District Will Use Private Company for Policy Manuals

In an effort to have control over the policy and regulation manuals for the school district, the Marlboro Board of Education has opted out of using the services of the NJ School Boards Association and begin using a Strauss Esmay.

The board decided Strauss Esmay was an efficient way to easily update and review district policy. The board can also customize material for Marlboro Township, but Strauss Esmay also creates general manuals that can conform to many districts around the state.

"Before, this Board of Education has tended to take the policies and modify them in more significant ways," Superintendent Dr. David Abbott.

Abbott said Strauss Esmay has its own attorneys, which means the board would not have to send policy changes to the district attorneys, but that will not impact current policies and regulations. The use of Strauss Esmay's attorneys could positively impact the bottom line cost for the district attorney fees.

"They really are the experts, and they are not going to come to boards of education and change what [the district] has paid attorneys and paid other policy people to look at," Abbot said. "But it will be a much more efficient way of doing policies."

Strauss Esmay Associates is also used by the Freehold Regional High School District. Board member Bonnie Sue Rosenwald, who also served on the Freehold Regional High School District board, said the company also puts out alerts to its clients when policies change throughout the state, and the format of policies is customizable.

"The good thing about Strauss Esmay is that they are a team of lawyers who are constantly looking at lawsuits and issues within school districts, so they have two sets of policies...mandated and recommended," she said.

Strauss Esmay is a company that develops policy and regulation manuals for over 400 school districts in NJ, according to its website.