School Board Reorganizes, Some Debate Ensues

Members of the held their organizational meeting Thursday night where newly reelected incumbents took their oaths of office and members chose a president and vice president. The decisions were not unanimous, however, and members said they were not happy with the school election campaigns last month.

Barbara Gregory, Darlene Mandeville, Lee-Ann Schaadt and Susan Swietkowski all took the oath of office for their board seats. After they were sworn in, nominations for president and vice president were entertained.

The board voted Carol Mountain to the position of president and Paul Liddy to vice president. Liddy was previously president and Mountain was vice president. Both votes were 7-2. Joseph Blundo nominated Mandeville for president and Mandeville nominated Blundo for vice president. The two voted for themselves and each other when roll call was taken.

Mountain thanked members of the board for their support. "I'm very, very excited about what we're doing," she said. "I'm looking forward to the board working together, brainstorming and sharing ideas. And working toward the same common goals: our school district, our students, our staff."

Also during the organizational meeting, Mandeville asked if members of the board would consider having work session meetings in addition to the monthly Board of Education meetings "enabling more time for board members, as well as the public, to be able to discuss the things that are coming up on the agenda that are going to be voted for." She said other districts in the area, including River Dell, Emerson, Pascack Valley Regional and Ridgewood, have work sessions.

Mountain suggested accepting the meeting schedule as it was written for 2011-2012 and having further discussion at a later date. She said if the majority of the board wanted to amend the schedule, that could be done. Board members unanimously accepted the meeting schedule as written.

There was some debate over a motion to have the district join the Garden State Coalition of Schools (GSCS) for $1,850. Blundo said he was unsure what the group stood for and said he hadn't received any information about the organization.

Superintendent Geoffrey Zoeller explained that the education advocacy group has been in existence for nearly 20 years and is a non-partisan organization that lobbies for educational issues. He explained that the district had previously been a member of Dollar$ and Sense, which was a local Bergen County group. Zoeller said Dollar$ and Sense folded into the statewide GSCS.

Mandeville suggested tabling the motion to the next board meeting so everyone had an opportunity to research GSCS, but the board voted 7-2, with Mandeville and Blundo dissenting, to move forward with the vote Thursday. The board approved the measure 7-2.

Several board members said they were upset with the tactics used during the school election last month, saying some campaigned during school open houses, used e-mail lists inappropriately and spread misinformation.

Gregory said everyone had to put the past behind them. "Regardless of what has happened, we're together here now. We're back as a board. Most importantly we need to all remember why we're here," she said. "We have to learn to put aside personal differences and personal agendas that hinder the progress that we started to make."

The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled for May 12.