Choral Director Position Reduced to Part-Time, Director Brzozowski Resigns, and Students Speak Out

Correction appended.

Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School students stole the stage and rallied applause at a hot and crowded Board of Education meeting Thursday night. Only one night after graduation, students and their families came out in defense of John Brzozowski, the choral director at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School who recently resigned.

Students and parents said that Brzozowski resigned because he felt "insecure" with his job. Emails sent to Brzozowski, as well as phone calls placed to numbers listed with the name Brzozowski, were not returned.

Due to the recent budget cuts, the Board reduced Brzozowski's salary by twenty percent, offering him a part-time job, instead of a fulltime job. The Board also cut two of his classes.

"After the district lost $3.8M of state aid funding, we were forced to eliminate programs, positions, and services in many areas," Board of Education president Trip Whitehouse wrote in an email. "The initial $2.2M of reductions that were made prior to the budget being presented to the voters did not include the reduction of this position. After the budget was defeated by the voters, and the councils of Fanwood and Scotch Plains determined the budget needed to decrease an additional $860,000, we were forced to look at more services, programs, and positions. During this time, music ($26k) and sports ($100k) were impacted, we removed building roofing work that was needed, we cut back on further support staff, and we eliminated additional outside support services... the Department of Education has had districts looking at classes that are under-subscribed. The criteria they use is 15 students. "Rock to Bach", a course Mr. Brzozowski was teaching, was one of the courses that was eliminated based on this criteria."

About 24 SPFHS students attended the meeting Thursday. Those who spoke pointed to the three choir groups that Brzozowski started, the five total that he directed, and his willingness to meet with students during lunch and after school. 

"You're going to pay someone 80 percent and you're going to get 80 percent," Jon Kosenick, a former SPFHS student, said to the board. "I hope you're okay with that." 

Rising-junior Rob Colonna agreed. "I'd hate to see the music department be ripped up more than it already has been," he said.

Superintendant Margaret Hayes acknowledged Brzozowski's accomplishments. "John goes above and beyond in many ways, as do many of our teachers." But she explained that because Brzozowski had the least seniority in the music department, it was his position that the Board had to reduce.

Brzozowski accepted a fulltime position working in the music department at Westfield High School. 

Stay tuned to Patch for more details on last week's Board of Education meeting, including recent hires and departures by district teachers and administrators. 

Editor's note: An earlier version of this article included a statement that John Brzozowski was not tenured. That statement was not accurate – Brzozowski was tenured.