FAQ about the school board

How do I speak up at a school board meeting? 

Readington school board meetings are generally held every other Tuesday at Holland Brook School.  There is a schedule posted on the school's website and special meetings are announced in advance.  The meetings are usually held in a small meeting room in the administrative section of the school.

Two opportunities exist to speak up at a meeting.  Near the start of the meeting is a break for public comment about subjects on the agenda.  The agenda is available at the meeting and in advance through the school's website.  Another public comment time is offered at the end of the meeting for any subject the speaker wishes to address.  You'll be asked for your name and address for the record when you speak .

What subjects can I address with the school board?

The school board deals with policy and broad themes, not specific, individual complaints.  Speaking about homework in general is appropriate, speaking about how a specific teacher gives poor assignments is not.  Using an anecdote about your own child is okay to illustrate a larger point, but asking the school board to address your child's specific needs is not.  On the other hand, specific questions about vendors or checks or bids are fair game.

What if my complaint is about a principal or the superintendent or if I have not received a response from the same?

Again, specific incidents should not be handled at a school board meeting.  However, if you want to comment on a pattern of behavior or a similar problem, a board meeting is appropriate.

What is the job of the school board anyway?

The school board's job is not to run the schools but to make sure the schools are well run.  They give oversight to the administration, provide policy and curriculum guidance, and approve all manner of spending.  The school board provides the road map, the superintendent and business administrator do the driving.  Since school board members are elected, they provide the link between the public and the school district.

Where do I turn if I think the school board itself is the problem?

To the voting booth. 

What power do individual board members have?

Board members are elected individually and are allowed to have their own opinions and their own agendas.  However, an individual board member cannot and should not speak for the entire board.  An individual member has no authority other than to vote as part of the whole on a motion before the board.  However, there is nothing preventing individual members from speaking out on any subject, so long as they represent their words as their own and not representing the entire board.  When a board member is selected to speak on behalf of the board, he or she will make that fact clear.

How do I run for the school board?

School board members are elected for three year terms, unless filling in for a member who left the board early.  The school board may also interview and select candidates without an election process when a seat is left empty before a scheduled election.  For a complete reference guide to the process, try this link.

We all voted on the school budget, so why is the township now involved?

The local municipal authority, in our case the Readington Township Committee, gets involved in the budget process when a school budget is voted down.  In that event, the township is given the authority to set the budget and to recommend any cuts.  However, the school district must only accept the budget figures, not any recommendations about where cuts should be made.  The township has fairly wide discretion in setting the budget after a defeat at the polls.  Typically the township meets with school representatives and holds public meetings on the matter before making a determination.