Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District

The district's board of education, comprised of nine members, sets policy and oversees the fiscal and educational operation of the district through its administration. As a Type II school district, the board's trustees are elected directly by voters to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election each year held (since 2012) as part of the November general election. The board appoints a superintendent to oversee the district's day-to-day operations and a business administrator to supervise the business functions of the district.[29][30] Seats on the board are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with four seats allocated to Wyckoff, three to Oakland and two to Franklin Lakes.[31]

As of 2023, the Ramapo Indian Hills Board of Education is composed of President Judith Sullivan, Vice President Kim Ansh, Tom Bogdansky, Brian DeLaite, Marianna Emmolo, Vivian Yudin King, Helen Koulikourdis, Aaron Lorenz, and Doreen Mariani.[32]

In 2014, Board member Debra Strauss of Franklin Lakes resigned effective February 24th while members Elizabeth Pierce of Oakland as well as Isabelle Lanini and Dr. Lynn Budd of Wyckoff each resigned effective April 23rd.[33] Local media linked the four sudden resignations to the Board's "disputed" search for a permanent superintendent to succeed Lauren Schoen (who had transferred to a position in Mahwah the prior year), which, in May 2014, culminated in district curriculum director Beverly MacKay being chosen for the role; The Record, as evidence, highlighted how the Board was set to interview the final four superintendent candidates (including MacKay) the same week that the latter three resignations were announced.[34] In April 2014, Lisa Sciancalepore was appointed to the vacant Franklin Lakes seat, and, in May, Teresa Kilday filled the Oakland seat while Tom Madigan (who had previously served on the board for 12 years) and David Becker were appointed to the Wyckoff positions.[35]

In the November 2014 election, Lisa Sciancalepore was elected (with 865 votes) to the remaining one year of what had been Debra Strauss' term; Teresa Kilday was elected (with 912) to a new three-year term; board vice president Sadie Quinlan of Oakland was re-elected (with 1,136); Jane Castor was elected (also with 1,136) to a one-year unexpired term representing Oakland; Tom Madigan was elected (with 2,012) to the remaining two years of what had been Isabelle Lanini's term; and David Becker was elected (with 1,976) to a new three-year term.[36] Every candidate for the regional board of education ran unopposed in 2014.[37]

In the November 2015 election, Lisa Sciancalepore of Franklin Lakes was elected (with 651 votes) to her first full term on the board, Jane Castor was re-elected (with 1,178) to her third term representing Oakland, and Kenneth Porro of Wyckoff was re-elected (with 1,631) to his second term on the body. All three candidates ran unopposed.[38][39]

In January 2016, board member Tom Madigan resigned upon his being appointed to replace Dave Connolly on Wyckoff's township committee; Christine Becker (who was also considered for the committee position and is RIH-Board-Vice-President David Becker's wife) was appointed to serve for the remainder of Madigan's term, which was set to expire in December 2016.[40][41]

In the November 2016 election, Christine Becker (with 2,592 votes) was elected to her first full term on the regional board of education and president Thomas Bunting (with 2,849) was re-elected to his third; both ran without competition and to represent Wyckoff. Meanwhile, incumbent John Butto of Franklin Lakes (with 1,492 votes) was elected to his second full term, defeating June-2016-Ramapo-High-School-graduate Thomas Rukaj (who earned 852).[42][43] When asked by The Record about the most important issue facing local schools, Butto cited the budget – going on to argue that, "Schools must look for ways to cut expenses in creative and targeted ways and also take advantage of all other areas of revenue that are available," which he claimed the Board has done by, for example, re-financing bonds, using state grants, and switching insurance providers; Rukaj, however, "...did not respond to multiple calls or on LinkedIn," according to The Record.[44]

In the November 2017 election, board member David Becker (with 2,262 votes) was re-elected to his second three-year term representing Wyckoff.[45] Sadie Quinlan and Teresa Kilday's Oakland seats were also up for re-election, but they decided not to run and no candidates filed to replace them — therefore the positions were to be filled by whichever individuals received the most write-in votes.[46] Quinlan and Kilday earned the most write-in votes, and they were both sworn into new terms (along with Becker) in January 2018.[47]

In January 2018, 20-year-old Seton Hall University student Thomas Rukaj was appointed to represent Franklin Lakes on the Board for the remaining one year of what had been member Lisa Sciancalapore's term until she resigned.[48]

