Special Education Program in Doubt

By JOHN A. GAVIN, STAFF WRITER

RIDGEFIELD – The district’s special education magnet program – a multimillion-dollar revenue generator for the schools – may now be in jeopardy after voters soundly defeated a $49.7 million construction bond.

The district may be forced to return some of its special education students to their home districts in order to make room at the bulging schools, school officials said.

Tuesday’s referendum was intended to relieve crowding, upgrade safety and health standards at three outdated schools and bring the special education program in line with state standards.

"I’m disappointed," Superintendent Richard Brockel said Wednesday. "I need to take a little time and reflect on the [failed] project and determine what part of that project we may need to keep and what we can drop."

Brockel gave no date when any new proposal might be offered to the public but acknowledged that the district’s four schools were antiquated and in serious need of repair.

Matthew Skelley, a school board member, said talks may begin at tonight’s school board meeting on improvements that need immediate attention. He said it’s much too early to talk about an alternate plan.

Both said the most serious issue facing the district is overcrowding, which could jeopardize the special education magnet program that brings in approximately $10 million in tuition.

When voters rejected major expansion and upgrades at Bergen Boulevard School, Slocum-Skewes Middle School and Ridgefield Memorial High School, they may have dealt a serious blow to plans to bring the district in compliance with new state regulations for running its 320-student special education program.

Shaler Academy, a fourth school, is undergoing renovations and construction of 12 new classrooms to accommodate its special needs students.

But educators now say that space may be needed for local youngsters.

"We need classroom space," Skelley said. "If the town doesn’t want to pass a bond to bring in more classrooms, we may need to reduce the magnet program to add space."

The district uses 20 temporary trailers to adhere to state guidelines, which require that each class – no matter how small – be held in a separate room.

The trailers are only a short-term solution, officials said.

The three schools that would have been upgraded in the bond proposal are all below state health and safety standards for roofs, windows, doors, heating, cooling, ventilation and fire alarms, officials said.

Even with those shortcomings and inadequacies, many residents, who voted by almost a 2-to-1 ratio against the bond, said the district didn’t make a strong enough case.

"The board was not honest," said Philip Ganci, who disputed statistics about projected enrollment. "They sold it like they were selling a car. It was them telling the community what to do."

The bond would have increased school taxes on the average home of $450,000 by $578 for 30 years, officials said.

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E-mail: gavin@northjersey.com