WWRSD—The Westwood Regional School District Board of Trustees approved a budget for next year of $70,494,970, which includes $55,000 for a retired police officer to round out district security.
In an 8–0 vote on March 23, with board president Frank Romano III absent, trustees said yes to the addition of a fourth armed guard as part of a budget that also accommodates a list of facilities upgrades.
There’ll be one Class III SLEO at the high school, one at the middle school, and one each making the rounds at elementary schools in Westwood and the Township of Washington.
The 2022–2023 budget, with a $58.2 million local tax levy, takes effect July 1.
Separately, middle school parents are waiting for answers after Westwood police detained a number of juveniles evidently suspected of opening fire on fellow kids at the March 18 Westwood Rec Teen Night, using powerful toy firearms using Orbeez gel or pellet rounds.
Police Chief Michael Pontillo said he can’t discuss details given the young age of the suspects but posted a PSA about the TikTok “Orbeez challenge,” the latest dangerous fad pushed on social media.
“These pellets can cause harm and injury to others or to property. Anyone who engages in this conduct can be subject to criminal penalties which relate to the conduct. Pointing any type of firearm, even a toy, at someone is inherently dangerous. Let us all help keep these kids and our community safe,” Pontillo said.
Parents who’ve reached out to us said the fracas started outside the Community Center, at 55 Jefferson Ave., and moved inside, where a number of kids, on hearing the likes of “I’m hit!” took to hiding on their own initiative, fearing the worst and calling home.
We have not confirmed this with officials.
One parent who reached out to us and did not want to be named said, “The teens were terrorized that night and believed they were in an active-shooter situation. Kids were hit with whatever kind of pellet or bullet thing and have welts on their bodies.”
Pontillo said it was a “one-off” incident, all “non-lethal weapons” involved were recovered, and there was no lingering threat.
That said, he advised “The Westwood Recreation Center Teen Night program is supposed to be a safe place for your children to play with friends, socialize, and just have some good times. In an effort to ensure the children’s safety, moving forward, we will be staffing a Special Law Enforcement Officer Class II at Teen Night.”
Pontillo has a seat on the district K-12 school board. Teen Night is not a school function; patrolling Westwood is a police matter under the police budget.
He said anyone with a concern — or with information to add to the investigation — should reach out to the Detective Bureau at (201) 664-7008 or email mfoley@westwoodnj.gov.
New Jersey law permits SLEO IIs, while on duty, to exercise full powers and duties of a permanent, regularly appointed full-time police officer.
Pontillo said the officer would “remain a presence and interact with the children on an as-needed basis.”
Teen Night lets kids unwind
Westwood Recreation Director Gary Buchheister told Pascack Press on March 21 the Teen Night program is free of charge to Washington Township and Westwood residents in grades 6–9.
“Teen Night’s been here for the past 20 years. We have small little issues that pop up all the time. We have a lot of kids, a lot of middle school kids signed up for a nice, enjoyable night, 7:30 to 10,” he said.
He added, “We have our staff here, and the kids play basketball, foosball, air hockey — it’s just a place to hang out — it’s a great environment. But as much as I would like to discuss this [incident] with you I can’t.”
Both Pontillo and Westwood Regional Middle School Principal Shelley LaForgia wrote families to assure them that whatever danger there was had passed and that counseling services are available.
Pontillo said he and LaForgia met on the incident under the Handle With Care Directive from the state attorney general’s office.
Counseling services available
On March 20, LaForgia sent an email to parents and guardians with a link to Pontillo’s letter and a link to counseling support services available to middle school students.
She added, “We recognize that the emotional response to the incidents on Friday night will impact all of our students in different ways. Please see our letter describing the different supports that will be available.”
LaForgia’s letter noted phone numbers of counselors available for sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-graders.
“Even if students were not there, they may have strong emotions that they need to talk about. Our guidance counselors are always available to speak with students in the guidance suite,” LaForgia said.
She said, “Given recent events, we have also designated our conference rooms as safe spaces for our students, and we will have clinicians from CarePlus available to support them in addition to our counselors.”
Recent security incidents at schools
In November 2021 police investigated an alleged threat made against Westwood Regional High School, and the school community was reacting after a student was injured in a campus altercation.
Then-acting superintendent Mortimer, writing families on Nov. 17 to say the Westwood Regional School District “denounces violence directed toward any member of our school community” and that “thoughts are with the student who was injured yesterday as the result of a conflict that occurred on the campus of Westwood Regional High School.”
She promised “a strong response to what transpired.”
The previous day there was an additional police presence at Westwood Regional Middle School after boys said “horsing around” a week prior caused a stir that Pontillo said was determined not to be a credible threat.
Parent resources
LaForgia said she would be meeting with staff prior to school on Monday, March 21, to ensure smooth procedures for students seeking support, to review warning signs of students who need support and to review prior training on adverse childhood experiences and helping students cope with stress.
“We understand that as parents many of us are not trained to facilitate this conversation with our children. CarePlus shared with us this Parenting After Stressful Events document as a resource to support you,” she said.
She added, “We are grateful for our partnership with the Westwood Police Department and the professional and capable support our counselors, teachers, administrative team, and CarePlus offer our students. Together with our parents, I am confident that we can help our students navigate this challenging event.”
Reserve drawdown
The 2022-2023 school year budget includes withdrawal from Capital Reserve in the amount of $3,443,102, which represents expenditures associated with the construction on a high school: turf/track, weight room, tennis courts, electric panel, HVAC Campbell Auditorium, softball dugouts; middle school DEP and preliminary drawings for the baseball/softball/track fields; Berkeley, Jessie F. George and Washington Elementary school electrical panel upgrades and Brookside second floor univent replacement that are in addition to items toward meeting efficiency standards.
— With Michael Olohan