BOE Elections 2010

[admin]

FREEHOLD: Ten candidates filed for three three-year seats, one two-year seat, and one one-year seat. They are: Annette Jordan, 17 Birch Drive, an incumbent; Audrey Evans, 39 Parker Street, an incumbent; Ron Reich, 6 Hance Blvd., an appointee; Dan Xavier, 52 Brinckerhoff Ave., an appointee; Roxanne Payne, 64 Bond St.; Kevin Tennant, 70 Parker St.; Tamara Tobin, 3 Stillwell Place; Bruce Patrick, 85 Broad St., Thomas Parke, 36 Kiawah St.; and Susan Grietz, 374 Park Ave.

www.app.com/article/20100302/NEWS/3020311/-1/go4Ajax/Candidates-for-April-s-school-board-elections-in-Monmouth-County?GID=9GEppVzwoWSHAM8WlxCQ1VbVNTup0uSpHT/hQq2Twgs%3D


I will make every effort to keep this thread going and find out what can be found about the candidates for BOE this year. It is great to see we have a race and that so many are interested in serving. I do know some of them and like them. Others I do not. It will be nice to find out what makes each unique and what they will bring to the table.

For starters, Dan Xavier posted a nice piece on the following link. It is a good read.

freehold.injersey.com/2010/03/02/and-the-nominees-are/


Good luck to all the candidates and thank you for running!

[admin]

Also, if anybody knows any of the candidates and think they may be interested in posting their thoughts here, let them know they are welcome.

I will do what I can to accommodate them including opening a board where only they can post on.

[dfx]

For those not wanting to click through, here's what I posted on the app site:

___________________________________
My position:

- I think the Board of Education needs to do a better job of communicating with Borough residents – that includes actively seeking out and addressing their concerns.

- I think the Board of Education needs to do a better job of promoting the positive aspects (which often get overlooked) of our schools.

- I think the Board of Education owes it to the community to construct a school budget in a careful & prudent manner, especially in today’s economic climate coupled with Freehold Borough’s high property taxes.

- I think the Board of Education needs to reexamine current residency enforcement policies.

That said, in the few short months that I have been on the board I have pushed for the formation of a Community Relations Committee (which I now chair), developed a communications strategy, actively solicited citizen feedback, attended state-mandated training at my own expense, and volunteered for PTO functions. While I have not yet had the opportunity to participate in a budget formation process/vote, I hope to have accomplished this by the time of the upcoming school board elections.

As far as my personal life, my wife and I have 2 young daughters (neither of which are old enough to attend our schools), I’m the principle organizer of the Annual Freehold Borough Holiday Toy Drive, a member of the Fire Department, a member of the Neighborhood Pride Committee, and a US. Army veteran.

___________________________________


Aside from the above, I can only promise that I will try my hardest and will always listen to those I hope to be selected to represent.



Daniel F. Xavier

[BrianSullivan]

Mar 3, 2010 21:41:21 GMT -5 dfx said:

For those not wanting to click through, here's what I posted on the app site:

___________________________________
My position:

- I think the Board of Education needs to do a better job of communicating with Borough residents – that includes actively seeking out and addressing their concerns.

- I think the Board of Education needs to do a better job of promoting the positive aspects (which often get overlooked) of our schools.

- I think the Board of Education owes it to the community to construct a school budget in a careful & prudent manner, especially in today’s economic climate coupled with Freehold Borough’s high property taxes.

- I think the Board of Education needs to reexamine current residency enforcement policies.

That said, in the few short months that I have been on the board I have pushed for the formation of a Community Relations Committee (which I now chair), developed a communications strategy, actively solicited citizen feedback, attended state-mandated training at my own expense, and volunteered for PTO functions. While I have not yet had the opportunity to participate in a budget formation process/vote, I hope to have accomplished this by the time of the upcoming school board elections.

As far as my personal life, my wife and I have 2 young daughters (neither of which are old enough to attend our schools), I’m the principle organizer of the Annual Freehold Borough Holiday Toy Drive, a member of the Fire Department, a member of the Neighborhood Pride Committee, and a US. Army veteran.

___________________________________


Aside from the above, I can only promise that I will try my hardest and will always listen to those I hope to be selected to represent.



Daniel F. Xavier

Dan, Thank you for taking the time to post your thoughts. BOE elections are tough because often there is not enough info telling us why we should vote for any given candidate.

By taking the initiative to post here and on FinNJ, you will reach many voters. In a low turn out race where every vote counts, that will likely help you.

