LEONIA: M&C and BOE Take Action on Racial Justice

On Monday, June 1st, Mayor Judah Zeigler announced that the Borough of Leonia unanimously passed a resolution declaring racism to be a public health crisis, making Leonia among the first towns in the country to take such action. On Tuesday, June 9th, the Leonia Board of Education will seek to continue the community’s progress by voting on a “Resolution to Advance Racial Justice in the Leonia School District.”

In a statement by Superintendent, Dr. Edward Bertolini, “Board President Robins and I have used the past week to work with the Board of Education, Administration, members of the community, and teachers to develop the following resolution” He went on to note that if passed it would be “one of the most overt actions taken by any Board of Education.”

The proposed Board resolution calls for additions to the school curriculum that promotes justice, a school-sponsored SAT/ACT course to provide affordable access to test preparation, expanding restorative justice practices, a review of how to foster a more diverse group of applicants for employment, the creation of a committee on diversity and inclusion and more. Board President Bryce Robins said, “Leonia is a diverse community, racially, culturally and financially. The purpose of this resolution is to promote justice and emphasize equity by offsetting the students’ financial gaps.”