Saddle River Board of Education appoints defeated incumbent to unexpired term

SADDLE RIVER — A Board of Education incumbent defeated in November's election has been appointed to the unexpired term of a fellow trustee.

Trustee Evelyn Nissirios, who lost to newcomer Kunal Bhatia by 26 votes in a rare challenge for a school board seat, was appointed to fill the one-year unexpired term of trustee John Peros at the Dec. 13 board meeting.

The final vote in November had Bhatia defeating Nissirios by 481-455 for a full three-year term.

"We hope that having two members who received such confidence from voters will help unite the community," Board of Education President Emily Kaufman said in an email statement.

Peros resigned in October, and the board had 65 days to fill the seat, Kaufman said. Nissirios' resignation was accepted at the Dec. 6 meeting, Kaufman said.

"After consulting with the New Jersey Department of Education, New Jersey Association of School Boards and the New Jersey County Executive, that open seat was offered to Kunal Bhatia to fill early," Kaufman said. "Mr. Bhatia decided to wait until the January reorganization meeting."

Kaufman said the board received applications, conducted public interviews, and chose a candidate "in accordance with guidelines set forth by the New Jersey Department of Education."

Kaufman gave no explanation as to what issue required two candidates to "unite the community."

Parents complained about discriminatory busing

Nissirios was last singled out in a September 2022 dispute over middle school bus routes carrying children in grades six to eight to Eric Smith Middle School in Ramsey, which they attend because there is no middle school in the Saddle River district.

One of two door-to-door pickup and drop-off routes was unexpectedly eliminated last fall for budgetary reasons, requiring middle school parents along that route to drop off and pick up their children at the elementary school — Wandell School on East Allendale Road.

The route used by Nissirios and fellow trustee Yasmin Elshami was not shortened or eliminated, allowing those children to be picked up and dropped off at or near their homes.

At least five parents filed complaints with the state Education Department accusing the Board of Education of discriminatory practices.

Middle school question

Another possible dispute is looming over the district's $78,000 feasibility study as a first step in determining whether it should continue the 25-year practice of sending what are now 64 middle school students to Ramsey or return them to be educated in the district. The current agreement with Ramsey ends June 30, 2024, and the district was required to send a "letter of intent" in October "to keep the credits that are currently in the agreement."

Some parents have protested that the district did not adequately pursue a third option to send middle school children to Allendale, Upper Saddle River or Ho-Ho-Kus. The students from those schools go on to attend Northern Highlands Regional High School.

Saddle River students have a unique choice of attending either Ramsey High School or Northern Highlands, with 16 currently at Ramsey and 99 at Northern Highlands. Parents argue that their students are better prepared to enter Northern Highlands if they have attended one of its feeder grade schools because the curriculums are coordinated to prepare students for high school courses.

Saddle River school board members have responded that an offer was made to participate in the study and declined by the three grade schools. It is unclear what offer was made to the grade schools, or whether any of the districts have room to accept Saddle River middle school students.

The district was projected to issue a report in January, and it has posted frequently asked questions about the proposal on its website.

FEASIBILITY STUDY Saddle River taking closer look at deal sending middle school students to Ramsey

DIVIDED ROUTE Saddle River parents want canceled bus route restored, file complaints with the state

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Saddle River NJ school board appoints defeated incumbent to open seat