When I was growing up, my Dad was a general contractor, and he liked to use his four sons as cheap labor. I spent many summer days cleaning up job sites, usually doing things like sweeping up rooms or picking up scrap wood. The tasks seemed endless, especially since we didn’t have any official “work hours,” so I often asked my Dad when we could go home. He always said the same thing.
“We work until the job is done.”
Lately, that job has been a $40 million renovation project to enhance our school facilities. We’ve made a lot of great progress, staying on track and staying on budget. But the projects financed by the referendum won’t be completed until the fall of 2020. After asking voters to put their trust in the board to see this project to the end, I just couldn’t walk away in good conscience.
So we work until the job is done.
But here is another reason why I want to continue to serve on the school board. In these polarizing times, we need open-minded, independent voices who seek solutions, rather than push political agendas. Through collaboration and cooperation, we’ve accomplished a lot during my nine-year tenure on the board:
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- introduced full day kindergarten
- implemented a rotating schedule in both the Satz and High School to allow greater flexibility and more curriculum choices for students of all talents and attributes.
- improved district facilities and infrastructure
- expanded athletic and artistic offerings for our students
- invested in technology enhancements
- implemented significant conservation-related savings
- reduced operating expenses
- recruited top administrative talent
- achieved fair and equitable contracts for our school staff
- delivered budgets at or below the state-mandated two-percent cap.
The completion of the Holmdel 2020 initiative isn’t an end, but a new beginning as we tap into the full potential of our new academic and athletic facilities. I promise to continue to work with our administrators and our teachers to ensure we have the right resources, the right curriculum, and the right educational strategies, so that our students are prepared to succeed in a changing world.
I’m still excited by the opportunities ahead, and with your support on November 5th, I hope to make good one of the best lessons my Dad ever taught me.
We work until the job is done.
Thank you.
Mike
