The West Windsor Plainsboro Board of Education bid farewell to long-time member Hemant Marathe in a ceremony prior to the reorganization meeting Tuesday night.
By Jennifer Kohlhepp, Staff Writer
WEST WINDSOR — The West Windsor Plainsboro Board of Education bid farewell to long-time member Hemant Marathe in a ceremony prior to the reorganization meeting Tuesday night.
Mr. Marathe served 12 years on the board, nine of them as president. He decided to run for election as mayor of West Windsor Township this year instead of seeking re-election to the board. He did not win the mayoral race.
As school board president, Mr. Marathe successfully managed the $165 million annual school budget and more than 1,100 school employees. He reduced per pupil costs from $300 above the state average to $1,000 below the state average while maintaining high academic standards. He also successfully managed the growth of the student population from 8,500 to 9,800 students without compromising the quality of education.
Board member Anthony Fleres began the ceremony lightheartedly with something Mr. Marathe once said to him.
”He referred to why would anyone want to hear from a little man with a funny accent,” Mr. Fleres said.
Over the years, many people would listen to that man, who was honored for his service to the community by his past and current colleagues on the board, the superintendent of schools, the president of the education association and officials from both West Windsor and Plainsboro.
Mr. Marathe was said to have built consensus among board members, provided gentle but firm guidance, helped kids succeed, dealt with economic pressures, shared advice with graduates and helped develop and open schools. He was also said to have the ability to make people on all sides of an issue feel heard and like their opinions mattered. And, he was said to have done it all with a sense of humor and with the best interest of students at heart.
Mr. Marathe’s sense of humor took center stage when he addressed the audience.
”Twelve years ago if anyone told you people that you would be saying these things about me you would be surprised,” Mr. Marathe said adding that he was labeled as a “troublemaker” during his first few years on the board.
He went on to quip that the best thing about becoming president was “people do the work and make you look good.”
In thanking people for their hard work and support, Mr. Marathe spoke about giving Larry Shanok, assistant superintendent of finance and board secretary, a hard time before the school district hired him.
He had some funny advice for the new board president: “If someone complains about Larry, don’t worry about it. If someone says something nice about him, worry.”
He also thanked the past and present superintendents of schools.
”They always hired the best people and let them do their jobs,” Mr. Marathe said.
He joked, “One reason to retire is when the superintendent is younger than you and has more kids than you.”
Mr. Marathe said he looks forward to spending more time with his wife and family and will continue to serve the community as a member on West Windsor Township’s Zoning Board of Adjustment.
Mr. Fleres said people should always leave a place better than the way they found it and that Mr. Marathe did.
After the recognition ceremony, the board began its reorganization meeting. This was the first time the board held its election during the general election in November.
According to Mr. Shanok, on average, the election garnered 11 percent of the voting population when it was held in April. He said more than 30 percent of the voting population in Plainsboro and more than 46 percent of the voting population in West Windsor participated in the school board election this past November.
Of the four candidates running in the November election for the two open West Windsor seats on the regional board, newcomer Scott Powell and incumbent Louisa Ho won the election. Yu Taylor Zhong bested his opponent in the race for the lone open Plainsboro seat on the regional board.
After the three newly elected members took the oath of office, the new board voted to appoint a new president and vice president. Board members unanimously voted to appoint Mr. Fleres as the new president. Members also unanimously voted to appoint Richard Kaye as vice president, with Mr. Kaye abstaining from the vote. Board member Rachelle Feldman Hurwitz was absent from the meeting.
Mr. Fleres thanked board members for the faith they are putting in him to serve as president. He represents Plainsboro on the regional board, was elected in April 2006 and served as vice president last year.
In related news, the board held special meetings this past week to interview eight candidates who applied to fill the Plainsboro seat vacated late last year when a board member suddenly passed away.