Candidate Profile: Public Should Vote on Budget, BOE Member Says

Seeking his third consecutive three-year term on the Washington Township Schools Board of Education, David Chance Healy is one of four candidates vying for three seats in the Nov. 4 Election.

Healy, a married father of four, moved to Long Valley in 2002. He currently co-owns a small business in Mendham. Outside his board of education duties, Healy has volunteered as a youth basketball and baseball coach for more than a decade in Washington Township. He also most recently served as Vice President of the Long Valley Baseball Club.

Patch asked candidates questions for this profile piece leading up to the election. Healy’s answers are below, unedited.

Patch: Why are you running for the board of education?
David Healy: I am running for a seat on the Board of Education again to help continue our goal of creating one of the most dynamic and effective school districts in the state of NJ. Since I was first elected in 2008, our Board has worked very effectively and efficiently in, first and foremost, delivering a high-performing curriculum for our students with a responsibly designed budget for our tax payers. We have made great progress – but there is exciting work to be done which I’d love to be a part of.

Patch: What changes, if any, would you hope to implement over the next three years as a member of the board?
DH: With regard to changes I’d like to see in the District, there are several. First, we have great space and facilities here in Washington Township. It’s critical that we ensure for our taxpayers that our schools are operating at functional capacity. If not, how do we adjust accordingly in the most efficient and effective manner to the district without compromising our primary goal of providing an elite public education. Further, can we use our facilities outside of the traditional ways to offset our expenses (which will help mitigate the tax burden)? For example, I’d like to explore allowing outside, private youth organizations (club teams, AAU teams, etc) to rent our facilities when our students are not using them. Revenue could also be derived from educational training programs, social and community events, performing arts, online schools, etc.

Patch: In 2016 the board of education will have the ability to change the district’s vote for members and budget back to April after it was switched in 2012. How would you vote, and why?
DH: I still believe the taxpayers should have the ability to decide where their tax dollars go. With that, taxpayers should be able to vote on the school budget as well as the municipal budget. I also believe a cap should remain in place. The current 2% cap is reasonable - I think smart, forward-thinking leadership, such as ours, will continue to provide cutting-edge deliverables to our students, staff and administration under Governor Christie’s mandate.

Patch: What is the biggest misstep the board has made in the last one to two years? What vote did it make – or not make – that negatively impacted the district?
DH: Our current board operates at a very high level. We respectfully disagree occasionally but fundamentally we all are parents and taxpayers, so we all appreciate and respect other perspectives. Our leadership team is exceptional - I’m confident we’re as effective as any Board & Administration you’ll find anywhere. However, I’m not in favor of taking the vote away from taxpayers on the school budget. At my core, I feel the democratic process should supersede whenever possible. Taxpayers pay more than our fair share of taxes in this state, it’s nice to have some influence, however small, in where it’s spent.

Patch: Over the next half decade, enrollment is projected to decline at a consistent rate. What should the district do, if anything, to accommodate this situation by not leaving classrooms or school buses empty?
DH: We are keenly aware of the declining enrollment and contingency plans are being discussed to address the situation. However, I’m not completely satisfied with the demographic projections. Much of the declining enrollment can be attributed to the poor economy in recent years - that’s a major, complicated component for a demographer to project. Making a hasty decision to close a school could ultimately cost the district more money if we had to re-open a school or expand an existing one. Major decisions need to be given careful analysis and deliberation. For example, projected Kindergarten enrollment for school year 2014-2015, according to the demographic study, was to be 164 students - our current enrollment is 194. A difference of nearly 20%.

Patch: Faced with the 2-percent tax cap in the state of New Jersey, what ways will you, as a board member, be sure to keep taxpayers’ funds used properly, especially in the light of declining enrollment?
DH: I believe the 2% mandate to be very reasonable. Since I was elected to the Board in 2008, our overall budget has been under 2% each year. In fact, with the exception of our current school year budget (which allowed for us to add major security upgrades to many of our buildings), our overall budget has decreased from the previous year’s since I’ve chaired the finance committee. I see no reason why we can’t continue to keep the budget under 2% in the near future barring an extraordinary event.

Further, with the proliferation of technology, there are more efficient, cost-effective ways to deliver almost everything. Our current district technology team is one of the most enterprising in the state - they are consistently on the leading edge of what’s available and how to do things better. Our outstanding staff and facilities continue to evolve and adapt to the digital world. Doing more with less has become the norm for every sector of society, including education.