BOE Candidate Profile: Frank Pannucci, Jr.

Editor's Note: Each of the 11 candidates running for a seat on the township's Board of Education responded to a questionnaire sent by Brick Patch. Their answers to our questions will be published on our site verbatim. Candidate profiles, in alphabetical order according to last name, will appear through Friday until all have been published. We have disabled comments on profile articles to ensure the candidates' statements speak for themselves and readers can decide, without additional, anonymous commentary, their view on those running for office.

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Full Name: Frank Pannucci, Jr.

Current Age : 33
Current Occupation: Director of Accounts, BTMUA

Highest Level of Education Achieved (optional: include degree/institution)

Master’s Degree in Public Administration, Seton Hall University ‘08
Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, Seton Hall University ‘03
Brick Memorial High School ‘98

Are you employed by a public school district?

NO

Have you ever previously held an elected office in Brick or elsewhere?

NO

Questions:

Question 1: The issue of school district facilities is frequently on the minds on Brick residents. Please describe your specific priorities in terms of where tax dollars and capital funding should be directed for facilities projects. Do you favor looking into the possibility of holding a referendum for a future capital outlay?

Holding the line on property taxes is first and foremost a priority in today’s economic times. With that being said, we are handcuffed by trying to balance the needs of an ageing school district with the already strained wallets of the taxpayers.

Funding for facilities projects should be directed on a needs basis. A proper five year capital plan addressing areas with the most dire need should be formulated and most importantly adhered to. Our infrastructure is in complete disrepair and we are currently hundreds of millions of dollars behind in repair costs and each year that increases because the current board hasn’t addressed this issue on a wide range scale. Instead of putting money into our failing boilers, AC units and roofs the direction was instead to go with easier projects like new bleachers, a new track and a new gym floor. These are great projects in and of themselves and I won’t say where not needed, but seriously fail in comparison to the more pressing infrastructure issues that will surely come to roost if not addressed now. A new gym floor is great until the roof covering it starts to leak and the boilers heating the gym fail completely. Further, these projects where paid for with one shot money that will not be around in the future. Currently there is a list of small projects but no money to pay for them. Money from past Boards’ savings in switching health plans and dangerously depleting the surplus have been paying for these small projects and this money is about to run out, all without touching the larger ones, hardly a proper capital plan. I can create a proper capital plan that will responsibly and in an affordable way address our issues over a period of time. This is what I am trained in. I have a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from one of the best M.P.A. programs in the country.

In regards to a referendum, the answer in today’s economic times has to be no. The answer for today and the immediate future is to have a proper, realistic, needs based capital plan putting the proper amount of money aside every year to address these major infrastructure problems before it gets to the point where there is no going back, which is coming quickly if we do not act now.

Question 2: Some members of the community have voiced concern over the rigor of the district’s academic program, as well as the availability of honors and advanced placement courses at the high school level. What specific policy steps do you feel the district should be taking to ensure students receive a rigorous and competitive college preparatory education in our public school system?

A solid public school system is the cornerstone of any good community. When schools prosper Brick as a whole will prosper. With that being said, the curriculum of the district needs to be streamlined in its goals and those goals need to be district wide. Currently we have 13 different schools, 8 elementary schools including the PLC, the EEC, 2 middles schools and two high schools. While all of these schools have great staffs and willing children, what they lack is a clear and decisive district wide goal stemming from the Central Administration and the Board of Education. Brick Township schools should have academic plans in place starting from kindergarten straight through high school seniors. We shouldn’t be hearing Brick’s students are better educated than Brick Memorial’s and vice versa. If you are a Brick Township School System student, you should be getting a stellar and equal education period and this is accomplished by a cohesive district wide plan.

Currently the board is adhering to the status quo of current state mandates which are forcing certain scores in certain areas to go up minimally by nature of the mandate, but the district currently hasn’t tried to get ahead of the curve. Our State, not the current board, has implemented The New Jersey Common Core State Standards Initiative which is a step in the right direction, but hardly scratches the surface of what is needed. Our high schools are still ranked lower than most school districts in the State. We need more Advanced Placement and Honors courses in a wide array of subjects to be able to prepare students for College. We also need to bolster the AP and Honors courses we already have. New courses are needed but we also need to fill the ones we already have. By challenging students early in middle and high schools, they will be more prepared for college. Students change their majors once or twice, but there is no need for a student to change majors a dozen times wasting precious money in college. We can fix that now by emphasizing proper college preparatory work and forming mentorships and partnerships with NJ colleges with mentoring programs and pathways for acceptance much like Ocean County College has done for Rutgers and Kean Universities. In addition for those students interested and talented in certain trades, we should be working more closely with vocational schools to encourage and ensure proper apprenticeships and avenues for successful careers in their chosen fields. These students should not be left out of the mix.

Question 3: Full day kindergarten is becoming more common in public school districts, and there is the possibility that the state could mandate its availability in the coming years. Describe your support for, or opposition to, such a program in Brick. If it becomes a mandate, what approach would you take towards implementing a cost effective full-day kindergarten program for the Brick district?

There’s no doubt in my mind sooner than later full day Kindergarten is going to be mandated in the State of NJ. This will not happen “tomorrow” but it will happen. It will be our job as Board members now to get ahead of the curve and plan for it. Personally I feel that full day Kindergarten is the right direction to take without a doubt, but I am hesitant to promise it can happen “tomorrow” without knowing how to pay for it. Currently there is no way to pay for it without redistributing resources or having a hefty tax increase in the immediate future, both of which I am against. The best ways to pay for this in the future is one, to have an open line with our State Legislators to make sure we are getting our fair share of State Aid to coincide with these mandates, often which are underfunded.

The current board has not opened these lines of communication up. I grew tired of talking about not getting our fair share and recently requested a meeting with one of our State representatives to talk about this very issue. His response was that in Trenton they hear consistently from urban school districts but never from towns like Brick on a continual and consistent basis. We just don’t make enough noise there. I promise to make all the noise I can and bring Brick the money we deserve. A lot of the money we pay goes to Abbott districts like Camden and Trenton. You work hard for your money and the taxes you pay should be coming right back here. The other option is to open up a dialogue with our local business community to start bringing in new and creative ways to raise revenue without raising taxes.

Question 4: It is no secret that New Jersey – specifically, its suburban communities – has the nation’s highest property taxes. What specific ideas do you have to generate revenue or realize savings in order to stabilize the tax rate, while maintaining a proper scholastic program for students?

Many districts around the State have been capitalizing on extra funds by having open relationships with their local business communities. In a town of 75,000 residents, we have a thriving and most importantly willing local business network that would love not only to enter into partnerships such as advertising with our district, but would also offer vital mentorships with students teaching them valuable lessons in business and life. This is an idea I have been after for years. Our local economy and our schools are linked closer together than people think. This adds to my sentiment that when a school district prospers and excels, so does the community as a whole.

Other avenues of bringing in much needed revenue that do not equate to increased taxes are energy savings by multiple energy savings projects, the selling of the dilapidated Laurelton School on Rt. 88 in Brick that is no longer in use, a bigger emphasis on shared services with not just Brick but other communities and as I’ve mentioned in an earlier question we need to strengthen our presence in Trenton and give our local State Representatives the support they need in bringing our fair share back to our community. Additionally, grants will play a large part in bringing in funds. It’ll be my role as a Board Member to give our schools and faculty all the support and tools necessary to receive as many grants possible. There are so many out there that we are simply not capitalizing on.