Dear Editor:
At the October 18 Board of Education meeting, I proposed offering a reward for information regarding non-residents students who are illegally enrolled in our school system. I pointed to a system currently in place in the Clifton school system. This system offers $200 cash to people who uncover students who are "illegally" enrolled. Those being, students who live in other districts than Secaucus.
There were no residents present or reporters present at that point of the meeting when I gave my Legislative Committee report to the Board. What I had to say and their response to my report is not to be found in the minutes of that October 18, 2001 meeting. The meeting adjourned at 10:55 p.m.
The only record that covers what I had to say comes via your reporter Al Sullivan questioning me the day after that meeting. His reporting of what I had to say (most accurate I must say) can be found in the October 28, 2001 issue of The Secaucus Reporter. All the above background leads to the following:
One day after that article appeared I was given information (addresses/New York Licenses plate numbers) of possible "illegal students" who may be enrolled in our school system from several residents who had read the article. I passed this information on to the proper authority. On November l2, 2001 the persons who supplied me with an address informed me that the family at the address they supplied me with had taken their children out of our system and believe they were entitled to a reward based on what they claimed I had said in my interview with Al Sullivan. First I checked their claim with our Superintendent of Schools and indeed the students of the family that resided at the address they had given me had transferred out. Then I read the article that had appeared on the subject over and over, and no way did it say or even imply the board had adopted the policy that I had suggested they look into that night. The discussion became heated. I suggested they come to the Board meeting, November 15, 2001 and state their claim.
At that meeting I requested that Board amend the October 18 minutes of that meeting to record what I had said in my Legislative Report to that body.
Did the couple I suggest attend the meeting show up? Of course not. Were they politically motivated? Definitely so. In the meantime, keep the information regarding non-residents students coming.
Once again, thanks for listening to what I have to say, and I’m must a phone call away, 867-3223.
Tom Troyer