School board welcomes input

Letter to the editor

To the editor:
   We are writing to clarify some misrepresentations printed in the March 2 letters to the editor section. Bob Laverty would like to see more "public/student input" at Board of Education meetings. Perhaps Mr. Laverty is not aware of the Open Public Meetings Act and its implications. Every meeting of the Board of Education is advertised and open to the public. As a matter of fact, meetings cannot be held unless the public is made aware of them. There are always public forums, at which time anyone attending the meetings is given the opportunity to speak. This input is not solicited, and it is welcomed. This particular board feels so strongly about student input that we have a student representative who sits among us and can freely participate in board discussions.
   As to the reading of student essays, perhaps Mr. Laverty doesn’t realize the scope of the issue. There are at least 20 essay contests held in the district each year. If the board were to hear all of the winners of all of the contests we would have little time left to get on with the business of running the schools. As it is, many of our meetings last until the late hours of the night. The question is "how do we listen to some contest winners, while omitting others?" That is a concern shared by many board members and that is precisely why Mrs. Lawler brought up the issue during our discussion of the agenda for the March 12 meeting. If Mr. Laverty were listening, he would have heard that four members of the public, one community member, two students and one faculty member are being recognized at the March meeting. This is not a rare occurrence.
   In addition, our community involvement does not end with regularly scheduled meetings. As board members we all serve on district committees and attend a wide variety of school functions from DARE graduations to sporting events to PTA meetings. This is in addition to our own parental involvement, since we all have children attending East Windsor Regional schools. We are regularly approached by parents, students, staff and community members. Their concerns are important to us and are often the catalyst for meaningful discussions and policy changes.
   As the incumbent candidates in this year’s school board election, we look forward to continuing our efforts on behalf of our community. Please vote for the "voice of experience" on April 17. We will always be here to listen to your concerns.
Patricia Lawler

Holly Feder

Sherry Sukienik
East Windsor