Confusing Battle Earns Ridgewood HS Students 35 Minutes Sleep

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — Ridgewood teenagers will soon get a little extra shut-eye in the mornings, thanks to a new ruling almost undone by the word "possibly."

The Board of Education Monday, during a contentious and often confusing meeting, voted to push the school day back 35 minutes at Ridgewood High School, beginning next fall.

Classes will run from 8:20 a.m. to 3:05 p.m. instead of from 7:45 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. during the 2023-2024 school year.

"All of the stars have aligned to make this a simple issue to vote on," Board of Education member Muhammad Mahmoud said.

"We have the data and science behind it, and the community has come out with overwhelming support."

The plan passed with backing from School Principal Jeff Nyhuis and Ridgewood Education Association President Michael Yannone. But Yannone professed himself "thoroughly confused" by the resolution as written in the meeting agenda published a few days prior.

The agenda stated the Ridgewood Board of Education supported the recommendation to "possibly implement a Late Start Initiative at Ridgewood High School."

"'Possibly' is what you say to someone when they are asking you to do something you really don't want to do but you want them to go away," Yannone said. "'Hey Meredith. Do you want to go to the dance with me?' 'Possibly.'"

(That's cold, Meredith.)

Other community members also stepped to the podium to echo the concern and the resolution was ultimately amended, or put plainly, replaced.

President Michael Lembo read aloud the new language, as follows:

"The Ridgewood Board of Education, upon recommendation of the Interim Superintendent of Schools, approves the implementation of the Later-Start Initiative with schools starting at 8:20 a.m. and ending at 3:05 p.m., with period 9 available for students until 3:30 p.m. High school administrators working with staff and students will determine the structure for the instructional day and length of class periods within the 8:20 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. parameters. This is for the 2023-24 school year."

This was the language put up for a vote, to which three of five board members said "yes," and the other two — Dani and Hyunju Kwak — abstained.

"We had four days to go back with the attorney, work it out and come back with a resolution that was acceptable instead of updating it on the fly," Dani said.

"That new resolution should have been circulated to board members with language that is acceptable with our attorney."

Dani said he agreed with the idea to remove the words "possibly" implement and instead say something like "fully support." He also said that although there did not appear to be an impact on the agreement with the REA now, there could be one later that might require the board to revisit the resolution.

Dani abstained and proposed a follow-up "amendment" that included language from the original and revised resolution, but was approved only by him and trustee Kwak, failing to get majority support.

"Whereas the Interim Superintendent recommended a resolution for later start times vetted by the attorney, which was published in the public agenda," Dani's amendment read. "And whereas the resolution was revised by a motion to amend the resolution, the board now takes a motion to amend the resolution."

"I am curious to know what the new amendment is that another trustee is going to propose before I vote on this amendment," Kwak said during the vote on the revised language introduced by president Lembo, adding, however, that she is, in fact, in support of the initiative itself.

And yet, when the amendment was proposed, Mahmoud said he is confused on what this would accomplish.

Board member Sheila Brogan shared in sentiment. "I don't understand it. We're talking about the old resolution and now we're talking about the new resolution. Did we not just vote to replace?"

Confusion persisted after Dani's amendment failed, as he and Kwak disputed whether the board had voted earlier to approve to amend the resolution, or voted on the amended resolution.

"We should just vote again at this point," Kwak said. "It's Robert's Rules."

"It's not Robert's Rules," Mahmoud said, referring to the guide for school board members.

"It's not how we operate. It's been passed," Lembo said, moving on to the next agenda item.