I hope we see other candidates post, but for now, thank you and good luck!

[dfx]

Mar 4, 2010 17:22:29 GMT -5 BrianSullivan said:

Mar 3, 2010 21:41:21 GMT -5 dfx said:

For those not wanting to click through, here's what I posted on the app site:

___________________________________
My position:

- I think the Board of Education needs to do a better job of communicating with Borough residents – that includes actively seeking out and addressing their concerns.

- I think the Board of Education needs to do a better job of promoting the positive aspects (which often get overlooked) of our schools.

- I think the Board of Education owes it to the community to construct a school budget in a careful & prudent manner, especially in today’s economic climate coupled with Freehold Borough’s high property taxes.

- I think the Board of Education needs to reexamine current residency enforcement policies.

That said, in the few short months that I have been on the board I have pushed for the formation of a Community Relations Committee (which I now chair), developed a communications strategy, actively solicited citizen feedback, attended state-mandated training at my own expense, and volunteered for PTO functions. While I have not yet had the opportunity to participate in a budget formation process/vote, I hope to have accomplished this by the time of the upcoming school board elections.

As far as my personal life, my wife and I have 2 young daughters (neither of which are old enough to attend our schools), I’m the principle organizer of the Annual Freehold Borough Holiday Toy Drive, a member of the Fire Department, a member of the Neighborhood Pride Committee, and a US. Army veteran.

___________________________________


Aside from the above, I can only promise that I will try my hardest and will always listen to those I hope to be selected to represent.



Daniel F. Xavier

Dan, Thank you for taking the time to post your thoughts. BOE elections are tough because often there is not enough info telling us why we should vote for any given candidate.

By taking the initiative to post here and on FinNJ, you will reach many voters. In a low turn out race where every vote counts, that will likely help you.

I hope we see other candidates post, but for now, thank you and good luck!

I know there are a lot of candidates running for seats, so I would have to imagine that some of them will share their positions. (I'd be surprised and disappointed if they didn't.)


dan

[roxy]

I would like to take this opportunity to give some insight into who I am, and explain what I can bring to the BOE.

My young sister and I went through the Freehold Borough School system from kindergarten right through high school. I then obtained a Dual BA in Political Science & Criminal Justice from Canisius College. Currently I am employed by the U.S. Department of Justice. Although I do not have any children right now, I do have many cousins who are presently in the district. So they have always kept me informed as to what issues are of the utmost concern to students.

I think I can bring valuable insight into the BOE. I truly believe that during these tough economic times the biggest issue is the budget. Of course no fiscal problem can be resolved in a matter of months. Realistically, to see a change in any budget can take years. I am willing to dedicate at least one year of my time to assist in revising the budget.

There is so much more I know that I can do for the district, if I am elected. I hope I will get the chance to prove myself.

Roxanne Payne

[Mike Rosseel]

Both Dan and Roxanne really seem to have a passion for our schools and making a difference. Thats great in todays world. I hope you both have alot of success in the upcoming election!

[jefffriedman]

Dan and Roxanne,

Do you believe that there are issues connected to students from outside Freehold Borough attending Freehold Borough's public schools? If so, what steps would you take to address the issues and what changes would you make to the current procedures?

[admin]

Mar 8, 2010 22:30:51 GMT -5 roxy said:

I would like to take this opportunity to give some insight into who I am, and explain what I can bring to the BOE.

My young sister and I went through the Freehold Borough School system from kindergarten right through high school. I then obtained a Dual BA in Political Science & Criminal Justice from Canisius College. Currently I am employed by the U.S. Department of Justice. Although I do not have any children right now, I do have many cousins who are presently in the district. So they have always kept me informed as to what issues are of the utmost concern to students.

I think I can bring valuable insight into the BOE. I truly believe that during these tough economic times the biggest issue is the budget. Of course no fiscal problem can be resolved in a matter of months. Realistically, to see a change in any budget can take years. I am willing to dedicate at least one year of my time to assist in revising the budget.

There is so much more I know that I can do for the district, if I am elected. I hope I will get the chance to prove myself.

Roxanne Payne

Roxy,

I am glad you found your way to this site. Thank you for taking the time to share some thoughts about the upcoming election and more importantly for running and giving our town a race.

Feel free to continue participating not only on this thread but the site. It will be great to hear your thoughts, ideas, and opinions.

Best of luck you you in this election.

