Blind Brook-Rye superintendent placed on paid leave as parents continue to call for answers into closure of school

The announcement happened at a special school board meeting Thursday evening where Dr. Colin Byrne was named as the current replacement for Dr. Patrick Brimstein.

News 12 Staff

Sep 24, 2021, 10:04 AM

Updated 1,036 days ago

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Parents are still seeking answers into the abrupt closure of Ridge Street Elementary as the school district's superintendent has now been put on temporary paid leave.
The announcement happened at a special school board meeting Thursday evening where Dr. Colin Byrne was named as the current replacement for Dr. Patrick Brimstein. Byrne has been assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and assessment.
It is not clear if or when Brimstein will be back.
Jessica Escott, a working mother of two children who go to Ridge Street Elementary, says the board meeting went more smoothly without Brimstein, and many assume this is the first step in him leaving.
“I’ve been extremely angry and frustrated,” Escott says. “I felt more settled after last meeting for sure.”
The school board also worked hard to convince parents that they are doing as much as they can to clear the building’s safety violations so the school can reopen.
Students were forced into remote learning just a few days after classes began and they won’t return to in-person learning until state officials deem Ridge Street Elementary safe.
Parents have expressed their frustration about the chaos this has brought to their families as many are heading back to the office to work in-person again.
School board members apologized for the trouble the issue has caused.
“I am profoundly sorry to each of you that this happened on our watch,” one school board member said.
The school board president says he is hoping the school could be ready for state inspection by Sept. 30 and if it is ​deemed safe, the building can reopen quickly after that.


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