Dear Editor:
The current Board of Education is ineffective – it is time for a new majority on the board.
We have among the highest per pupil expenditure in the state, yet we still need improvement in the middle schools. Due to the lack of improvement in test scores, the BOE has been “penalized” to the tune of $335,000 to pay outside tutors for our students! Even with this high dollar amount spent per student, the current majority had some of the children sharing textbooks. This majority has had continuous control over our academic standards and budget. What have they done? While the City has 750 staff for 44,000 residents, the BOE has 535 staff for 1,892 students. Yet, the majority board states they are fiscally responsible. Who are they kidding? The Board of Education’s job is to teach our children, not provide jobs for friends and allies.
The transient nature of much of Hoboken’s population means that its citizens don’t watch what is going on at the Board of Education or City Hall, don’t vote, and fail to recognize that the current Board is failing to provide a cohesive, fiscally sound and academically strong district. Instead of fighting for a district that provides great schools, they simply leave when their children reach school age or put those children in private school.
The schools can only improve if we, the voters, get out on April 21 and demand a new board majority who will meet the needs of the students in our city and improve our schools by raising test scores and making the district fiscally responsible to the taxpayers. We need all three candidates of Kids First to make this change happen. Vote 1-4-5 for Ruth McAllister, Maureen Sullivan and Theresa Minutillo on April 21st.
Michelle Harte