Ridgefield Board Of Education Elects New Officers, Hears Reports On Enrollment

RIDGEFIELD, CT — The Ridgefield Board of Education elected new officers, reviewed district updates and heard wide-ranging public comments during its Nov. 24 regular meeting, which also featured a student presentation from the high school’s Educators Rising chapter.

The meeting opened with the annual election of board officers, required at the second regular meeting in November. Members unanimously selected Tina Malhotra as board chair, Jonathan Paradiso as vice chair and Christine More as board secretary after nominations and brief remarks about each candidate’s service and leadership.

Following the reorganization, the board approved amended minutes from its Nov. 10 meeting.

Student Showcase: Educators Rising

Ridgefield High School’s Educators Rising club presented its work to the board, highlighting career-focused programming for students interested in teaching or education-related fields. Student leaders outlined their participation in classroom clinical experiences, statewide competitions and professional development panels, noting that the chapter plans to expand activities into elementary schools this year.

District administrators praised the students for their accomplishments, including top-place finishes at recent state and national contests.

Policy, Enrollment and Staffing Updates

The board unanimously approved policy 616510. The policy formally adopts existing guidelines and grants the Superintendent the authority to make operational exceptions for flexibility, while the Board retains the ultimate power to set and amend the class-size rules. To ensure oversight, the policy requires the Superintendent to formally report class size data to the Board twice per year, according to the meeting's information packet.

Administrators also delivered routine updates showing district enrollment at 4,350 students as of Nov. 19. Staffing changes since the last update included new hires, resignations and retirements.

Superintendent Susie Da Silva and administrators also previewed ongoing budget planning efforts and encouraged board members to participate in upcoming training, school tours and advisory sessions ahead of the fiscal year 2026 cycle.

Special Education Fiscal Review

District leaders presented follow-up information on special education cost trends, referencing a previously shared video and slide presentation. Administrators emphasized rising service needs, early intervention priorities and the financial impact of transportation and individualized programming. They urged the board to consider the long-term context as it prepares for budget season.

Public Comment on Technology, Arts and Transparency

Public comment dominated portions of the meeting, with several parents expressing concerns about the use of Chromebooks in lower grades, reduced instructional time for elementary school art, and the absence of districtwide strategic planning. Speakers urged the board to re-evaluate technology use for early learners, restore art minutes and improve communication through more consistent updates and timely posting of minutes.

Parents also encouraged the board to outline long-term academic goals, citing interest in clearer roadmaps for curriculum priorities such as world languages, cursive instruction and visual arts.

Next Steps

Board leaders said they plan to modify how agendas are developed, ensuring all members can propose topics in advance while allowing administrators adequate preparation time. Committee preferences will be gathered through a boardwide form.

The board is expected to meet once in December, with a retreat planned beforehand.