Tuesday Night’s School Board Meeting (Feb. 14) could be Decisive

There is a great deal hanging on the eventual outcome of whether or not the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education should move the election of its school board members (including the annual fate of the budget) from April to November. 

Evan Lerner on Feb. 6, as he addresses the Bridgewater
Township Council concerning shifting the school
candidates election from April to November, and
eliminating the public vote on the school budget.
(Dick Bergeron Image)

The most critical impact that this change would have is that you, the voter, will be completely disenfranchised from casting your vote on the budget.  The second most critical impact is the possibility that having board candidates up for election in November might politicize the workings of the school board.

There has been no lack of strong, impassioned views by either side on those two issues.

The BR-BOE first discussed this topic on January 24^th at its meeting in the Wade Building.  Below are a few excerpts from those discussions.

Jill Gladstone:  “I don’t like this bill. I don’t think that it’s right to take the public’s vote away [from the budget,]” while adding that voting on it provides another check and balance on the process.  She emphasized that the legislation “was rushed through quickly . . . I think we should wait a year and see how it works out in other districts.”


Arvind Mathur:  “She [Jill] just stole my speech.  I think I’m on the fence, but I think we should wait a year to see how it works out.  I don’t think there is a hard-pressed need to do it now.”

Jeffrey Brookner:  “I think we should do it and we should do it now.”  Mr. Brookner also spoke of how a small margin of voters could have a decisive impact on the budget’s outcome, resulting in potentially “significant cuts,” and that “to put a small margin [of voters] in the position of cutting the budget is irresponsible.  For us to consider that a true public vote is a farce.”

Ann Marie Meade:  “I don’t know yet.  I’m tending [to view this] like Jill."

Patrick Breslin:  “I think that the greatest danger is an increase in partisanship.” 

Responding to the notion that people can never seem to get the date and time of the April election school elections straight in their minds, Mr. Breslin dismissed that view:  “In these two communities, [Bridgewater and Raritan], the date is well-known."

Addressing the position that there is a built-in safeguard to excessive budget spending because of the 2% cap, Mr. Breslin emphasized that “It is a current cap,” stating that under the new format, if that is what the board chooses, “A cap will no longer be a cap – it will be a target,” possibly implying that even though the full 2% increase may not be needed, school boards will aim for the 2% limit.

Referring to the community’s ability to vote on the school budget, he underscored his preference that “I like that our feet come to the fire.”

Cindy Cullen:  “I agree with Arvind.  We should wait.”

Dan Petrozelli:  “I think the turnout [of voters at school elections] is very low . . . it is kind of buried in April.”  Nonetheless, Mr. Petrozelli concluded with, “I don’t think it would kill us to wait a year.”

Lynne Hurley:  “My biggest fear is the partisanship thing; that’s why I’m waffling . . . on the fence.”

Evan Lerner:  “As of the moment, I’m inclined to do it presently . . . what’s better for the kids [is] that the budget never fails.  If it fails, we will get whacked.” 

Mr. Lerner also discussed his view that Superintendent Dr. Michael Schilder and School Business Administrator, Mr. Peter Starrs, together with the school board are better prepared to decide on its appropriateness than the public at large.

“We are a fiscally responsible board; we are accountable to the public.  My bottom line is what’s better for the kids and who is better able to craft a budget,” adding that “it’s nice to think that we can pass a budget.”

Arvind Mathur:  “I think that it would help us to pass a budget, but we can do it [at a level] of 1.5% [instead of the current budget which is at the 2% cap] to show appreciation.”  (Jill Gladstone had previously mentioned that possibility.)

At this point, near the end of the board’s discussion, President Evan Lerner invited the superintendent to offer his view:

Dr. Michael Schilder:  “This is not a new topic . . . the governor’s office several times put this forward.”  Referring to the budget process, Schilder added “It is very slow . . . it is not good for the kids . . . a board of ed. spends four to five months developing a budget . . . the budget is defeated – I just don’t see how this helps kids.”

He said “The whole system is unfair to board members . . . [and] town councils . . .” noting, “I understand some of the drawbacks.”

Cindy Cullen:  While summing up her view that “We would have a change in dynamics [if the school elections were moved to November,] Cullen stressed that under the current system of voting in April, “At least the parents are familiar . . . I would rather have a vote of 12% to 15% [of people] who are informed."

Dr. Michael Schilder:  “I have a sharp counter [response], but I won’t go there.”

Those comments are a brief glimpse into one part of the last public Bridgewater-Raritan Board discussion on this topic.  The BR-BOE meets again Tuesday, February 14^th (Valentine’s Day!) to continue the discussion and, possibly, to bring it to a final vote.

Since the school board’s last meeting on January 24^th, the Raritan Borough Council was reported to be unanimously in favor of moving the school elections to November.  Ann Marie Mead is Raritan Borough’s elected representative on the school board.

However, the Bridgewater Township Council subsequently decided at its last meeting on Monday, February 6^th, to defer the decision to the Bridgewater-Raritan School Board.  Evan Lerner spoke and took questions at that meeting.