PASCACK VALLEY—Seven Pascack Valley school boards, including the two-town Westwood Regional School Board, are set to hold reorganization meetings in early January. These meetings will shuffle or add members, elect board leadership, appoint professionals, and establish committees, setting the tone for the year ahead.
Two districts will hold meetings on Thursday, Jan. 2, four on Monday, Jan. 6, and one on Tuesday, Jan. 7. Full agendas are often packed with appointments, professional approvals, and sometimes budget items, though most were unavailable online by press time.
Reorganization meetings often include the nomination and election of board presidents and vice presidents, appointments to committees, and approvals of professionals such as safety coordinators, purchasing agents, attorneys, and treasurers. Contracts and agreements for the 2025 school year also are commonly addressed.
School budgets, which consume about 60% of local property taxes, remain a pressing issue. Meanwhile, debates on LGBTQ rights, book bans, and the state-mandated sex education curriculum continue to play out in some districts.
Here’s a breakdown of local reorganization meetings:
In Emerson, the school board’s annual reorganization meeting will be held Jan. 6, 7:30 p.m. at the Emerson Junior-Senior High School. In the 2024 district election, School Board President Behrooz Pasdar ran uncontested for the one open board seat. No agenda was available by our publication date. Check the district website for updates.
Hillsdale’s school board reorganization runs Monday, Jan. 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the Anthony S. DeNorchia Administration Building adjacent to Meadowbrook School. VP Christina Jennings has left the board, and a new member is likely to be appointed to fill her slot at either the reorganization or first official meeting to be held on Jan. 13.
Before 2023’s contested school board election, which she won with the highest vote total, Jennings, a 20-year-plus resident, told us, “I have helped at the high school level serving as the PFO President for the past three years and helped as the cheer and gymnastics team parent.”
She said, “Over my past terms as a board of education member, I’ve been dedicated to the betterment of our education system and have actively worked towards meaningful changes, including amongst others live streaming of our meetings and the important George White referendum project,”
Along with her victory, newcomer Michael Kenduck eked out a victory over incumbent BOE president Nicole Klas in 2023’s election.
“I firmly believe that our children deserve the best opportunities for learning, and I see the referendum as a pivotal step in making this vision a reality. The potential it holds is immense, from modernizing our facilities to enhancing educational programs,” Jennings told us then.
In the uncontested Nov. 5 election, incumbent board president Justin Saxon and member Kevin Donatello sought two open seats and won reelection.
Also, in a school referendum on Sept. 17, 61% of local voters who went to the polls approved a $62.4 million bond referendum to upgrade the over 100-year-old George G. White Middle School. At the Nov. 11 meeting, trustees approved the sale of $15 million of the approved bonds for future middle school construction needs.
In Montvale, a board reorganization meeting/work session is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 6, 6:30 p.m. at Fieldstone Middle School Instructional Media Center. The meeting will feature appointments and approval of board contracts and professionals such as the board attorneys. Other professionals to be appointed include board auditor, environmental consultant, architect, insurance agency, financial advisor, and extending the state health benefits program.
The district includes Fieldstone Middle School and Memorial Elementary School. High school students attend Pascack Hills High School in Montvale.
In the Nov. 5 election, three candidates, including newcomer Zaheera Khan and incumbents Christopher Colla and Ernie J. DiFiore, squared off for two open seats. Khan and Colla won the election.
In Park Ridge, the school board plans to hold their reorganization meeting at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 6.
In a contested school board race with three candidates vying for two open seats, board incumbent David Bradler, with 2,428 votes, and newcomer Christopher A. Amitrano, with 2,409 votes, were the top vote-getters. Challenger David Shelton Hollers Jr. grabbed 2,086 votes. Amitrano did not respond to Pascack Press outreach and was absent at a forum’ organized by residents.
In River Vale, the school board’s reorganization/regular meeting will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 7. In an uncontested race, local BOE incumbents Cheryl Berkowitz and Arthur W. White were reelected with 3,703 and 2,176 votes, respectively.
In April 2021, residents approved a referendum to make major upgrades to Holdrum Middle School, and Roberge and Woodside elementary schools. Voters approved a $42.5 million referendum, including $35.7 million in bonds. Improvements have been completed at the schools. High school students attend Pascack Valley High School in Hillsdale.
Westwood Regional: Both the Township of Washington and Borough of Westwood comprise the K-12 Westwood Regional School District, the only K-12 district in Pascack Valley. They will hold their annual reorganization meeting at Westwood Regional High School on Thursday, Jan. 2, 7 p.m.
The district is composed of a regional high school, a middle school, and four elementary schools, with two elementary schools in each town.
In September, the school board voted, 8-0, to hire Dr. Patrick McQueeny, who had served in the Wanaque School District. McQueeny replaced Jill Mortimer in the role after Mortimer settled with the district over a lawsuit alleging harassament by some former and current board members, all of Westwood. (See “New superintendent has full backing of WWRSD board” by John Snyder, Oct. 3, 2024).
On Nov. 5, three open seats on the WWRSD board were uncontested. Incumbent Jorge Pertuz won a three-year term representing the township and incumbent Andrea Peck and former trustee Carol Sue Mountain won full terms representing Westwood.
In Woodcliff Lake, the school board’s reorganization meeting occurs Thursday, Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. in the Board of Education office at 134 Woodcliff Ave.
The district includes Woodcliff Middle School and Dorchester Elementary School. High school students attend Pascack Hills High School in Montvale.
Voters on Nov. 5 narrowly defeated a $180,000 public question to hire two special law enforcement officers (SLEOs) at the elementary and middle schools. Had the question passed, the two SLEOs would have added $180,000 permanently to annual budgets going forward.
On Nov. 5, three incumbents ran uncontested for three open board seats and were reelected. These were school board president Jeffrey Hoffman, and trustees Robert Wolpov and Cristen Giblin.