[BrianSullivan]

Mar 9, 2010 13:16:45 GMT -5 jefffriedman said:

Dan and Roxanne,

Do you believe that there are issues connected to students from outside Freehold Borough attending Freehold Borough's public schools? If so, what steps would you take to address the issues and what changes would you make to the current procedures?

Jeff, It is good to hear from you! Good questions about residency. I recall the schools had hired a person to investigate and seek out non residents. I wonder if he is still employed?

[roxy]

Thank you for your inquiry, Jeff. I do not believe there are issues connected to students from outside Freehold Borough attending Freehold Borough’s public schools. I know that currently proof of residency is required in order to attend the schools. However, if this is a concern to residents, then the BOE needs to address it. Maybe there needs to be a change with what is considered as proof of residency. For example, not just a cell phone bill with an address. There should be at least 3 proofs of residency such as: a driver’s license, utility bills, paystubs, etc. Also, if a child is living with a legal guardian, then the legal guardian should have legal documentation to prove this.

[dfx]

Mar 9, 2010 13:16:45 GMT -5 jefffriedman said:

Dan and Roxanne,

Do you believe that there are issues connected to students from outside Freehold Borough attending Freehold Borough's public schools? If so, what steps would you take to address the issues and what changes would you make to the current procedures?

Jeff -

In my short time on the Board, I have not witnessed any residency violations or corresponding issues. (I know there are many misconceptions about our schools and I feel this notion is one of the most inaccurate.)

Currently prospective students are required to provide 4 proofs of registration sixty days (60) from the date of registration to satisfy the residency requirements. Any of the following are deemed acceptable:
- Valid Driver’s License
- Recent Utility Bill
- Automobile Insurance Identification Card
- Credit Card Bill
- Written statement from the realtor stating that the parent/guardian has signed contract to purchase or rent home in Freehold Borough.
- Tax Bill
- Lease: The Board may require a copy of a lease if the person is a tenant or a sworn statement by the landlord acknowledging tenancy if there is no lease.
- Official Mail (Bank, Government, Board of Education, etc.)
- Public Assistance Documents
- Notarized statements asserting parent and child’s residence in Freehold Borough signed by the parent/guardian & landlord/homeowner. (Affidavits available upon request)


That said, I do have a few simple ideas how we could further enforce on these existing regulations:
- Require all students to provide residency documentation at the begin of each school year - no exceptions
- Any location in the Borough subject to multiple (more than 2 children) residency claims to be forwarded to Freehold Borough Code Enforcement for additional investigation. (This would prevent multiple people utilizing the same addresses or documentation.) In these cases, the Board of Education & School Residency Officer would be notified.

Sometimes only a simple modification to an existing procedure - rather than a complete overhaul - is all that's needed...


Dan Xavier

[Mike Rosseel]

How do either one of you feel about the lack of communication between the BOE and the boro residents? What can be done to keep residents in the loop? What can be done to regain pride in our schools?

[ddigler]

FYI- retired FBPD Detective Sgt. Tim Jablonski is currently employed by the BOE to conduct these residency investigations.

[roxy]

Mike,
Thank you for your inquiry. I truly enjoy answering questions from concerned residents.
I feel that communication between the BOE and the boro residents is not as open as it can be. I do not feel that either the BOE or the residents themselves are to blame. I do have one possible solution that may assist in opening up communication a little more. I am personally willing to make myself available for one weekend every 2 months or so, at a public location, possibly at a library, for residents to come and voice their concerns. During these meetings I will have an opportunity to inform the public of what is going on with the board, as well as the schools. According to how these meetings go, I would be willing to increase the frequency as well as change the location. I hope this would help residents regain pride in the schools. I know this might not mean much, but for what it's worth, I have not lost pride in our schools. I think that this is a terrific school district and hopefully can become even better in the future.

Roxanne Payne

[Mike Rosseel]

Roxanne,

Great answer and great Idea! i wish you luck!

[dfx]

Mike -

These are 2 areas I feel strongly about - which is why I mentioned them specifically in my initial introduction post. Due to the length of each response, I'd like to address each of them separately...

I very much feel that communication between the BOE and residents is not as fluent as it can/should be. (I hesitate to use the word "open" as it implies the BOE is holding back information – which they are not.) And as a result of this fragmented channel, I can appreciate how some Borough residents may feel that the BOE is disconnected from their concerns. That said, I believe it is incumbent upon the BOE to do a better job of communicating with residents – and that includes actively seeking out and addressing their concerns on a regular basis. In my few short months on the BOE, I've walked a few sections of the town & distributed over 450 flyers (albeit a small amount considering the town's size, but with the holidays I did not have the money to create more) as well as stressed the importance of further developing community relations with other Board members. I've also developed a BOE communications strategy and will be chairing a newly formed Community Relations Committee.

