Ridgefield Candidates '97
Board of Education

Bob Opotzner

To The Voters of Ridgefield

The Ridgefield School System is a source of great pride to the residents of Ridgefield. Many Ridgefield residents have told me that the most important reason why they moved to this wonderful community is the tremendous reputation enjoyed by the Ridgefield Schools statewide and beyond. In fact, the primary reason why my wife, Wendy, and I moved to Ridgefield was to provide the best possible public school education for our two children, Matthew (age 10) and Jessica (age 6).

Recent circumstances have brought the Ridgefield School System to a crossroad. We as residents of Ridgefield face the challenge of making certain that the high quality of the Ridgefield schools of the recent past is continued to the millennium and beyond.

Ridgefield faces overcrowding of its schools which today exists at the elementary and middle school levels and tomorrow will face the high school, as well. This will result in the need to make important decisions about school buildings - where to build them, what to build, how to build them, and what grade configurations should be maintained in the buildings. An integral part of that decision making process relates to the need to hire a new superintendent of schools to replace Dr. Jeffrey Hansen.

Unfortunately, the recent performance of the Ridgefield School Board causes many to question whether we are represented by people who will fulfill the best interests of the children and the needs of the community in a professional manner. Can we feel confident that a School Board which requires three meetings and experiences countless 4-4 ties to merely elect a chairman will make the right decisions on these and other issues? Can a school board which the Ridgefield Press characterizes as "dysfunctional" make the right choices that are so critical to our children?

I believe the residents of Ridgefield deserve and are entitled to have elected representatives on the School Board who can and will work together to provide experienced leadership for the community. I am confident that I have the experience, the knowledge and the personalty to help the Ridgefield School Board deal with these and other critical issues that it faces.

As you may know, I was recently elected to the Ridgefield School Board by a bipartisan vote of its members on August 11, 1997 until the November, 1997 election, to fill the position vacated by the resignation of our past chairman. I have already received many positive comments from fellow members of the Board of Education, members of the School administration and members of. the general public that my style, experience and approach have already been a positive influence on the School Board. I hope to have a chance to continue my public service upon my reelection in November, 1997. I will be on the ballot in November as the candidate of the Democratic Party for election to the two year seat which I would fill until November, 1999. According to State law and the Town Charter concerning minority party representation, this two-year seat must be filled by a person who is not a member of the Republican Party. Thus I am looking for the support of all of the residents of Ridgefield - regardless of their party affiliation.

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