In the November 2018 election, Franklin Lakes board representative Thomas Rukaj (with 1,309 votes) was re-elected to his first full three-year term, Filomena LaForgia (with 1,924) was elected to the Oakland seat that had been opened by Jane Castor deciding against seeking re-election, and John Kinney (with 3,627) was elected to the Wyckoff seat that had been Kenneth Porro's.[49] All three races were uncontested.[50]

In the November 2019 election, John Carolan (with 1,527 votes) and Robert Fortunato (with 1,298) defeated Marc Schaeffer (who earned 1,052 votes) and Frances Nelson (who earned 939), replacing Christine Becker and Thomas Bunting (who decided against running for re-election) to represent Wyckoff on the regional board of education. In Franklin Lakes, John Butto (with 766 votes) was re-elected to his third three-year term while, in Oakland, Judith Sullivan (with 1,029) was elected to her first full term; both the Franklin Lakes and Oakland races were uncontested, though 331 write-in votes were cast in opposition to Sullivan.[51][52]

John Carolan had previously served as a Wyckoff local school board member and as a township committeeman and Fortunato had been (at the time of election) the Wyckoff Planning Board chairman and was formerly a member of the township’s environmental commission;[53] the two campaigned on, "...achieving academic excellence and innovation, delivering financial accountability and transparency...championing open communication...[and] addressing curriculum [while] cultivating policy". Schaeffer, a mentor and advisory board member at William Paterson University, touted, "...bring[ing] educational expertise and education board experience to the RIH Board [as] the current board [was] composed almost exclusively of individuals with legal and business expertise," while his running-mate Nelson wrote that, "I have spent my career involved with students....[so] my deep knowledge of education trends and a proven track record of implementation will be an asset to the Board of Education. We need to be open to new and novel ideas in education so that ALL students...are prepared with 21st -century skills".[54]

In the November 2021 election, a number of board candidates endorsed each other across municipal and school-district borders, forming an unprecedented coalition of parents'-rights-oriented "take back" candidates running for the regional as well as various local school boards; newcomers Marianna Emmolo of Wyckoff and Kim Ansh of Franklin lakes in addition to incumbent board president Filomena LaForgia of Oakland campaigned with this focus in the regional board of education elections.[55] In November 2021, Wyckoff challenger Emmolo (with 2,124 votes) defeated incumbent John Kinney (who earned 1,983), Franklin Lakes incumbent Helen Koulikourdis (with 1,530 votes) defeated challenger Ansh (who earned 1,503), and Oakland challenger — a dean at Ramapo College — Aaron Lorenz (with 1,620 votes) defeated incumbent LaForgia (who earned 1,427).[56] Leading up to election day, LaForgia had been, "...the most vocal of the anti-mask-mandate candidates, at first refusing to wear a mask at meetings and receiving a no-confidence vote from the faculty in response," while Ansh campaigned on, "...medical freedom, transparency, parental rights and...[banning] Critical Race Theory...from school curriculum";[57] meanwhile, fake brochures decorated with, "...symbols for LGBT...Rights [and] a Black Lives Matter clenched fist," were circulated (and thereafter condemned by both targeted candidates), which claimed Lorenz wanted to, "...[make] America 'less white,' '[abolish] the police,' and...'reprogram our youth to accept and promote racial and gender diversity,'" and stated that Koulikourdis advocated for, "...mandated vaccines for all students and faculty; implementing diversity, equity and inclusion curriculum; and promoting an 'LGBTQ atmosphere'".[58]

Board member Vivian Yudin King was questioned over her role in approving purchases by the school district of appliances from her family business, Yudin's Appliances, which she worked for while serving on the Board; in 2022, the Yudins sued four politically-involved district parents (who were later cleared of wrongdoing in State Superior Court) for defamation over this continuous criticism. Franklin Lakes Borough Council candidate Joel Ansh, one of the individuals sued, used the lawsuit in his campaign, creating a website and distributing materials that, "accus[ed] the Yudins of attempting to suppress their First Amendment rights to free speech".[59]