However it is also a responsibility of the taxpayers/residents to make their voices heard. I cannot tell you how disenfranchising it is to hear that the BOE is inattentive in addressing resident concerns – yet only 2-3 citizens actually show up to a BOE meeting. Which brings me to your second question: school pride.

I think it's crucial that the newly formed Community Relations Committee also promote some of the positive aspects of our schools – which often get overlooked. The fact that a Freehold Borough school has been awarded a coveted 21st Century grant flies in the face of popular misconceptions about our schools and establishing a venue for promoting these types of accomplishments should certainly foster an increase in school pride throughout town. We need to leverage and capitalize on the resurgence of pride that Freehold Borough High School has been able to capture and remind everyone that our elementary & middle schools are feeder programs to that success. (What's more is that there are literally hundreds of ways to do this - from increased positive media exposure via traditional print & online mediums on local/state levels to elevating the profiles of school success stories. The possibilities are limitless - all it takes it dedication and an investment of time.)


Dan Xavier

[richardkelsey]

I am enjoying this thread. Thank you to the candidates for participating.

I am struck by the issue of communication. I tend to agree strongly that residents have a duty to participate. Democracy is a full contact sport.

Having said that, I wonder if making meetings available by pod-cast or delayed streaming video might be a great way to enhance communication? Some local governments do this. They post the meeting on-line, and some even allow people to pick video clips of segments of the meeting by agenda items.

Lives are so crazy now -- and so many are working long hours or multiple shifts to get by. it would be great to see a proactive government make access more available to residents. I am a very active person, but I also know that many times I don't make government meetings I would love to attend because I am either in a meeting myself, or shuttling kids to locations.

Arlington County Virginia is an excellent County to look at as an example of what might be done with post-meeting streaming of particular meetings.

In the end, however, people must take responsibility to get informed, stay informed, and be involved.

[roxy]

I just wanted to re-interate that I do not blame the BOE or the residents for the lack of communication. Realistically, not many people can attend the meetings because of their busy family and work life. So I do not expect all residents to attend every meeting. If you have the time to do so then great! This is why I suggested the opportunity to meet with me personally to discuss any concerns, as well as, the ability to become informed with the what is going on with the BOE. I also agree with Richard, some kind of online broadcast is a fantastic idea! Afterall, this is a society based around technology.

[dfx]

Mar 10, 2010 14:34:40 GMT -5 richardkelsey said:

I am enjoying this thread. Thank you to the candidates for participating.

I am struck by the issue of communication. I tend to agree strongly that residents have a duty to participate. Democracy is a full contact sport.

Having said that, I wonder if making meetings available by pod-cast or delayed streaming video might be a great way to enhance communication? Some local governments do this. They post the meeting on-line, and some even allow people to pick video clips of segments of the meeting by agenda items.

Lives are so crazy now -- and so many are working long hours or multiple shifts to get by. it would be great to see a proactive government make access more available to residents. I am a very active person, but I also know that many times I don't make government meetings I would love to attend because I am either in a meeting myself, or shuttling kids to locations.

Arlington County Virginia is an excellent County to look at as an example of what might be done with post-meeting streaming of particular meetings.

In the end, however, people must take responsibility to get informed, stay informed, and be involved.

Mr. Kelsey -

That's an interesting idea. I can foresee some logistical challenges that would have to be worked out (i.e. securing of a camera, compensation for a camera operator, modifying the district's current website to handle the increased bandwidth, etc.), but the idea does have some legs...


Dan Xavier

[Mike Rosseel]

Rich, I think thats a GREAT idea!

[BrianSullivan]

Roxy and Dan,

It is good to see both of your thoughts. I like both of your ideas on reaching the public a bit better and wish you both luck. I know that will be no easy task, but you are both right to want to work on it. The challenge is always in reaching the people who do not pay attention.

Dan, you mention about getting people to meetings, I do hope you can do something to change the poor attendance.

My one word of advice, while I completely understand the real need to show of the good things that do exist in our schools, if you both wish to engage the residents, you will have to leave the rose colored glasses at home. I am not saying that either of you wear them, just that you must be well prepared to first listen, and then show a desire to work on hard ball topic. If people think their concerns are not being heard, they will shut down.

