Dear Editor:
I have been following the recent actions taken by the Secaucus Board of Education in approving 20 percent to 36 percent raises for our school administrators. It appears that the Board of Education Trustees have very little regard for the taxpayers of the Town of Secaucus. They have also created a perception that the board is fiscally irresponsible.
As a union member for more than 25 years, I have been involved with numerous labor contracts. All good-faith negotiations concerning labor contracts result in some give and take on both sides. It is difficult to understand or accept the results of our Board of Education’s negotiations with the understanding that they were going to receive 20 percent to 36 percent salary increases. This begs the question,”Why did the Board grant these exorbitant increases?”
We elect our Board of Education Trustees to ensure our school system provide a first-class education to our children. As a parent, I feel that our school system provides tremendous opportunity to our children. The recent salary increases have absolutely no bearing on the quality of our educational system. The fact of the matter is that the administrators would be functioning in the same capacity with or without these large increases. As a taxpayer, I feel betrayed by the people that I elected to protect the interests of the residents of Secaucus.
The Board of Education has created the perception that they are fiscally irresponsible and incapable of protecting the best interests of the local taxpayers. Their recent actions would seem to indicate that this perception is reality. I think that it is time to make a change at the Board of Education and rid the town of the “good old boy” mentality.
Let’s not forget about this irresponsible act during the next Board of Education election. We can send a message to the Board of Education by voting these people out of office.
Joseph Kane