IN THE NEWS

Public relies on board members for info about school matters

Mark Rosman

During the school board election season in the fall of 2013, I half-jokingly instructed the reporters on my staff to ask the following question to residents who were running for a seat on their local school board:

“If you are elected, will you do exactly what the superintendent of schools tells you to do, or will you think independently and make a decision based on what you think is right for the school district?”

The reason we might want to ask that question of people who are running for a seat on a school board is because we have seen examples in the recent past of board members who appear to be uncertain of whether they can, in fact, speak to the press once they join the board.

They need not feel apprehensive about stating their opinion regarding an issue in their school district for fear of annoying or contradicting a position that is held by the superintendent of schools or the board president.

In a March 10, 2006, advisory opinion, the New Jersey School Ethics Commission noted that “board members do not surrender the rights they have as citizens such as freedom of speech when they become members of a school board.”

In my mind, this opinion means school board members are not to be restricted, threatened or coerced by a superintendent, a board attorney, a school district business administrator or a fellow board member from offering their opinion about a matter of importance to the school district when asked to do so.

Of course, a board member can always decline to answer a reporter’s question and that person can later tell the electorate why he chose not to comment about an issue of importance to the school district when he was offered the opportunity to do so. Several years ago I asked a staff writer to poll every member of a local school board for their opinion on a matter of importance to the district. An opinion is something each elected member of a board should be able to offer when asked a direct question.

In this case, eight board members refused to state their opinion on the matter we were inquiring about. They all said the board president would state their opinion for them. It is unsettling to think that an elected board member would allow another individual to speak for him.

In another instance, we again sought to poll each member of a board as to their opinion on a matter of concern to the district. In that case, the superintendent and the board president seemed to take issue that a reporter would seek an opinion from every board member. They appeared to be taking the position that they are the only people who can speak for the board.

There may be times when the superintendent or the board president should speak for the district in a single voice and we as editors and reporters have to understand that.

However, there are instances when the public needs to know what each member of a board thinks about a particular issue.

I would ask those who serve in public office to keep in mind that they are permitted to respond to inquiries from the press when they are asked for their opinion. After all, forming opinions, making decisions and explaining those decisions to residents is what they volunteered to do when they decided to run for office. Mark Rosman is a managing editor with Greater Media Newspapers. He may be reached at [email protected].