Mountainside BOE Fights Back

President of the Board of Education James Ruban, Vice President Christopher Minks and several other members of the Board of Education are fighting back, refuting the claims made by two former Board members who resigned in the last two weeks because of alleged conflicts between the new leadership and senior board members.

Mary Beth Schaumberg, who announced her resignation from the BOE after 11 years of service including terms as President and Vice President, and Carolyn Williams, who announced her resignation on August 24, each spoke out against the new leadership on the Board of Education, citing the lack of transparency, respect for others, and disregard for the Board’s history as primary reasons for their resignations. 

One claim made by Schaumberg in her Letter to the Editor was that a newly elected member of the Board serving in a leadership position questioned her integrity, accusing Schaumberg of “intentionally misleading the community about fiscal savings realized during the previous school year.”

Williams also made a startling claim stating that the Board was holding secret internet meetings. The allegation is serious because if proven, the Board would be in violation of the Open Public Communications Act which states that meetings with three or more Board of Education members must be open to the public to maintain a level of transparency that fairly and justly serves the community. 

In his Letter to the Editor, BOE President James Ruban gave a detailed overview of his responsibilities as Board of Education President.  Ruban seemed to have taken notice of both Schaumberg and Williams’ attacks on the Board’s issues with communication and alleged lack of transparency, combating their claims with a candid reflection of how the Board should act.

“The President should strive to foster communication among Board members; promote and create an atmosphere of spirited and public debate on the issues; and, respect dissent while working and talking through it,” Ruban said.  

Ruban went on to deflect Williams’ accusation, stating that the Board must “be willing to accept the inconveniences of too much transparency rather than suffer the consequences of too little.”

BOE Vice President Christopher Minks also submitted a reaction to Patch, striking out against those who had resigned, chastising Schaumberg and Williams for going public with their reasons for leaving “in such a destructive and divisive manner,” Minks said.  He went on to further lash out against the now former members of the Board, urging Mountainside residents to take into consideration all of the changes the new leadership has made and take a closer look at what the others had left behind.

“I ask you to arrive at independent conclusions rather than subscribing to my personal opinions contained herein, or submitting to the distorted and selective renditions of the past ten years that some have chosen to irresponsibly and inexplicably promote as fact,” Minks said. “The Board was left vulnerable and ill-prepared, as it historically chose to hide behind its then-ample reserves rather than implement sound fiscal management,” Minks said.

Vice President Minks went on to assure the public that under the current Board of Education, the children of Mountainside will continue to succeed. He continued to refute Schaumberg’s notion that new members of the Board should spend their first year in office observing and learning how the Board conducts business.

“The newer members of our Board, myself included, joined because it was evident that something was indeed very wrong, and no, we did not sit idly by as dutiful freshmen, but rather, we asked the hard and often unpleasant questions, challenged the status quo, and have undertaken to expose and address our District's problems,” Minks said.

Ruban and Minks were not the only current members of the BOE to join the surge of attacks against the statements made by Schaumberg and Williams.

On Monday and Tuesday, BOE members Carmine Venes and Cathy Jakositz released their own statements, joining Ruban and Minks on the battlefield. While, Venes made no mention of any arguments or conflicts, he did make a point of defending the transparency of the Board.

“I have found that our new members as well as the old are all willing to come together and  compromise to reach a decision regarding what is best for our children, not through electronic meetings as has been suggested, but through the thoughtful exchange of information,” Venes said.

Reflecting on Schaumberg’s ominous statement, BOE member Cathy Jakositz’s Letter to the Editor was testament to her shock and disappointment at the words of former BOE members. 

“To incite a sense of fear within our community is unproductive and completely unprofessional,” Jakositz said. 

Furthermore, Jakositz fought back against the allegations that the Board of Education has experienced negative changes since the Board has encountered new leadership. 

“Prior to the 2010 election, the Board members who had opinions other than that of the then seated President, were treated with disdain and with an extreme lack of respect often within a hostile environment,” she said.

Jakositz also accused Schaumberg of only validating the opinions of those who have unconditionally supported her.  Jakositz concluded her letter in the same way as the first three rebuttals; with optimism and praise for the BOE of Mountainside.   

At 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 13, Board of Education Member Dante S. Gioia was also overcome with the need to defend the BOE. 

Gioia was also angered by the decisions of former BOE members to speak to the press. 

“It is disappointing that two board members resigned with less than a year left to their terms.  Resigning with comments like “the board has no plan” and “I am truly saddened and frightened by what the future holds for the Mountainside children” is nonproductive noise,” Gioia stated. 

Gioia continued the trend of supporting the current BOE while striking out against the old administration, citing phrases from Schaumberg’s letter and professing his outrage that children are still without current technology and class sizes have increased. “What was our past board’s “plan” for our children when our district was flowing with cash reserves?  How were our cash reserves depleted when there was no basic investment in technology or facilities?  Where did our money go?  And why are we asked to ignore these results?” Gioia said.

Dante Gioia and the other members who have spoken out against Schaumberg and Williams have denied allegations of conflict, lack of integrity and respect, instead stating that this was an environment open to freedom of expression and debate.

BOE President Ruban was especially committed to speaking on behalf of his Board saying, “[BOE members] must stay engaged and be a part of the process, not quit and walk away… Which action is more professional, reaching out and including those on the Board with whom you do not always agree but respect for their experience and knowledge, or resigning and simultaneously issuing a scripted, inflammatory and false letter to the editor the night before the start of a new and challenging school year?”

Schaumberg and Williams were not the first Board of Education members to tender their resignations recently.  

Thomas Conroy, who served for five years as the Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction stepped down on June 14.^. Chief School Administrator Dr. Jeanette Baubles announced her decision not to renew her contract just one month after Conroy.  

In her Letter to the Editor, Mary Beth Schaumberg stated that the fact that all of these resignations were happening so close together is “not a coincidence.”

In his Letter to the Editor, Board member Carmine Venes disputed this claim citing that some resignations were not tendered due to conflict but rather because better opportunities arose.

“Employment in a larger district is not only looked upon as a promotion, but is accompanied by a larger salary and more job security. Career moves such as these should not be taken as a personal affront by Mountainside residents, but rather as career advances based on personal decisions and career goals of the individuals,” Venes said.   

President of the Board of Education, James Ruban announced Tuesday that a special meeting of the BOE will be held on Thursday at 7:45 p.m. at the Beechwood School Susan O. Collier Media Center located at 1497 Woodacres Drive.  The meeting will mark the appointment and introduction of the new Superintendent of Schools who will replace Dr. Jeanette Baubles.

“We are excited for the Community as we make the announcement of our new Superintendent of Schools,” Ruban said. “We invite the public to attend the meeting after back to school night at Beechwood to meet and ask the new Superintendent questions about herself and her visions for the District."