Board of Ed. on TV
By vincent todaro
Staff Writer
EAST BRUNSWICK — The Township Council passed a resolution Monday urging the Board of Education to televise all of its public meetings.
The resolution was seemingly an impromptu act as it was not listed on the meeting agenda and was drafted during the meeting. The resolution followed comments from members of the public that the school board should operate more in the public eye and televise its meetings just as the council does.
The school board is expected to discuss the issue at its meeting at 8 tonight at the school district’s administration building, which is located off Route 18.
Councilman Jeffrey Simon said during Monday night’s meeting that he has privately urged school board members to televise the meetings, and that he felt it was now time to argue publicly for such an endeavor.
Simon said he had no problem with the fact that the sometimes volatile and emotional council meetings are viewed on Channel 3, and likewise, he said, the board should not be reluctant to televise its own meetings.
Simon also said he believes the board could do a better job of educating the public about its annual budget proceedings if it televises its meetings.
"They could certainly do a better job of educating us if they were on television," he said.
In recent years the school budget has often been defeated by voters. Simon said he believes one of the problems with gaining support for the budget is related to the period of time which the board takes to present and explain the budget to the public each year. The more than $100 million spending plan cannot be grasped in a six-week period of time, Simon said.
"I urge any of the school board members watching tonight to go on television," he said. "Hopefully, if they do it properly, we won’t have to see them here," he said, referring to the fact that the council has to review the school budget for possible cuts each year once it gets defeated by voters at the polls.
Just before Simon spoke, Anthony Riccobono, a Republican candidate for council, applauded Mayor William Neary, a Democrat, for televising council meetings and said the school board needs to be more open in its proceedings.
The board should place its meeting agendas on Channel 3 well in advance of its meetings, Riccobono said.
Riccobono, who served on the council when the decision was made to televise its meetings, is circulating a petition urging the school board to put its agendas on the local cable access station.
Councilwoman Meryle Asaro agreed with Simon, noting that there is nothing more important for governing bodies than getting public participation.
"It certainly has made a difference in how we operate," she said of the council.
She said it was disturbing to hear that school board meeting agendas are only available to the public on the night of the meeting.
The televised meetings would also give viewers a greater perspective on the school district, she said.
"We get to budget time without an understanding of what an outstanding school district we have," she said.
The board recently announced it was giving Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jamie P. Savedoff a contract extension and a 4.2-percent salary increase. Board President Michael Baker has said the raise was based on the superintendent’s performance and was decided on during negotiations earlier this year. The increase brought Savedoff’s salary for the coming year to $172,500.
Newly elected board member Michael Danatos said in a letter to the Sentinel this week that he was unaware that the contract extension he and other board members voted on this month included a previously agreed upon salary increase for the superintendent.
The situation, he said, can be seen as an example of why board business should be conducted more openly, by televising meetings and posting meeting agendas and minutes on the school district’s Web site.
Danatos suggested that members of the public come to tonight’s meeting to express their views on the subject.
Council Vice President Saul Fink said during Monday’s meeting that he agrees with Simon and Asaro that the board must realize its governance should be more open.
"I hope on Thursday night that they see the better of this side," he said.
"I hope they do unanimously pass this," he said.
Council President Donald Klemp said it is frustrating for him to hear so many residents complain to the council about school district issues.
"We cannot tell them how to do their job," he said.
The resolution the council passed reads that the council "strongly urges school board members to televise all of their public meetings." The council voted unanimously in favor of the resolution, though Councilman Edwin Brautman was not present at Monday’s meeting.