one vote short in effort to remove President Judy Sullivan". northjersey.com. The Record. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  75. ^ Stoltz, Marsha. "Ramapo Indian Hills board will meet to reconsider defeated student mental health programs". northjersey.com. The Record.
  76. ^ Stoltz, Marsha. "In about-face, Ramapo Indian Hills school board approves three mental health programs". northjersey.com. The Record. The vote on Tuesday night to approve the three programs was nearly unanimous, with Vice President Kim Ansh voting no only on a proposed change to Care Solace online mental health services...The four board members gave varied reasons for their no votes, mostly claiming a lack of understanding of what the programs were about. However, there was no explanation of why the programs were on the agenda if there were significant objections, or why the motions were not tabled rather than subjected to a vote
  77. ^ Stoltz, Marsha (August 30, 2023). "Ramapo Indian Hills approves school curriculum, interim superintendent search". northjersey.com. The Record. A new voting majority of the Ramapo Indian Hills Board of Education helped approve a curriculum for the upcoming school year at the board's regular meeting Monday...But not without opposition...Thomas Bogdansky asked whether the '1619 Project' or 'critical race theory' was being taught...Board member Kim Ansh said board efforts would be better spent on improving test scores to lower the estimated 25% of students projected not to be 'graduation ready' in recently released data [while] 'In pre-calculus, there are multiple word problems referencing same-sex relationships or gender ideology'... [and]'In AP chemistry, three out of four units give examples of female scientists who are part of the LGBTQ community'
  78. ^ Stoltz, Marsha (August 2, 2023). "Ramapo Indian Hills board president not seeking reelection. Here's why". northjersey.com. The Record. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  79. ^ "OFFICIAL 2023 General Election Results - by District". bergencountyclerk.org. Bergen County Clerk. pp. 666, 738. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  80. ^ Stoltz, Marsha (August 2, 2023). "Ramapo Indian Hills board president not seeking reelection. Here's why". northjersey.com. The Record. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  81. ^ Lissner, Caren (November 22, 2023). "Wyckoff Official School Results: Incumbent Wins Heated Race". patch.com. Patch. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  82. ^ Lissner, Caren (October 19, 2023). "Ramapo-Indian Hills School Board Race Gets Heated". patch.com. Patch. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  83. ^ Koruth, Mary Ann (November 16, 2023). "Parental rights candidates had mixed results in polarized NJ school board races". northjersey.com. The Record. Retrieved November 26, 2023. In the Ramapo-Indian Hills Regional School District, parental rights candidates won two seats, ousting pro-public education incumbent Vivian King and her running mate. But voters also reelected an incumbent, Brian DeLaite, who has opposed the board's parental rights members.
  84. ^ Stoltz, Marsha (January 31, 2024). "Ramapo, Indian Hills high schools will be adding armed guards". northjersey.com. The Record. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  85. ^ Stoltz, Marsha (February 1, 2024). "Handling of Ramapo High School swastika graffiti incident draws some criticism". northjersey.com. The Record. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  86. ^ Stoltz, Marsha (March 13, 2024). "Ramapo Indian Hills school board abolishes transgender policy". northjersey.com. The Record. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  87. ^ Perkins, Faith (March 19, 2024). "Another New Jersey school rescinds its transgender policy". readlion.com. The Lion. Retrieved April 1, 2024.

External links[edit]

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