The Board of Education elections in Edison happen after the Sentinel’s production deadline, and so the actual election wrap-ups will take place in the April 23 issue.
In the meantime, though, regardless of who wins, there are certain things the Sentinel would like to see fromthe school district, and we hope that whoever is victorious in this race will seriously consider them.
First of all, we think it would be a good idea to put the public comment portion in the board meetings before, not after, closed session. The current order of events in meetings can lead to the perception that the board is trying to wait people out. Even if this isn’t the case, it can be frustrating for people who want to speak on a specific issue to have to wait for the board to conduct its closed session business, which can last anywhere from30minutes to several hours, before they can say their piece. Even better would be a chance for public comment both before and after the closed session.
Second, the citizens committee for school planning that was recently formed was a good idea, and the current board should be commended for its formation, but the creation of a permanent citizens advisory committee would be ideal. It should be composed entirely of unpaid volunteers. Its role would be to act as an advocate for the residents and could give recommendations to the board regarding district policy – these recommendations could be presented by a representative during each board meeting in a manner similar to the way other district professional give their reports.
The third, although not quite as important as the first two points, but nonetheless something that is often on our minds, is that the Web site really needs to be improved. Finding information on there is often a Kafkaesque chore.We have a fairly good feeling that we are not alone in this complaint.
Finally, a culture of transparency and openness must find itself within the district. If a highranking district official, such as a superintendent, must be let go, there should be an open forum to discuss it before it happens, along with open discussion of any problems long before things even come to that. Large bond referendums, meanwhile, should be presented to the public at every step of the way, not just when it’s all finished.
We congratulate the victors of this year’s board race, whoever they may be, and hope they seriously consider our suggestions.