By sue m. morgan
Staff Writer
OLD BRIDGE — Board of Education President Gail Kubicke has yet another year to carry out the projects she started last school year.
Meanwhile, Kubicke’s second-in-command will be a longtime member who has pledged to continue challenging the district to provide the best education possible for its students.
Now, the school board is completely reorganized for the coming academic year with the swearing in of three board members who began their new three-year terms on Thursday night.
The meeting was not without some heated discussion, however, as the board’s most senior member criticized Kubicke for allowing the owner of a new nightclub situated next to a district elementary school to use that building’s parking lot for his patrons.
By an 8-1 decision, Kubicke was re-elected to her second consecutive one-year term as president. Veteran Board Member Ellen McDermott, who was also sworn in for her 11th consecutive term on the same night, cast the sole dissenting vote.
Longtime board member Barbara Rossi was elected vice president by a 7-1-1 vote. Linda Ault McLaren, who had also been nominated for the vice presidency, opposed Rossi’s bid while Dr. Joan George abstained.
Rossi succeeds Annette Hopman, who decided prior to the meeting not to run for re-election after one year in that post. Hopman was sworn in to her second consecutive board term prior to the meeting.
"I’d like to thank everyone for their support," Rossi said afterward. "I’m looking forward to another productive year and [to] continuing to raise the bar for the township of Old Bridge."
During a subsequent discussion of policy, McDermott charged that Kubicke snubbed her by not contacting her about an April 25 decision to allow the Breakfast Club 80 management to use the Miller Elementary School parking lot on Friday and Saturday nights.
While the district had been on its spring break last month, Kubicke had contacted all of the other board members regarding the possibility of allowing the owner of the Breakfast Club 80 to valet park vehicles in the school’s parking lot, located to the nightclub’s immediate west, McDermott said.
The nightclub, located on Route 516 west, between the school and Temple Beth Ohr, has raised the ire of nearby residents who have complained about patrons blocking their driveways during the club’s hours of operation. The nightclub, which opened in March, operates on Friday and Saturday nights until 3 a.m.
"I don’t believe the members of this board have the right to allow a business owner to use a school lot," McDermott told Kubicke. "That’s why I voted against you, Gail."
"The neighbors have been complaining about the noise, bottles being thrown all over the place," she continued. "That’s what you can expect with this."
McDermott accused Kubicke of deliberately leaving her out of the loop on the decision to allow the Breakfast Club management and its valet company to use the Miller Elementary School lot.
However, the board president rebuffed any charges that she did not seek McDermott’s vote.
"It was voted on by a majority of board members," Kubicke said. "We couldn’t reach you."
Nonetheless, McDermott disagreed and told Kubicke that she never received any notification from the board president via her home, work or cellular telephone.
"I was not reached," McDermott said. "I have voice mail at home and on my cell phone. I did not get any messages from you."
Kubicke explained that the board majority decided to allow the Breakfast Club management to use the Miller School lot while it is negotiating with Temple Beth Ohr to use its parking lot on Friday and Saturday nights.
For liability purposes, only the Breakfast Club’s valet parking company is allowed to use the school parking lot, Kubicke said.As a result, that valet company — not the school board — would be liable for any incidents that might happen in the school lot, she said.
Prior to the election of leaders, McDermott, Hopman and returning board member Albert DiRocco Jr. were sworn in to their new three-year terms by Dr. R. Gregory Quirk, assistant superintendent of schools for business.
DiRocco, who is known for his advocacy of substance abuse prevention programs, is also beginning his second consecutive term.
All three were flanked by assorted family members and friends as they took their oaths of office from Quirk.
The reorganized board will continue to implement a $66.7 million school construction referendum that was approved by voters in September 2001. Construction projects are currently in progress at a number of the district’s elementary schools, including Miller Elementary School.
As a result of that referendum, the district expects to consolidate its two high schools into one student body by the beginning of the 2005-06 academic year.
Plans call for the present day Carl Sandburg Middle School to be connected to the current Old Bridge High School east building to form one large complex.
District officials have stated that the present Old Bridge High School west building will be subsequently converted to a middle school.