The process to begin filling a vacancy left on the Park Ridge Board of Education will begin in mid-October.
Former school board member Robert Fisher resigned on Friday, Sept. 19, after a state appellate court declined to block an effort by borough voters to put a recall question on the November ballot.
The board will will formally accept Fisher’s resignation at its Oct. 14 meeting, according to its president, David Bradler. Board members will then announce a 10-day period during which candidates can submit letters and resumes for consideration for the position, Bradler said in an email.
After that period is over, the board will hold a special meeting to interview candidates and vote on the replacement. Once Fisher’s successor is appointed, they will serve for a year and have the opportunity to be on the 2026 November ballot, where voters will choose a more long-term replacement.
The exterior of Park Ridge High School in Park Ridge on Thursday April 11, 2019.
The K-12 district serves about 1,200 students at two elementary schools and a high school.
Once the 10-day period for submitting resumes is open, candidates can send them to board Secretary Bob Wright at RobertWright@PARKRIDGE.k12.nj.us, said Bradler.
Park Ridge recall: How we got here
Fisher, a Park Ridge High School graduate became one of New Jersey’s youngest ever school board members when he was elected at 18 years old in 2023. But he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to attend Vanderbilt University and, critics said, stopped regularly attending board meetings or serving on board committees, prompting the recall effort.
Fisher argued that he’d spent “thousands of dollars” on travel to come back to Park Ridge regularly and planned to return to town after graduation. He lost two legal challenges last week, setting the stage for his resignation. On Sept. 15, state Superior Court Judge Peter Geiger ruled in favor of the Committee to Recall Robert Fisher, a group of borough residents who had challenged Bergen County Clerk John Hogan’s decision to disqualify their recall petition.
Former Park Ridge School Board member Robert Fisher resigned on Sept. 19, 2025, amid a campaign to recall him. Critics said Fisher, who attends Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, wasn’t able to fulfill his duties from afar.
The petition included more than 2,000 signatures in favor of putting a recall vote on the November ballot, but the Clerk’s Office, which oversees elections, initially ruled the document wasn’t properly notarized. Geiger overruled that decision, prompting Fisher to file for an emergency review by the state Appellate Division.
The appeals court denied that in a late afternoon order on Sept. 18, sending the case back to Geiger. Fisher resigned before Geiger could schedule another hearing.
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In a statement to the media Friday, Fisher thanked the taxpayers of Park Ridge, veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces for securing his “right to vote and serve at just 18 years old” and the “hard-working families who entrusted me with the oversight of the schools that their children attend.”
“Without their labor, thrift, and entrepreneurial spirit, not a single pupil could be enriched by our school district,” he wrote. “Within this group of exceptional people, I recognize my supporters, those who remained firmly by my side through a grueling two years.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Park Ridge BOE to replace school trustee who resigned under fire