State-mandated policies get reluctant okay

By Geoffrey Wertime, Staff Writer
   HIGHTSTOWN — The East Windsor Regional school board has approved a number of state-mandated or state-recommended policies and introduced several others, with many members voicing displeasure.
   The board on Sept. 22 introduced two policies and OK’d two bylaws and 14 policies, over half of which are being mandated by the state.
   They included a policy prohibiting a vote and contract award of $17,500 or greater to a business that has made a reportable contribution to a board member in the past year. The district previously had no policy in place, according to Virginia Kearns, supervisor of curriculum, technology and grants, who retired earlier this week.
   ”It was never an issue before,” she said last week. “If there was something related to somebody, they would recuse themselves and not vote on it.”
   Also mandated by the state was a revised public relations program, which prohibits districts from outsourcing public relations. Ms. Kearns said the original policy was “very generic,” while the new version is more specific. Superintendent Ron Bolandi, who is in charge of public relations under the new policy, said the district has not rehired former Herald reporter Dick Brinster to write articles this year.
   While specifying that East Windsor is not among those targeted, Ms. Kearns said most of the new policies are “a reaction to districts that have just been spending way out of proportion to what they should’ve been on these things.”
   Board president Alice Weisman said at the meeting that she did not agree with some of the policies, particularly one which permits the school to use public funds to purchase refreshments for “dignitaries” and parents, but not for employees.
   ”I am offended by that,” she said, “and I don’t want to vote yes on it.” Several other board members agreed.
   Nonetheless, the eight board members present approved the policies and bylaws after board attorney David Coates and Mr. Bolandi informed they that they would be bound by the state mandates regardless of passage. The board included statements in the minutes saying that the board took its action “under protest.”
   Board members Stuart Dolgon and James Hauck were not present.