In 2022, president John Carolan and member Robert Fortunato decided not to run for re-election to additional terms representing Wyckoff on the regional board of education. In the November election, a slate of Tom Bogdansky (with 3,203 votes) and Doreen Mariani (with 3,009) defeated the team of Brian DeLaite (who earned 2,475 votes) and Edward Seavers (who earned 2,365) to replace Carolan and Fortunato.[60] The two campaigns raised disagreements on issues including COVID-19 policies and curriculum implementation, with Seavers and DeLaite, for example, in favor of, "...meeting state requirements while giving parents the freedom to request their child opt out of specific health lessons if they chose," and arguing that the, "...responsibility to mandate vaccines resides at the state level not the school board," while Bogdansky and Mariani claimed that the district's curriculum, "...goes above and beyond the required sexual education curriculum...[without] consider[ing] or respect[ing] all those that have unique family and religious virtues" and that vaccine mandates, "...ignore genuine, personal and medical concerns and fail to respect moral and bodily integrity". Additionally, DeLaite and Seavers touted that their, "...commonsense approach is needed on the Board in order to ensure a...nonpartisan oversight of our great schools," as they, "...support[ed] [the superintendent's] efforts to improve on our district’s strong foundation," and DeLaite, individually, spoke about, "...seek[ing] to gain more knowledge about [and learn] what resources we may need to address the rising mental health concerns among teenagers". Bogdansky, moreover, asserted that, "...political ideology [is] seeping into our schools...shifting focus away from fundamental skills...[to] controversial topics," and spoke to the need for budgetary conservatism. The four Wyckoff candidates agreed that academic outcomes were their chief concern, with DeLaite stating, ""Our high schools will be inheriting the gaps in student learning and socialization caused by the lockdown...[and] My main concern as a board member would be ensuring that those gaps are closed while student needs are properly addressed".[61][62][63] In Franklin Lakes, meanwhile, Kim Ansh (with 1,911 votes) defeated incumbent Maria Underfer (who earned 1,676) for a seat on the regional board;[64] Ansh's campaign associated itself with Bogdansky's candidacy as well as his and Mariani's ideology.[65] Mirroring national trends,[66] both the 2021[67] and 2022[68] regional school board elections were markedly divisive and partisan. Following the 2022 election, a parents' rights bloc of Board members, made up of Judith Sullivan, Marianna Emmolo, Tom Bogdansky, Doreen Mariani, and Kim Ansh and focused in part on "...handling the implementation of [the] state’s mandates regarding health/physical education and diversity, equity, and inclusion,"[69] held a five-seat majority on the nine-seat body.[70]

In November 2022, Brian DeLaite (who was recently defeated in a race for a different seat on the body) was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Board following James Setteducato's resignation in September. Both DeLaite and Wyckoff Planning Board member Michael Homaychak were considered for the role, but DeLaite was approved over Homaychak by a 4-to-2 vote — with members John Carolan and Robert Fortunato recusing themselves (citing conflicts of interest) and Judith Sullivan and Marianna Emmolo voting against the motion. DeLaite's appointment was criticized by some meeting attendees who believed his loss on election day should have disqualified him, with one attendee suggesting that, "The Wyckoff public told [DeLaite] that [he] wasn't welcomed here, but [the Board doesn't] listen".[71]

At the January 2023 reorganization meeting, the Board's parents' rights bloc selected a president (Judith Sullivan) and vice president (Kim Ansh) from among themselves and (with five-to-four votes) issued a number of controversial motions, including ones to let the contract with the long-term board attorney expire in 30 days, to remove police presence at board meetings, to change when the agenda is due for a meeting, and to overturn two bullying-policy recommendations.[72] During 2022, board members Judith Sullivan and Marianna Emmolo voted "no" on 12 bullying-policy recommendations, but they did not have the remaining votes necessary to reject them; as of February 2023, the newly-constituted five-member parents' rights bloc voted down 6 out of 9 such recommendations sent during the year.[73]

In February 2023, after the Board ended the relationship with its attorney, Adam Weiss was hired to represent the district. In May 2023, Weiss resigned from the role, citing how the board, "...weaponiz[ed] our legal advice in attacks against each other," as there was, "...a marked degradation in the level of civility, trust and respect...[making] it particularly difficult to guide...the board".[74]

In July 2023, Kim Ansh, Judith Sullivan, Marianna Emmolo, and Doreen Mariani rejected three mental health programs recommendations, which would have renewed a contract for school-based counseling and made new agreements to train and certify school district personnel as well as establish online access to treatment providers for students and staff. Defending the rejection, Sullivan, "...objected to what she said were multiple reports of [contracted] counselors testifying against students and parents at hearings," and Ansh, "...called the programs 'overreach'," and said, "These types of programs actually remove parents to some degree from...supervising their children's mental health'".[75] In August 2023, the Board held a special meeting where members reversed course and near-unanimously accepted the recommendations.[76]

