To the Editor:
The Bayonne Board of Education will hold its first election in 35 years. There are five positions up this year. I am seeking a one-year term and with the help of the community at large that is seeking change, I will attain that goal. I have lived in Bayonne for more than 15 years. My grown children attended school in Bayonne and always had excellent teachers. My granddaughter, Addelyn, just started Pre-K in Bayonne and she is one of the reasons I am running. If elected, I would like to see the implementation of full-day Pre-K. I would also work with my fellow board members to raise the passing grade back to 70 from 65. I believe parent involvement is necessary and want to create a City Wide Parent Involvement Coordinator position to work with all the PTAs and foster an environment of inclusion and participation. Our schools are severely underfunded, and I would like to see a full forensic audit of the district done to see if we can find ways to better allocate funds. I would like to see more funding for special needs. My plan is to work with the Assembly members in the 31st District to advance my ABC-UEZ plan that would raise the UEZ percentage to 5 percent and have the additional 1.5 percent go back to our school district. Gaming and casinos will be coming to North Jersey. I would propose that the Assembly create “Don’t Gamble with our Future Legislation.” This would require casinos built within a certain radius of our city and those surrounding it, to provide a percentage of revenue directly to school districts. The caveat is that this would be direct relief to the school district, not the city coffers. We need to stop allowing developers to get away without paying anything to the school district when receiving an abatement. I would lobby all our legislators, city, county, and state, to advocate for “level the playing field” legislation. This would close the gap regarding PILOTS (payments in lieu of taxes.) When an abatement is given there is a PILOT payment made instead of a true tax payment. However, PILOTS leave out the school portion. My proposal is to include the schools in PILOTS so that at minimum the school district will still get some type of relief. I believe there has to be a contract in place for the teachers, sooner rather than later. The teachers in Bayonne should not go another four years living in limbo. Change is needed, and change is good. To that end I would advocate that that our board needs to begin a superintendent search now, and also create a policy regarding the promotion of teachers to administrative positions. It is my belief that a teacher should be in the classroom for a minimum of eight to 10 years before being considered for an administrative position. In closing, this is a crucial election for Bayonne. I ask for the support of the community and ask that on November 3, vote Rafael Augusto 17D. Beyond the right direction and moving past forward. Let’s take the schools to the top. Thank you.
RAFAEL AUGUSTO
Bayonne Board of Education candidate, one-year term, 17D