file photo courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook
October 30, 2015
Dear Ridgewood Public Schools Parent or Guardian,
This letter comes on the heels of recent media reports that Ridgewood Police presence has increased at our schools as a result of a student incident.
First and foremost, I want to assure you that our students and staff are safe. I would also like to clarify that in a school district as large as ours of nearly 6,000 students and over 800 staff members in 11 buildings, isolated student incidents occur from time to time that require our highly trained professional staff to request additional interventional support.
We are fortunate to collaborate with community partners such as the police and outside mental health professionals for their dependable expert assistance at those times. In such situations, communication with district parents and guardians requires a delicate hand.
As you can imagine, these incidents are very private events for the individuals involved. It is our goal to make every attempt to communicate appropriately while maintaining confidentiality so as to protect the health and privacy rights of the individuals. Every school incident that occurs provides the opportunity to refine our Emergency Response Plan and prevention protocols.
You are aware that in the recent past our district has experienced two safety incidents that thankfully turned out to be false alarms, a hoax swatting incident last May and a mistaken trespasser event in October. These incidents, in combination with the nationwide upturn in violence on school campuses, have helped us to determine that an increased Ridgewood Police presence in our buildings is warranted at this time, as a preventative measure.
I hope you share my perspective that an increase in police presence at our schools is a positive precaution. The safety of our students and staff is always our top priority.
Thank you for your continued understanding, support and trust.
Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools