Colts Neck School Referendum meeting:

These are my public comments from the Colts Neck Schools referendum information session that took place on Tuesday, September 25, 2018. I was very surprised that the Board of Education was not present, and that my comments had to be directed to the superintendent and administrative staff. There were board members in the audience.

"Even those of us who would support necessary educational expenditures and upgrades are quite surprised that the public has been given a one-hour time frame to express its views.

We have many questions, and between now and next Tuesday there is no time to adequately answer them all. And, more importantly, there is no time for the board to go back to the drawing board and come back with a more sensible proposal.

A true public hearing would have given the board ample time to hear the public, answer questions, and revise the referendum question if need be. Instead, there seems to have been an underground effort to hard sell this to only those that would be a yes vote. It is my understanding as well, that residents have been directed to the Township Committee for questions regarding this issue. Why, since the school board is a completely different taxing entity?

For whatever it is worth, I and many others are offended that you think so little of us that you would proceed in such a manner; that we are led to believe that we will lose all state aid (which I am not convinced of) if we do not proceed with the entire project now; that you did not give such a large expenditure of our money a full-fledged public hearing.

I believe that fully advertised public hearings by public entities inspire confidence in their leadership, and are in the best interest of the public. It is a shame if our citizens lose confidence in your leadership.

Rose Ann Scotti

Former Mayor, Board of Education President