Since we are talking about communication here, I have to end this on a complimentary note. This is not a knock on anybody else, but I liked Jim Keelan when he served as BOE president. I found him very open and accessible and really liked that. Considering that I do not eve have kids in the school, I appreciated his out reach to me. I am sure plenty of others would say the same. Jim even swayed me enough to change my vote on the budget one year. Anyone who knows how stubborn I am will appreciate that.

[admin]

Important news from the APP...

FREEHOLD — A candidate in the borough school board election has withdrawn, schools Business Administrator Patrick DeGeorge confirmed.




Challenger Tamara Tobin dropped out of the race Friday for personal reasons, DeGeorge said.

Tobin, 45, had been running for one of the three, three-year terms open on the board.........
www.app.com/article/20100309/NEWS/3090338/1285/LOCAL09/Candidate-drops-bid-for-Freehold-school-board-seat

[adefonzo]

This has been interesting to read through. I am glad to see that there are so many people running for the open spots on the BOE this year...it should be interesting. I'm just sorry I won't be there to witness it all first hand.

There are a couple of things I want to point out which I feel have been left out of the discussion.

First of all, with regard to students in the district being residents of Freehold Boro. The first thing that has to be mentioned when discussing this issue (in fact, most issues with regard to the BOE) is that there are laws that have been passed by the State which regulate what a school board can and can not do. I was interested to see that now the school board policy reads that 4 pieces of identification are required, since in the past, the state law was not nearly that stringent. I am assuming the laws have changed, which is a good thing (in my opinion).

There are still, however, laws which state that a students eligibility to enroll can not be denied based on phyical condition of housing or compliance with local housing ordinances or terms of lease. So, Mr. Xavier's idea of forwarding multiple residence enrollments to Code Enforcement, seemingly, would not be an affective tool to remove students from the school. That's not to say, however, that the idea should not still be explored on some level. The other thing you have to remember to research is the BOE's ability to transfer student information to the local code enforcement or other local authorities. There are some very strict rules on what a BOE can and can not share with the public and other "governmental" agencies.

Speaking from experience, the BOE hired a residency officer a couple of years ago to investigate these types of concerns. Overall, and I don't remember exactly the numbers, but I believe he discovered about 12 students who had not fulfilled the requirements. Of course, at that point, the district gets involved in a very specific process of notifications, time for the student to prove residency, further notifications, and appeals, and so on. Essentially, in the end, out of the 12 (or so) cases that were discovered, there was 1 student who was not able to produce the proper documentation, and even that whole process dragged out for months before a final determination was made.

So, what I am saying is that you should not hold your breath for a significant number of students being inelligible to attend the Boro's schools.

Regarding the other issue that has been raised, communication between the BOE and the public. This is an issue that has been at the top of everyone's list for years and years and years. Mr. Xavier...I feel your pain when you talk about how disheartening it is to only see 2-3 residents show up at BOE meetings...and more often than not, it's the same 2-3 citizens. In the last number of years, the BOE has created and greatly expanded it's website, conducted a mail survey of local residents, started to send out newsletters which are included in every home's water bill, held "Citizen's Academies" which gives members of the community the greatest opportunity to come to the schools over the course of 6 weeks and learn a great deal about how the schools are operating, and created a network of active community members who are used to help try and spread the word about what's going on in the schools. On top of all that, the BOE continues to ask the community for additional ideas on how they could make communication more open and accessible.

Fortunately, I am not on the school board anymore, so I can speak frankly and say that there are just some people in town who will not be happy unless the BOE comes directly to their home once a week to give them a full update on what's going on in the district. There are people who will just continue to complain that the schools take too much of their tax money without taking any steps to learn any of the facts that go behind the schools budget, and they don't even bother to show up at the public budget hearings that the BOE holds. This is not just the case for the schools, but for all levels of public office and government. People, in general, just like to complain but don't want to make an effort to look into what they're complaining about. If I had a dollar for everytime I have heard someone quote something as their "Constitutional Right" when if fact it's not mentioned anywhere in the Constitution, I'd be a happy guy.

Sorry...got off on a rant there.

The bottom line is, in my opinion, the BOE has been doing - and continues to do - their part to reach out to the community. And while there are certainly a number of local citizens who have given a great deal of their time and attention to the schools, by and large, the community has not done their part to reach out to the schools...except in times of severe circumstances.

