Board of Education Sets Annual Goals

The Board of Education identified four main district goals to help guide the work of the entire school system for the 2010 - 2011 academic year during a special meeting Tuesday night.

The nine board members met with Susan McCusker, a field service representative from the New Jersey School Boards Association, which trains and supports board members and advocates for the advancement of public education. McCusker moderated the (at some points heated) discussion.

The goal that caused the most controversy at the meeting was targeting "a flat tax levy while avoiding staff layoffs and program cuts."

Board member Maureen Sullivan said she thought the goal should be to reduce taxes, while other Board members voiced their concerns about achieving a reduction while facing current financial challenges, including cuts in state aid. School Business Administrator Robert Davis, who also attended the meeting, said if the district came close to a flat tax levy, he would push for a reduction.

Board members agreed on three additional goals. They said they would like to raise test scores on the NJ ASK, the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge; the HSPA, the High School Proficiency Assessment; and the SAT. They also said they would aim to "increase parental and community involvement and improve the dissemination of district-wide information throughout the community," as well as "improve the efficiencies of building utilization as it pertains to grade levels, district lines, and programs to achieve greater cost efficiencies."

"The superintendent owns these goals," said McCusker. She explained that though the Board is responsible for achieving its annual goals, the superintendent is responsible for the way that will happen. 

By law, the Board is also required to evaluate the superintendent on a yearly basis, and half of that evaluation depends on how well Board members believe the superintendent is advancing district goals.

At the meeting, Board members also set goals for themselves. McCusker suggested that hiring a new superintendent should be their top priority. Peter Carter is still the interim, because candidate Frank Romano—who had been hired by the board—withdrew himself from the position in March. 

McCusker added that she knows ultimately adopting any goal is entirely up to the Board, but in her experience, hiring new leadership was critical for other boards in the state. "That's the most important job you do as a board of education," she said. Board members agreed and said they would also like to develop a better system for tracking progress on district goals.

The Board also reviewed its self-evaluation of its work during the 2009-2010 academic year. Five Board members filled out the evaluation, said McCusker, and overall, scores were high. "[There's] nothing new here in particular," said McCusker, "no areas that are absolutely drastic." She added that the evaluation revealed "some areas of real improvement," especially in developing Board relations with the superintendent. However, according to the evaluation, said McCusker, the Board needs improvement in board performance, how well the Board members work together, and student achievement.

In addition to setting goals, the Board identified board challenges: student achievement, finding a superintendent, community relations, and funding.

"Every board in the state of New Jersey is thinking about money," said McCusker, " and if you're not, you've got your head in the sand."

Board members also discussed district challenges, which included the lack of state funding and changing state mandates, as well as increasing pre-school enrollment, getting parents more involved, and communicating with the community.

Board members said district accomplishments from last year included getting control of finances, decreasing the budget, and passing the budget. Establishing the laptop program, beginning to implement the Advanced Placement program at the high school, and hiring a director of curriculum and three new principals also made the list.