Monday’s Monroe Township Board of Education meeting included a few contentious moments as residents expressed their displeasure with personnel changes for the 2020-21 school year and board members debated a proposed change regarding evening off-campus school events such as prom.
The board unanimously approved the transfer of six assistant principals to different buildings, effective July 1. Williamstown High School Assistant Principal David Babich will move to Williamstown Middle School, while James Collins will move from the middle school to the high school. Sally Ann Fox will move from her position as assistant principal of Holly Glen and Oak Knoll elementary schools to Williamstown Middle School. Laura Gore will shift from Radix and Whitehall elementaries to a position with Radix and Holly Glen. Kathleen McKinney will shift from the middle school to the high school, and Caroline Yoder will go from the high school to Oak Knoll and Whitehall elementary schools. Collins, Fox and Gore will remain 10-month assistant principals, while Babich, McKinney and Yoder will remain in 12-month positions.
With the board meeting held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, residents were asked to submit public comments through a form on the school district website. Most of the comments were related to the personnel changes, with residents questioning the timing of the decisions. Business Administrator and board Secretary Lisa Schulz read the comments.
“With all of the uncertainty our kids are facing, is this really the appropriate time to make drastic changes in the schools?” questioned resident Deb DeFelice in her comment.
The board passed the personnel changes without any deliberation. Board Solicitor Sanu Dev said the board and administration could not reply to the statements from residents because they involved personnel matters.
Earlier in the meeting, the board engaged in a lengthy debate on a resolution it ultimately opted to table. An item in the School Programs and Policy portion of the agenda would require “evening, co-curricular events in which students provide their own transportation, including but not limited to proms, semi-formals and dances, be held at venues no farther than 25 miles from Williamstown.”
Board member Therese Bonmati, chairperson of the school programs and policy committee, said the change was proposed as a safety measure as members had concerns about students driving home from events such as prom at late hours. The 2020 Williamstown High School Junior-Senior Prom was to be held at the Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel, and the event took place there in 2017 as well. Driving distance between the high school and Sheraton is about 42 miles, with the vast majority of the drive taking place on the Atlantic City Expressway.
“We were looking at how far Williamstown is to Atlantic City and the Atlantic City Expressway itself,” Bonmati said. “We didn’t feel like it was in the best interest of the safety of the students.”
Multiple board members expressed concerns with the change. Board member Frank Torcasio immediately informed the board he would vote no on the item, calling it “micromanaging.” He also questioned the 25-mile limit and why the decision was made to include it.
Board Vice President Jeff Simpler said the Williamstown High School Site Council, a group of stakeholders including parents, students, staff, administrators and board members, was not presented with the proposed change prior to it appearing before the board. He felt the board needed to get more feedback before voting on a proposal.
Board member Mike D’Andrea also commented on the item, noting many students don’t necessarily come home after the prom.
“A good portion of the students, as you know, stay down the shore,” D’Andrea said. “Rather than have someone drive to West Philly at the Please Touch Museum all the way home and then still have to drive all the way down to a place like Wildwood, it could potentially make the situation worse.”
D’Andrea added a better solution may be to have the district run school buses to and from the prom. With multiple members unwilling to approve the resolution, the board opted to table the matter. It unanimously approved all of the other items on the agenda.
Toward the end of the meeting, the board moved approved a new interim superintendent as it continues its search for a permanent replacement. The board approved the hiring of Thomas Coleman at a per diem rate of $625. Coleman previously served as superintendent of the Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional School District for eight years, retiring in July of 2017.
The school district will hold a virtual meeting on Wednesday, April 29, from 7 to 8 p.m. to gain input from the community on its superintendent search. Terri Lewis, the district’s search consultant from the New Jersey School Boards Association, will explain the search process and collect input. Residents who wish to participate must fill out a Google Form at www.monroetwp.k12.nj.us by Monday, April 27, at noon.
The board has scheduled the public hearing for its 2020-21 budget for Thursday, May 7. Schulz said she plans to give a slideshow presentation about the budget at the meeting. Executive session will take place at 6 p.m., with the regular meeting expected to start at about 7 p.m. Residents can view the meeting at https://sites.google.com/monroetwp.k12.nj.us/mtpsboe.