Going forward, I would like to the see the BOE form a committee which consists of BOE members and local residents that would act as a lobbying committee to the State Legislature. Over the last few years, the BOE has developed a very good relationship with Senator Jennifer Beck. Assemblywoman Caroline Cassagrande has her office right in town (unless she has moved in the last 6 months). When I was on the BOE, we had a seat on the NJ School Board Associations Legislative Committee (which I am not sure if we were able to hold onto that after I left) which is essentially the part of NJSBA which develops relationships with Trenton and lobbies for schoold districts all across the state. The schoold board, in my opinion, needs to get more involved in trying to influence the laws and regulations that get handed down from Trenton.

A couple of years ago, when our funding was at it's lowest point, our community was able to gather together and make ourselves heard in Trenton (thanks in large part to then Assemblywoman Beck). But then, after we got some money (and not enough to pull us completely out of the basement) everyone got quiet again. That's the challenge that I would put to the BOE. Keep your voices heard in Trenton. Use your state representatives to help get your voice heard. Don't rely on the other districts in the area, because the truth is that most of them don't care in the least about the Boro, and don't think that your voice is too small and it will not be heard...the "yellow t-shirts" showed that is not the case.

Anyway...I have gone on long enough...though I could go on for much longer.

I wish all who are running the best of luck in the upcoming election. For those who are running and have never been on the board, be prepared for a shock about what you thought you knew regarding how the schools are allowed to operate if you're fortunate enough to win. The challenges and the goals are clear, it's just a matter of finding ways to achieve them.

[dfx]

Mar 11, 2010 5:15:29 GMT -5 adefonzo said:

Going forward, I would like to the see the BOE form a committee which consists of BOE members and local residents that would act as a lobbying committee to the State Legislature. Over the last few years, the BOE has developed a very good relationship with Senator Jennifer Beck. Assemblywoman Caroline Cassagrande has her office right in town (unless she has moved in the last 6 months). When I was on the BOE, we had a seat on the NJ School Board Associations Legislative Committee (which I am not sure if we were able to hold onto that after I left) which is essentially the part of NJSBA which develops relationships with Trenton and lobbies for schoold districts all across the state. The schoold board, in my opinion, needs to get more involved in trying to influence the laws and regulations that get handed down from Trenton.

Andrew -

With the newly announced 15% state funding rollback, I believe this is already beginning to happen. I've also heard quite a bit about the famed "yellow shirt" march on Trenton and I think that was a great idea - then AND now.

And your description about the inner workings of the school system actually being more challenging than they appear to be on the outside hits it right on the head. Forget for a moment the sheer budgetary challenges a unique district like ours faces (a growing population with a maxed out number of rate-ables), the myriad of state & federal laws the Board faces alone makes the job even that much more tricky!


Dan Xavier

[aj]

The BOE will hold the 2010-11 public budget hearing at the March 22nd meeting, 7 pm at the Park Ave Complex. We welcome the public and look forward to feedback

[admin]

Mar 11, 2010 13:47:53 GMT -5 aj said:

The BOE will hold the 2010-11 public budget hearing at the March 22nd meeting, 7 pm at the Park Ave Complex. We welcome the public and look forward to feedback

AJ,

Big welcome to the site, and thank you for this post. I will put it in the calendar on this site. It will also pop up as a reminder in the info center for events this month.

Any time you have an announcement, feel free to add it to the calendar as well as a post. Any participant can use the calendar, as long as it is a Freehold Borough event.

[BrianSullivan]

Mar 11, 2010 5:15:29 GMT -5 adefonzo said:

This has been interesting to read through. I am glad to see that there are so many people running for the open spots on the BOE this year...it should be interesting. I'm just sorry I won't be there to witness it all first hand.

There are a couple of things I want to point out which I feel have been left out of the discussion.

First of all, with regard to students in the district being residents of Freehold Boro. The first thing that has to be mentioned when discussing this issue (in fact, most issues with regard to the BOE) is that there are laws that have been passed by the State which regulate what a school board can and can not do. I was interested to see that now the school board policy reads that 4 pieces of identification are required, since in the past, the state law was not nearly that stringent. I am assuming the laws have changed, which is a good thing (in my opinion).

There are still, however, laws which state that a students eligibility to enroll can not be denied based on phyical condition of housing or compliance with local housing ordinances or terms of lease. So, Mr. Xavier's idea of forwarding multiple residence enrollments to Code Enforcement, seemingly, would not be an affective tool to remove students from the school. That's not to say, however, that the idea should not still be explored on some level. The other thing you have to remember to research is the BOE's ability to transfer student information to the local code enforcement or other local authorities. There are some very strict rules on what a BOE can and can not share with the public and other "governmental" agencies.