In August 2023, the Board approved curriculum for the 2023-2024 school year by an 8-1 vote, with only Ansh voting no. During the meeting, Bogdansky asked about The 1619 Project and critical race theory; Ansh, meanwhile, criticized materials' references to same-sex relationships and gender ideology as well as how she perceived the materials as overemphasizing the academic contributions of individuals from certain minority groups, claiming, "Residents and parents want their children to be taught how to think, not what to think," and suggesting that the Board should be focusing on improving test scores and graduation readiness.[77]

Also in August 2023, district superintendent Rui Dionisio announced that he would leave the position by mid-November. President Sullivan attempted to convene what she dubbed an "emergency" meeting on August 23rd to authorize the Board to immediately begin searching for a firm to find Dionisio's permanent successor, but the minimum of five members failed to attend the meeting so the vote was delayed to the 28th. Between the 23rd and 28th, three options were proposed for moving forward with Dr. Dionisio's replacement: to hire from among the district's employees an acting superintendent to serve in three-month increments, to advertise externally for an interim superintendent who would act for an unspecified period of time, or to contract search companies to promptly recommend a permanent external candidate. At the August 28th meeting, however, board member Aaron Lorenz moved to table two of the proposals, preferring only the interim superintendent option as he claimed, "The [divided] board is not in any position to be supervising an acting superintendent at this time". Tom Bogdansky also supported this option, having interviewed five superintendents who all recommended, "...first seek[ing] an interim [superintendent], while a firm is engaged to conduct a more leisurely search for a permanent replacement," and Vivian Yudin King seconded the motion as she favored a search done, "...closer to the end of the year". The parents' rights majority-bloc (aside from Bogdansky) voted against tabling two of the three options while Bogdansky, Yudin King, Lorenz, DeLaite, and Koulikourdis voted to do so in favor of hiring a permanent superintendent less hastily;[78] The Record theorized that the contention over whether to begin the process immediately or later was linked to the Board's balance of power being subject to the November 2023 election in which three of the body's nine seats were to be voted on.[79] In October 2023, James C. Baker was hired on a salary of $800 per day to act as the district's interim superintendent.[80]

In September 2023, board member Aaron Lorenz introduced a motion to remove Judith Sullivan (who had confirmed she was not running for re-election in November)[81] as president of the body, citing her "Public admonishment...of [the] superintendent and administration," her having, "Silenc[ed] board members during discussion in violation of Robert's Rules," and her having, "Excessively [sought] legal advice without board discussion". Helen Koulikourdis seconded the motion before Sullivan (as president) refused to recognize it, claiming that she was, "...entitled to a trial and a hearing," under Robert's Rules — an action which Vivian Yudin King then argued was in violation of board policy. After a two-hour debate on Robert's Rules and local and state board policy, the Board legal counsel advised that the vote on Sullivan's removal from leadership could go forward; Sullivan, as a result, asked for evidence to support Lorenz's charges and said she would file an appeal if removed before joining Tom Bogdansky, Kim Ansh, Doreen Mariani and Marianna Emmolo to successfully vote down the motion (versus Lorenz, Yudin King, Brian DeLaite and Koulikourdis who voted for it).[82]

In October 2023, board member Brian DeLaite (on his campaign Facebook page) revealed that, "Just this past week, the Ramapo Indian Hills Board of Education received an email from a local 'parent's rights' supporter with a list of close to 100 books that they want removed from our high school libraries, including 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and books from award-winning novelists like John Irving and Toni Morrison".[83][84]

In the November 2023 election, incumbent Brian DeLaite is running against Jared Geist for his first full term representing Wyckoff on the regional board of education while, in Oakland, Vivian Yudin King is seeking re-election to her second term on a ticket with newcomer Amy Eilert (who hopes to replace member Judith Sullivan following her decision against running again) against Melissa Kiel and Audrey Lynn Souders' team.[85] Local media characterized the 2023 regional school board races as "where the action is" and connected their divisiveness to a trending national "culture war".[86]

