Ridgefield Schools: New Leaders, Student Stars, and Big Talks

In Ridgefield, the school board just picked new leaders and had a busy meeting. Tina Malhotra is now the board chair, Jonathan Paradiso is vice chair, and Christine More is the secretary. Everyone agreed on these choices without any arguments. The meeting wasn't just about new leaders. Students from Ridgefield High School's Educators Rising club showed off their work. These students are getting ready for careers in teaching. They told the board about their hands-on experiences, competitions, and plans to work with younger kids. The school admins were proud of them, especially since they won big in state and national contests. The board also talked about school policies, enrollment, and staff changes. They approved a new policy about class sizes, which gives the superintendent some flexibility but keeps the board in charge. As for enrollment, there are 4, 350 students right now. There were also some new hires and people who left their jobs. Money matters came up too. The district leaders talked about the costs of special education programs. They said these programs are getting more expensive, especially because of transportation and personalized learning plans. They want the board to think about this when planning the budget. Parents had a lot to say during the public comment part. Some were worried about kids using Chromebooks too much in early grades. Others wanted more art time for elementary students. A few parents also asked for better communication from the board, like posting meeting minutes faster. They even wanted the board to set clearer goals for things like teaching cursive writing and world languages. To wrap things up, the board said they'll change how they make meeting agendas. They want all members to suggest topics ahead of time so admins can prepare. The next meeting is in December, with a retreat planned before that.