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Judge sets up trial about East Ramapo voting that could alter how school board is elected

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“A federal judge today (Nov 20, 2019) denied the East Ramapo Central School District’s attempt to dismiss a lawsuit challenging how the district elects its school board members.

The ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Cathy Seibel sets up a two-week trial in February that could alter how votes in May’s school board elections are tallied.

The lawsuit filed in 2017 by the Spring Valley chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and several black and Latino voters sought a dramatic change in the district’s election process. [Read more…]

State comptroller audit questions payouts to East Ramapo bus contractors

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In 2017-18, the district’s transportation tab was $30.5 million and in 2018-19 $31.4 million, the audit notes.

“A state comptroller’s audit released Wednesday questions why the East Ramapo Central School District paid more than $800,000 to bus hundreds of private school students to yeshivas over the past two years even though they were not registered.

The audit by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said it discovered about $496,000 in payments for 717 students not registered with the district for the 2017-18 school year and another $337,085 in district payments for 455 students the following year.

Additionally, a sampling of 300 private school students raised questions about whether district money went to transport students who may not even live in the district, the audit noted.

Or even exist at all, it noted. [Read more…]

State education chief unveils retooled ‘substantial equivalency’ rules for private schools

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“The New York State Education Department announced proposed regulations Friday for academic instruction at nonpublic schools, less than two months after its guidelines with similar goals were blocked by the State Supreme Court.

The issue focuses on enforcing state law requiring that secular studies at private schools — like math science, English and history — be “substantially equivalent” to what’s taught in public schools. Concern has been most focused on certain ultra-Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish yeshivas that advocates have reported fail to meet the law or prepare their students for employment and a solid economic future.

State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia initially issued new guidelines in November that were meant to update previously issued guidelines for enforcing the law. But the court ruled in April that the Education Department failed to follow its own procedure for such specific changes. [Read more…]

Budget and School Board Election Results

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Election Results banner
Here are the Election Results for the East Ramapo and Suffern School Districts. The numbers for the budget results are unofficial, but both budgets passed. We would like to congratulate the winners and all the candidates participating.

Suffern Central School District

Budget passed 2,844 to 799.
Matt Kern and Chris Nicpon were elected to the board.

East Ramapo Central School District

Budget passed 2,922 to 1,892
Ashley Leveille, Yehuda Weissmandl, and Bernard Charles were elected to the board.

Tuesday Elect Eric Goodwin and Ashley Leveille for East Ramapo School Board

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On Tuesday, May 21, please go out and vote for Eric Goodwin and Ashley Leveille for positions on the East Ramapo School Board.

Please note that you will have to write in Eric’s name in the space on the ballot marked Write In. After you have written in his name make sure that you also fill in the oval space next to the name. The marked oval is needed to count your vote. For Ashley you only have to fill in the oval. SEE BELOW:

New yeshiva education guidelines aren’t a declaration of war, they’re the law

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Opinion from Gary Stern The Journal News

“It was clear that state Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia was going to have a hard time producing private-school curriculum guidelines that would meet state law and satisfy the Orthodox community, especially those protective of Hasidic yeshivas.

But who could anticipate the wrath directed at Elia and her updated guidelines for enforcing that academic instruction at private schools is “substantially equivalent” to public schools? The timing of the release, just before Hanukkah, fed numerous comparisons of Elia and the state Education Department to the Syrian-Greeks, who tried (and failed) to Hellenize the Jews in the Hanukkah story. [Read more…]

The War on Education

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Wait … What?

Yes, you read right. You have heard of The War on Poverty, The War on Terror, The War on Drugs, but … The War on Education???

Former East Ramapo school board president Wieder was once accused (by Asst. Supt. Joe Farmer) of starting a war on public education

Now he has formally declared war on the NY State Education Department. This is in response to the updated guidelines on equivalency of education in non-public schools. [Read more…]

Some Light at the End of Ramapo’s Audit Tunnel?

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Front Page of the Journal News Magic Numbers

At the last Town Board meeting, a possible schedule for finally getting the Ramapo annual audits for the last four years was divulged. Yes, the town does not have audited annual financial reports for the last four years. You have to go back to 2014 to peruse a certified accounting of the Town’s financial numbers. Why has this happened? Well, you have to start with the number 77363-054. That’s the audited prison ID for our past Supervisor, and master chef of Ramapo’s cooked books–currently serving 2 ½ years at US Federal Prison in Waymart, PA. [Read more…]

New York maps out yeshiva reviews, but will long, difficult process actually work?

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Gary Stern, Rockland/Westchester Journal News

“State Education Commissioner Mary Ellen Elia talked tough Tuesday when releasing new guidelines for determining whether private schools, namely tradition-bound Hasidic yeshivas, comply with state law for teaching math, ELA and other secular academics. [Read more…]