BOE Responds To East Brunswick Mayor’s Criticism On New School Project

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — Responding to Mayor Brad Cohen’s criticism of the Board of Education's handling of the new high school project, the BOE said they were committed to transparency and working with the township.

During his State of the Township address, Cohen said the BOE was not being forthcoming with the high school project and questioned the need for a new building. More: BOE Must Show Why New High School Is Needed: East Brunswick Mayor

On Thursday night, Superintendent Victor Valeski responded to Cohen’s concerns saying the clock has been ticking since the implementation of the Temporary Classroom Units (TCU) at Churchill Junior High School.

“The East Brunswick Board of Education has prudently authorized the exploration of a new high school concept. With associated community use features our high school has been renovated and modified over its lifespan. But like any aging facility, the tangible intangible cost of continuing to maintain it must be carefully weighed against replacing it,” Valeski said.

The Superintendent noted that the Board was investigating the plan for a new high school, soliciting feedback, planning, designing, and marshaling support for a new project.

“Let me be very clear, a new high school is not a foregone conclusion. It is an option the Board is considering," Valeski said. “I want to also be clear that communication with a variety of stakeholder groups is paramount. We will continue to execute the same transparency with the township and EB school community as we do with the pandemic and in subsequent recovery phases.”

The Board has appointed an ad hoc committee to research ideas for the possibility of a new high school. This committee includes township officials, business leaders and community members.

The work of this group was designed as the beginning of the multiple outreaches to the community planned by the school district.

“Our township residents absolutely need to know the cost value feasibility and durability of a variety of construction options and their associated costs. Our Board of Education administration remains committed to that transparency, as we always have,” Valeski said.

The Superintendent said the 9-12 school needs to be designed for 50-year use and it needs to be evaluated with the same rigor that is applied to other facilities.

“We continue to exercise due diligence as we evaluate multiple approaches to this high school vision and represent the current and forecasted needs of the entire EB community,” Valeski said.

Meanwhile, Board President Laurie Lachs said the Mayor was “out of line” in his comments and did not ask the BOE to work with him on the project.

“We are in the planning process, and the ad hoc committee is there to do just that. We have engaged not only all the different stakeholders from different areas of the township, but we've got multiple people from his office,” Lachs said. “I feel like we're the ones that are not invited to the table.”

Lachs noted that the Board was made up of unpaid volunteers who are dedicated to making the school district better.

“I truly feel that the Mayor was out of line in his comments,” Lachs said. “We are second and third-generation East Brunswick students and alumni. And the reason that we are up here is because we want to make sure that our children and grandchildren have the same that we had, and better.”

Lachs also referred to the mayor’s criticism as a “declaration of war” on the BOE.

“We’d like to work with the town, we’d like to work with the Mayor. I don’t want to be held hostage and be told that he's going to hold back funds if he doesn’t like what we’re doing,” Lachs said.

The Board president said that although she liked the idea of a community center, she did not feel having it on school grounds was appropriate. She told the township and Mayor that the BOE's "doors are open" to communication and collaboration.

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