School Board Candidates Make Public Pitch

With the , seven of the eight school board candidates got their chance to get out their message at Meet the Candidates Night at West Deptford High School Monday night.

Their pitches, to about two dozen members of the community who were sprinkled throughout the auditorium, ranged on myriad topics, everything from concerns over the amount of communication from the current board, to budget concerns to what the board is actually able to do.

The one concern they all had in common? The cost of education.

Incumbents Ginny Brockway and Dr. Brian Gotchel both said the current board has worked tirelessly to keep costs as low as possible, without hurting educational and extracurricular activities.

Gotchel said that, before being elected, he shared many of the concerns of the public as to where the millions of dollars the board budgets each year actually goes.

“After nine years, I realize that money is well-spent,” he said. He added that the only debt the school district carries is a pair of referenda from the 1990s, which will both be paid off in the coming years.

“If that’s not being responsible with your tax dollars, I don’t know what is,” Gotchel said.

Brockway added that the board works hours–many more than she initially thought she’d spend, before being elected–behind the scenes to work out a responsible budget.

“This is a very difficult job, given today’s economic climate,” she said.

Challenger Peter Guzzetti talked about the need for balance between costs and quality, something he does daily, managing a $160 million budget for Siemens AG.

“I believe that translates well to the role of a school board member,” he said.

Challenger John Hayden, the lone board candidate who is opposed to this year’s budget, hammered on the fact that the school budget has gone up every year over the past decade, and said he thinks many voters are frustrated with the process, where even if the budget is defeated at the polls, township government can still increase the school tax levy, as they did last year.

“It’s out of our hands,” Hayden said.

The other challengers–Cathleen Ryer, Nancy Reeves and Kate Cargill–all said they support the budget the board put forth this year, though Cargill said she’d like more information on what goes into the budget.

And Cargill and Hayden both took the current board to task for what they saw as a lack of communication. Hayden cited an incident where he brought up concerns over transportation policies, and instead of getting an answer from the board, got a letter from the board’s attorney. Hayden said that was just one incident among many, though.

“After watching people parade up last year in opposition to both the budget and tax increase and grade-level schools, and the board seemingly ignoring all of the concerns of the residents, I started thinking that maybe this was the time to run,” he said.

Cargill echoed Hayden, and said board members need to do more to illuminate the public on the decisions they make.

“I think there’s a huge disconnect between what the public wants the Board of Education to do, and what the Board of Education is actually able to do,” she said. “One thing I know they can do better is to promote communication.”

Reeves and Ryer, who both have children in the school system, focused more on students in their remarks.

Reeves, who is an adjunct professor at several local universities, said she wants to see the school district give its students the skills they need to succeed both in college and adult life.

“As an educator, I feel the importance of a good educational path, set early, cannot be overstated,” she said. “We don’t want to shortchange our kids.”

Ryer said she wants to represent the interests of younger parents, whose children, like her oldest, are just just entering the school system.

“I believe that I can bring a fresh, new perspective,” Ryer said.

Absent from the evening was first-time school board candidate Matthew Burns.