Ritzer Field

7 candidates are vying for 3 seats on the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education in the Nov. 5 election. Here are their answers to our questions on the sports facilities and equity.

Updates include additional classrooms in elementary schools, a new Student Commons and expanded guidance suite and library at CHS, HVAC and security improvements. Supt. Bing: “It’s probably the best job I’ve seen in how the new blends in with the old.”

“We are going to need to come back and figure out what it is that we’re going to do to make sure that one way or another we are addressing the needs of our student athletes and developing a field surface of whatever composition that’s going to meet the needs of all of our students,” said BOE member Will Meyer.

The Board of Education will vote on the new $24M bond resolution on March 21.

On Feb. 29, District officials said the Ritzer Field project could not be severed from the bond resolution; but now the “ask” is broken out into four project numbers.

The Board of School Estimate (BOSE) meeting that was to be held on Wednesday,…

Ahead of the now-postponed Feb. 13 Board of School Estimate meeting to vote on…

Students, parents and community members spoke passionately for and against the turfing of Ritzer Field. The Board of School Estimate will vote on the entire proposal on February 13.

The scenarios would cost between $21M-$27.4M. Officials say the original bonds are falling short due to inflation and supply chain issues caused by the pandemic.

The school was on modified lockdown after a teacher reported a verbal altercation with a male at Ritzer field. Moments earlier, the male was reported to have assaulted a patron at CVS. The school was never entered and no threats were made, police said.