Speaking from experience, the BOE hired a residency officer a couple of years ago to investigate these types of concerns. Overall, and I don't remember exactly the numbers, but I believe he discovered about 12 students who had not fulfilled the requirements. Of course, at that point, the district gets involved in a very specific process of notifications, time for the student to prove residency, further notifications, and appeals, and so on. Essentially, in the end, out of the 12 (or so) cases that were discovered, there was 1 student who was not able to produce the proper documentation, and even that whole process dragged out for months before a final determination was made.

So, what I am saying is that you should not hold your breath for a significant number of students being inelligible to attend the Boro's schools.

Regarding the other issue that has been raised, communication between the BOE and the public. This is an issue that has been at the top of everyone's list for years and years and years. Mr. Xavier...I feel your pain when you talk about how disheartening it is to only see 2-3 residents show up at BOE meetings...and more often than not, it's the same 2-3 citizens. In the last number of years, the BOE has created and greatly expanded it's website, conducted a mail survey of local residents, started to send out newsletters which are included in every home's water bill, held "Citizen's Academies" which gives members of the community the greatest opportunity to come to the schools over the course of 6 weeks and learn a great deal about how the schools are operating, and created a network of active community members who are used to help try and spread the word about what's going on in the schools. On top of all that, the BOE continues to ask the community for additional ideas on how they could make communication more open and accessible.

Fortunately, I am not on the school board anymore, so I can speak frankly and say that there are just some people in town who will not be happy unless the BOE comes directly to their home once a week to give them a full update on what's going on in the district. There are people who will just continue to complain that the schools take too much of their tax money without taking any steps to learn any of the facts that go behind the schools budget, and they don't even bother to show up at the public budget hearings that the BOE holds. This is not just the case for the schools, but for all levels of public office and government. People, in general, just like to complain but don't want to make an effort to look into what they're complaining about. If I had a dollar for everytime I have heard someone quote something as their "Constitutional Right" when if fact it's not mentioned anywhere in the Constitution, I'd be a happy guy.

Sorry...got off on a rant there.

The bottom line is, in my opinion, the BOE has been doing - and continues to do - their part to reach out to the community. And while there are certainly a number of local citizens who have given a great deal of their time and attention to the schools, by and large, the community has not done their part to reach out to the schools...except in times of severe circumstances.

Going forward, I would like to the see the BOE form a committee which consists of BOE members and local residents that would act as a lobbying committee to the State Legislature. Over the last few years, the BOE has developed a very good relationship with Senator Jennifer Beck. Assemblywoman Caroline Cassagrande has her office right in town (unless she has moved in the last 6 months). When I was on the BOE, we had a seat on the NJ School Board Associations Legislative Committee (which I am not sure if we were able to hold onto that after I left) which is essentially the part of NJSBA which develops relationships with Trenton and lobbies for schoold districts all across the state. The schoold board, in my opinion, needs to get more involved in trying to influence the laws and regulations that get handed down from Trenton.

A couple of years ago, when our funding was at it's lowest point, our community was able to gather together and make ourselves heard in Trenton (thanks in large part to then Assemblywoman Beck). But then, after we got some money (and not enough to pull us completely out of the basement) everyone got quiet again. That's the challenge that I would put to the BOE. Keep your voices heard in Trenton. Use your state representatives to help get your voice heard. Don't rely on the other districts in the area, because the truth is that most of them don't care in the least about the Boro, and don't think that your voice is too small and it will not be heard...the "yellow t-shirts" showed that is not the case.

Anyway...I have gone on long enough...though I could go on for much longer.

I wish all who are running the best of luck in the upcoming election. For those who are running and have never been on the board, be prepared for a shock about what you thought you knew regarding how the schools are allowed to operate if you're fortunate enough to win. The challenges and the goals are clear, it's just a matter of finding ways to achieve them.

Andrew, what a great post! Thank you for taking the time. I know you must have a very busy and interesting life over there.

I really like your idea of a lobbying committee based on the success of the yellow shirts. That was a very mixed and inspiring group of people who showed what can be accomplished when we work together. I think this idea has tons of merit because many of the answers to the borough's problems lay in Trenton. Now is a very good time for this with the administration change in Trenton.

Lobbying Trenton leads me to one a
question:

Has the BOE identified mandates that hurt our schools and sought change from Trenton?

I have no idea what that answer is, but I have often heard that unfunded mandates are a big problem.

