Parents, theatre group and parents’ nonprofit press Ridgewood schools for repairs, gym access and water filters

Community members used public comment to press the district for clearer facilities access and maintenance plans.

Gail McCarthy, outgoing president of the New Players Company, asked the board to prioritize maintenance of the Little Theater—raising concerns about the original stage, old carpeting, limited lobby restrooms and a lack of cosmetic updates. McCarthy said the New Players Company has contributed close to $2,500,000 to the district since 2010 toward productions, staffing, scholarships and capital improvements and offered to tour the theater with the administration before the next budget season.

Resident Stefan Gahan Galinegay described ongoing difficulties that a local 501(c)(3), MasterClass Athletics, has had securing gym access under the district’s facilities-use policy. He asked that the district follow up on unreturned requests for recreational, low-cost gym space for children. Superintendent Doctor Schwarz acknowledged the outreach and said the district is overhauling facilities-use procedures and that staff will follow up; he asked commenters to email the business-administration office for more direct follow-up.

Business administrator Julie Cott announced the district found water-filtration units compatible with refill stations and that a purchase order for 50 units "went out today." She said the district will test the units for several weeks and, if successful, place another order before the end of the school year to use current funds.

Board members and administrators also described work on a facilities-feasibility study and a plan to maintain current fields, not add new fields at this time. Committee reports noted Orchard Field remediation is underway (licensed-site remediation professionals advised that top-surface improvements help remediation), Brookside’s irrigation system was damaged by utility work and the district is seeking vendors and quotes for sod and other repairs.

The administration said it will follow up directly with community groups that submitted facility-use requests and will continue a review of policies to avoid giving inadvertent privileged access to vendors through third-party distributions or promotional language.