BOE of 08-29-2012

The BOE of August 29, 2012 I went to the BOE on the evening of Wednesday August 29, 2012.  The agenda can be found at:http://www.woboe.org/Board/Board%20Agendas/Agendas%20for%202012-2013/WOB...   Also, this will be on TV on Comcast and FIOS in West Orange in a few days. A few Notes: A change order doubling the cost on the water proofing work at Roosevelt Middle School  was at issue.  I questioned why the district is not contracting out the job in right way from the start.  The Board tabled payment to Drill Construction, from the agenda.The BOE decided to spend money to send children to Rocking Horse Rehab. This is better known as the horse stables on Woodland Ave near Prospect Ave.  This is for “Hippnotherapy” or the use of horses as a therapy method for children with medical and education issues. I call it spend taxpayers money, put kids on a horse and hope it improves educational outcomes.  I objected the board approved it. I know of no longitudinal studies showing long terms educational improvement by this type of therapy. Sometimes the BOE should question an IPE (Individual Learning Plan.) The child study team that made the plan might have gotten wrong or have a built in bias. (See www.rockinghorserehab.com).  Decide for your self if this is an appropriate use of tax dollars. I noted a lot of hiring on the agenda. I did not say anything on this at the meeting about this but employee head count is not being controlled.  Were all the jobs on the agenda truly needed to run the schools?  We have over 1,000 employees at the BOE and less then 7,000 students. How many do we need?  I like teachers and I like our schools but the tax base has limits. I spoke publicly on the record to Interim Superintendent O’Neal.  I noted that in West Orange average household income is about $90,000.00 and average property tax bills are about $12,000.00. Most of that tax is for schools.  I noted costs need to be controlled. In his retort he indicated that the state funding formula as the problem. In truth the state funding formula needs fixing. Citizens in towns like West Orange pay significant amount in sales tax and income tax send it to Trenton and get very little back form the state for the local schools.. However, we in West Orange don’t need to spend over $21,000 per student we can control cost locally.Adam