BY KATHY CHANG
Staff Writer
METUCHEN – Residents will go to the poll on April 18 to vote on a $25,433,596 tax levy and choose three candidates for the three available seats on the school board.
If the tax levy on the $27,004,195 school budget is approved, the school tax rate, will rise to $2.59 for each $100 of assessed valuation.
That translates into $264.38 more in school taxes this year for a home assessed at the borough average of $186,600, for a total of $4,837.
Incumbents Mary T. (Terry) Kohl and Fran Brennan, and newcomers Brenda Redshaw and Eileen Frowenfeld are vying for the three, three-year terms on the board.
The high school referendum project, class rank, and technology were the major issues of the candidates night held recently by the Parent Teacher Organization.
All four women believe the Metuchen High School referendum will be successfully completed with the continuation of hard work.
Brennan, who is seeking her second term, chairs the board’s personnel committee and is a member of the finance committee.
“The board has done everything humanly possible,” she said. “We have to move forward and continue to work over at the high school.”
Redshaw, who is currently serving her fourth term as president of Edgar Middle School’s PTO, suggested that members of the referendum oversight committee relay their opinions to the board weekly.
“If administration were to get weekly updates, I think this will instill confidence of the work done,” said Redshaw. “The public will get a better idea of what is being done.”
Class rank has been a hot issue among the district on whether to keep it or eliminate it.
“I support eliminating class rank,” said Frowenfeld, who is the vice president of the Metuchen High School PTO. “It’s giving students a disadvantage. We should use grade-point average, SAT scores, and a profile.”
Redshaw agrees.
“Class rank is not the best way to display our kids,” she said. “I think there definitely needs a change of procedure.”
Kohl, who is seeking her fifth term on the board, and Brennan both want more information on class rank.
Money, technology, and the changing demographics are other top issues.
“Funding our district has been difficult,” said Kohl. “It’s been difficult to grow, with our state aid being flat. We need to come up with innovative ways to make sure we are able to keep our staff in the school district.”