Neal Hudes back on school board

Former Board of Education member, Neal Hudes, is "former" no more, as the board selected Mr. Hudes from a field of five candidates to fill the vacant board position during Monday night’s meeting.

By:Krzysztof Scibiorski
   Initially, board members believed that there would be a total of six candidates for the position vacated by former board president Walt Fuller’s relocation to Texas.
   However, one of the candidates, Robert Peason, did not show up for the board-mandated public interview, which left Wolf Schneider, Daniel Caldwell, Mr. Hudes, Jon Rogeberg and Walt Rodgers to compete for the position.
   All five of the candidates joined board president Edward Plaskon at the table, and began by introducing themselves to the board and the public, in a randomly drawn order. Following the introductions, each candidate answered three questions concerning their goals, qualifications and possible contributions to the board and was allowed a closing statement.
   Following the candidate presentation the board retired to discuss its options and after 45 minutes reconvened and unanimously approved Mr. Hudes as the new board member. Immediately following a swearing-in ceremony, Mr. Hudes rejoined his former colleagues at the board table.
   Mr. Hudes, who fell 28 votes short of retaining a board position in April, stressed his leadership and common sense as well as career experiences as both a teacher and administrator. In November 2000, Mr. Hudes had been appointed to the board to serve out one of the unexpired terms of former board members Stan Dunn and Robert Pagano.
   Throughout his responses to the board’s questions, Mr. Hudes made positive comments about the way the district is being run. He expressed support for the expansion of the athletic program to different grade levels in the district, saying he valued the role that athletics and extra-curricular activities can play in education. Responding to a question about whether the fact that Hillsborough’s schools have "the lowest cost per pupil in Somerset County" is a good thing, Mr. Hudes replied in the affirmative — "as long as high achievement among the students is attained."
   Mr. Rogeberg took a different tone in his analysis of the district’s efforts saying that "Hillborough’s school district needs to learn to live within its means and that it can’t afford to satisfy all people at all times." Mr. Rogeberg also expressed the belief that his lack of educational background and a focus on the business-like approach to finances could be helpful. Mr. Rogeberg expressed the sentiment that "boards of education can get too top-heavy with educators and that it is time to bring other people in."
   Mr. Schneider stressed his commitment to Hillsborough, demonstrated by his service as a science supervisor in the district for over 25 years and residence in the township since 1956. He said that with him as a member "the board would continue to do things in the way that we’ve done things in Hillsborough — in a cost-effective way."
   Mr. Caldwell, a five-year township resident and parent of a child in the district, said he believed that "most people are reasonable, and if we give them all of the facts they would understand what we’re doing."
   Mr. Rodgers, a longtime township resident and a presence at virtually all school board meetings, reflected on his experiences in the consulting field where he was "telling CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies how to run their businesses and save money." Mr. Rodgers concluded by reminding the board that "the best way to silence your loudest critic is by making him part of your team, that way he can’t criticize you from within."