District Will Not Bus Grandfathered-in Students

The Board of Education Policy Committee announced Tuesday night that students who choose to be grandfathered into a school despite re-districting will not be bused to school.

Committee chairman Sam Levy said the committee has examined policy 8600 and determined that, "We reviewed the existing language and determined that it cannot be interpreted in a way that would require the district to bus students who elect to grandfather in rather than be redistricted."

In a review of policy 9120, the district's public information policy - which dictates how and what information is disseminated - the board will leave Supt. Dr. James Crisfield in charge.

Frequent violations of 9120 during the 2009-2010 school year caused the committee to consider removing the superintendent from the gatekeeper role for information not related to education or district business, Levy explained. "Dr. Crisfield agreed to engage in a stepped-up monitoring of the release of such information and will consult with school and administrative leaders prior to presenting a revised plan to monitor such releases," he said.

The final policy discussed was 2270, regarding religion in schools. Levy said the district will revise the policy to comply with a Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision that upholds the South Orange Maplewood school district's policy of barring religious music.

"A parent sued Maplewood-South Orange about whether holiday songs could include religious themes," explained Levy. "The Third Circuit's decision clarified what the contents of holiday songs may be, and all districts were advised. We will revise the policy to be consistent."

The judgment was reached in November. The district has delayed action because, Levy said, "the plaintiff who lost had said he would petition. We have now been informed that that petition was either denied or was never filed, so in a future policy meeting, we will visit policy 2270 and conform the policy."