[adefonzo]

Mar 11, 2010 11:55:30 GMT -5 dfx said:

Andrew -

With the newly announced 15% state funding rollback, I believe this is already beginning to happen. I've also heard quite a bit about the famed "yellow shirt" march on Trenton and I think that was a great idea - then AND now.

And your description about the inner workings of the school system actually being more challenging than they appear to be on the outside hits it right on the head. Forget for a moment the sheer budgetary challenges a unique district like ours faces (a growing population with a maxed out number of rate-ables), the myriad of state & federal laws the Board faces alone makes the job even that much more tricky!


Dan Xavier

When I read the above quote, I just had to shake my head and chuckle....that sad kind of "I just can't believe this nonsense" type of chuckle. I take it this is a 15% "across the board" type of cut, rather than just a 20% cut to the abbott districts (which despite the hype, are tremendously overfunded) which would probably save the state the same money without hurting districts like Freehold Boro.

Brian already beat me to the punch, but I would also encourage the BOE to develop that list of mandates that are unfunded or not essential, and go straight to Trenton to start screaming that if they want to cut the funding, they have to cut the mandates as well.

I am not going to let myself get off on a rant, but this is what happens when you let government grow and grow and depend on it for more and more things than it was initially intended to supply. Peole want more and more from the government, by we always seem to forget that in order for them to supply, the money comes out of our pockets. And eventually, we get to where New Jersey is...where they are cutting funding for public schools because they have been feeding at the trough in so many other areas where government had no business being involved. Forget it...I'm going to make myself sick talking about all this.

Back to the topic at hand.

Again...I feel the BOE should develop the list, give a call to Jennifer Beck, Caroline Cassagrande, and Declan O'Scanlon and get them on your side (I should hope it won't be too difficult). From there, you take the fight to Trenton, and you take the fight to the press...because nothing makes a politician act like bad press.

Stop feeling like doing these things is somehow not the proper or professional way of doing things. Trenton, the Abbott districts, and many others in this fight are not "playing nice", so if you choose to take the high road, you're going to get trampled just like the Boro has many times in the past. The decision is yours.

[BrianSullivan]

Mar 11, 2010 20:10:34 GMT -5 adefonzo said:

Mar 11, 2010 11:55:30 GMT -5 dfx said:

Andrew -

With the newly announced 15% state funding rollback, I believe this is already beginning to happen. I've also heard quite a bit about the famed "yellow shirt" march on Trenton and I think that was a great idea - then AND now.

And your description about the inner workings of the school system actually being more challenging than they appear to be on the outside hits it right on the head. Forget for a moment the sheer budgetary challenges a unique district like ours faces (a growing population with a maxed out number of rate-ables), the myriad of state & federal laws the Board faces alone makes the job even that much more tricky!


Dan Xavier

When I read the above quote, I just had to shake my head and chuckle....that sad kind of "I just can't believe this nonsense" type of chuckle. I take it this is a 15% "across the board" type of cut, rather than just a 20% cut to the abbott districts (which despite the hype, are tremendously overfunded) which would probably save the state the same money without hurting districts like Freehold Boro.

Brian already beat me to the punch, but I would also encourage the BOE to develop that list of mandates that are unfunded or not essential, and go straight to Trenton to start screaming that if they want to cut the funding, they have to cut the mandates as well.

I am not going to let myself get off on a rant, but this is what happens when you let government grow and grow and depend on it for more and more things than it was initially intended to supply. Peole want more and more from the government, by we always seem to forget that in order for them to supply, the money comes out of our pockets. And eventually, we get to where New Jersey is...where they are cutting funding for public schools because they have been feeding at the trough in so many other areas where government had no business being involved. Forget it...I'm going to make myself sick talking about all this.

Back to the topic at hand.

Again...I feel the BOE should develop the list, give a call to Jennifer Beck, Caroline Cassagrande, and Declan O'Scanlon and get them on your side (I should hope it won't be too difficult). From there, you take the fight to Trenton, and you take the fight to the press...because nothing makes a politician act like bad press.

Stop feeling like doing these things is somehow not the proper or professional way of doing things. Trenton, the Abbott districts, and many others in this fight are not "playing nice", so if you choose to take the high road, you're going to get trampled just like the Boro has many times in the past. The decision is yours.

I like that idea of a list of mandates the school has to follow. Would it be possible or reasonable to list all mandates to show the public what the schools BOE is faced with? It could also help get feedback from the public as to what needs to go and what needs to stay.


Mostly thinking aloud on this one.