In September 2023, Geist released a campaign video on Youtube in which he aligned himself with "Parental Right's supporters" and declared local parents' rights activists are, "...extremely committed to faith, because faith sets our moral compass," in addition to being, "...extremely patriotic and lov[ing] the unique 1776 experiment that gave us a FREE nation with democracy for ALL Americans".[87] Geist, by mid-October, also campaigned on reversing the "...declining test scores in the RIH school district," that he linked to, what was in his view, a, "2023-24 curriculum that is not fair or balanced...[and that] presents students with a vast amount of ideology".[88]

In October 2023, DeLaite's campaign Facebook page posted a flyer that read, "...the board has been taken over by a majority that is not interested in ensuring that the schools are well run...[instead] inserting politics and their own agenda to tear down the award-winning reputation of the...district"; DeLaite went on to list what he considered the results of the majority's "heavy-handed ways", including teachers and staff, "...departing at an unprecedented rate," a 400% increase in the board's accumulated legal fees, and attempts to, "...defund critical mental wellness programs...[and] block a zero-cost energy upgrade project".[89] The DeLaite campaign Facebook page would later write that the aforementioned, "...personal agendas...are closely linked to national groups with very specific political [motivations]".[90][91][92]

In October 2023, a survey was sent out by the Record to all six board candidates. In the Oakland race, Amy Eilert responded that, "The curriculum approval process is transparent...data-driven...and should ensure that politics do not interfere," supported a study on the growing imbalance (in the former's favor) between Ramapo and Indian Hills' enrollment, and vowed to, "...restore the reputation of our district by focusing on...academic achievement and mental wellness as well as fiscal responsibility," while her running-mate Vivian Yudin king wrote that, "While I firmly support parents' rights to be informed and make choices for their own children, I am in favor of an inclusive curriculum, written by educators (not parents), that offers all students a comprehensive education," also supported the enrollment study, and touted her, "...belie[f] in public schools...support [for] teachers and administration...[and ability to] balance fiscal responsibility with...improving...[the] district"; their opponents, Melissa Kiel and Audrey Lynn Souders, declined to submit answers.

In the same survey by the Record, Wyckoff's Jared Geist wrote that he aimed to, "...support...our teachers while addressing the community's concerns for a non-biased and non-political traditional curriculum," said of the enrollment disparity that, "The incoming administration must have the resources to understand, research and review the...differences of each school...[in order to] correct the imbalance," and promised to, "...bring back the tradition of excellence of [the district]," by promoting, "...traditional academics and protecting the fundamental rights of parents," while DeLaite responded that, "We must...[be] constantly evolving the curriculum [so] our students are best prepared to succeed...[in] the ever-changing post-high school world," suggested the enrollment imbalance could be solved by, "...offer[ing] unique and compelling curriculum at Indian Hills...[to] showcase the...value proposition that an Indian Hills...experience has to offer," and promised to, "ensure that the schools in our district provide the very best...learning experience for...[every] student in the community".[93]

Also in October 2023, a group called Concerned Wyckoff Residents published a letter in support of DeLaite and in opposition to Geist. The letter associated Geist with the contemporaneous Board majority, which the group claimed had, "driv[en] away a highly respected superintendent and qualified business administrator", "endangered mental health", and "Exempted bullies...by [denying] recommendations made by professional administrators". Meanwhile, the letter argued that Delaite, "...seek[s] stability...respect[s] best-in-class professionals...spend[s] tax dollars wisely, and prioritize[s] student well-being". Concerned Wyckoff Residents, furthermore, directly criticized Geist by highlighting how, "[He was] admonished by the NJ Supreme Court Disciplinary Review Board...Lost numerous partisan elections in Bogota and Dumont between 2010 and 2018...[and] Promotes an 'extreme' agenda in his campaign materials". The letter contained a copy of an official 2020 New Jersey Supreme Court document that stated, as a lawyer, "...[Geist] failed to file opposition...despite receiving an extension to do so; failed to appear for the motion hearing and the trial; and failed to advise [his] clients of...[certain] consequences...resulting [in the] issuance of arrest warrants...[which together] constituted gross neglect, lack of diligence, and failure to communicate with clients".[94][95][96] Soon after the letter's publication, Geist responded on his campaign Facebook page, saying, "[The admonition] is the only complaint filed against me in over 15 years as an attorney...it occurred because the...law firm that I worked at was seriously understaffed...I personally made the client whole...[and though] the letter of admonition is the lowest level of [ethics complaints] I took and take [it] very seriously and have learned from [it]".[97][98]