Todd and Melanie Kunkler of Bordentown Township
To the editor:
The conduct of the Bordentown Board of Education at the Feb. 20 meeting was a perfect example of why many citizens view government officials as being out-of-touch and unconcerned with the impact their decisions will have on the lives and livelihoods of ordinary people.
The board recently voted to change the schedule for staff professional development days, opting to delay the start of school by two hours on those days.
This change would force many families to make alternate childcare arrangements on those mornings.
Parents who cannot arrange for a friend or family member to look after their children will have to miss work or pay for before-school daycare.
Prior to the vote, the board made no effort to notify families about this major scheduling change, neither through e-mails or notices sent home to parents nor through other channels such as the PTA or other parent organizations.
The board also neglected to consult with or inform the organization that provides child daycare services prior to the start of the school day. The proposed change was hidden on the meeting agenda as “one-page school calendar” and approved without discussion.
We joined several other parents who attended the Feb. 20 board meeting to inquire about the reasons for the scheduling change. We were informed that we would each have three minutes in which to ask questions and raise our concerns, a time limit that is in violation of the board’s policies.
In addition to this attempt to limit input from district members, the board also refused to answer any of the questions put to it on this matter, opting instead to read a brief prepared statement.
The board’s complete lack of transparency throughout this process and blatant disregard for this major imposition on working families’ time and finances is unacceptable and will be remembered come election time.
Todd Kunkler
Melanie Kunkler
Bordentown Township

