Board member resigns over phone vote issue "
Controversy arose
at Old Bridge school board meeting
By Natalie M. Vena
TThe Old Bridge Board of Education vice president resigned after being targeted for interfering with voting procedures by attendees at the June 27 meeting.
Four-year board member Frank G. Racioppi resigned from the school board last Thursday after a raucous meeting wherein attendees showed up in support of Old Bridge High School Principal Christopher Traficante.
The nine-member board was expected to vote on whether Traficante would be transferred from his post of high school principal to become principal of a district elementary school. The board was also expected to vote on the assignment of several other school principals as well.
Racioppi was out of town on a business trip, leaving an eight-member board responsible for the vote.
Prior to the meeting, school administrators asked Racioppi if he would be willing to participate with the entire agenda scheduled for that evening via telephone. Racioppi said he agreed to participate in the school board meeting and was ready to vote on all of the items on the agenda over the telephone.
Although previous members have voted on agenda items over the telephone in the past, there were objections from the public for Racioppi’s participation, particularly because of the controversial vote regarding Traficante. In response to public objections, district officials removed the Traficante vote from the agenda at the last minute.
The item was removed from the agenda because without Racioppi’s vote, the eight-member board would be responsible for the vote, which could have ended in a tie.
"At the time, administrators thought the telephone vote was entirely legal," Racioppi said. "I wanted to cooperate with the administration, providing nine votes as opposed to eight."
Racioppi’s phone connection to the meeting was disconnected, leaving his wife and children to watch the meeting from home on their television set.
"My family had to endure watching a spectacle where people were saying things about me that were untrue," Racioppi said. "My wife and kids felt terrible.
"I resigned over this issue. I don’t think a board member should be the center or issue of controversy," he added.
Superintendent of Schools Daniel Rodriguez could not be reached for comment.
Racioppi became a school board member by completing the unexpired term of Georgette Marinaccio, who was elected to the Township Council. Racioppi then ran for his own seat on the board and was presently serving out the third year of that term. At the May school board reorganization meeting, Racioppi was unanimously elected vice president. At that meeting, Racioppi stated that as vice president, he was ready to carry out the initiatives of the board.
Racioppi said he plans to support the administration in its future endeavors, stating that he resigned so further controversy around the issue would not become the issue.
The former board member said he is "heavy-hearted" about his decision to resign.
"I wanted to make a difference and represent my constituents," he said.
Racioppi is hopeful that his pro-education and technology-minded agendas will continue to be recognized by the school board in the future.