PASCACK VALLEY—We asked our regional board of education incumbents and challengers to rank their school board’s responsiveness, suggest ways to reduce the schools’ tax burden on residents, and add any information that they wanted voters to know in advance of Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8.
In the Westwood Regional District, two candidates are running for one open Washington Township seat: incumbent Joseph J. McCallister faces a challenge from Douglas Cusato.
In Westwood, three candidates are competing, including incumbent Michelle Sembler. Vying for the open seats are Laura Cooper and Jason R. Garcia.
In the Pascack Valley Regional High School District, which includes Pascack Hills and Pascack Valley high schools, incumbent James L. Stankus is running unopposed in River Vale; Elizabeth Calderone is running unopposed in Woodcliff Lake.
Pascack Valley High School in River Vale serves River Vale and Hillsdale and Pascack Hills High School in Montvale serves Montvale and Woodcliff Lake.
Stankus did not reply to our survey. Elizabeth Neve-Calderone did not rank the regional school board for its level of responsiveness to stakeholders but briefly addressed the survey’s question about school costs.
“The imbalance in taxes paid by each town needs to be revisited,” she said. “I’m excited to bring my drive, knowledge, and insight to serve on the board. We need a unified group, working together to meet the challenges that lay ahead, while ensuring that each student is afforded the education they so deserve,” wrote Neve-Calderone.
We’ll follow up with local races next week.
Township of Washington
> Joseph McCallister
With 0 being “not responsive” to district stakeholders’ concerns and 10 being “most responsive,” where would you rank your school board?
Ranking: 8: When assigning this number, I am forced to consider my experience as a high school teacher. If I were to score an assessment as 8/10 or 80%, it would indicate that the work was better than average, but still in need of improvement before I could confidently say the student had mastered the skill. That is where I believe we are when it comes to the responsiveness of this board of education: better than average but with room to improve.
This board has established multiple avenues through which members of the community can share their concerns. They can call or email members of the board, as well as the superintendent and her office; share concerns to various district-operated social media accounts; and of course, come to board meetings and speak during allotted “public forum” time.
When it comes to responsiveness, our superintendent, Dr. Jill Mortimer, has (in my estimation) been very good at responding to community concerns through emails and comments during board meetings, as has our board president, Dr. Frank Romano.
That said, when sitting on the dais during meetings and looking out at the audience, I can’t help but notice the frustration on the faces of some community members when they feel that they are not being heard. In my experience, I’ve found that frustration with responsiveness often comes down to how the person speaking makes the listener feel.
If I have a disagreement with a board colleague, but believe that they are being respectful, are clearly explaining their point, and are treating me like an equal partner in the discussion, it is much easier for me to see that colleague as appropriately responsive.
I suspect the same is true when it comes to communication between the community and the board: if we as a board can ensure that our responses are respectful, complete, and sincere, I believe that will go a long way toward improving how district leadership is perceived.
Most property tax dollars go to the schools. How can this body perhaps reduce the tax burden here?
In my experience on the WWRSD Board of Education, I have participated in the discussion and ultimate approval of four annual budgets, and I have to commend our district business office as they have routinely produced budgets that I believe are appropriate and responsible.
Our district budgets have called for spending that helps to expand resources for our students, improve indoor and outdoor facilities, and maintain a highly professional staff and faculty.
In short, I would not characterize any one area of the budget as being more in need of attention than another.
The solution that I have seen work best, in terms of keeping the tax burden as low as possible, is that the board works collaboratively with our district business administrator to get down to the granular level of the budget and determine where spending is absolutely necessary, and where it can be cut.
The result of this sort of group effort is that, at least in my time on the board, we do not tend to see major cuts in any one area, but rather smaller, more line-by-line revisions that allow us to develop a budget that best serves the needs of the students, without overburdening the taxpayers of the community.
Additional comments?
Being a trustee on a New Jersey board of education calls for putting aside personal agendas, politics, and disagreements and working with colleagues of diverse and varied perspectives to come up with solutions that best serve the students and the district as a whole.
This is not easy work. We all come to the table with good intentions, and might find ourselves wondering why others don’t see the world our way. But by communicating openly and cooperating to find common ground, we can, as a board, embody what it means to be a community.
> Douglas Cusato
With 0 being “not responsive” to district stakeholders’ concerns and 10 being “most responsive,” where would you rank your school board?
As a member of the group of parents that essentially spearheaded the removal of quarantines and discriminating mandates across WWRSD, I feel that a handful of board members demonstrated the strength and responsiveness this district required during the time of the COVID pandemic.
However, there are clearly board members that lacked the character to make difficult decisions that put students first. Dr. Mortimer certainly has brought a beacon of hope to the school district, but she needs more support from stakeholders that don’t report into the NJEA and can maintain a selfless purpose of putting students first.
If elected, I would devote myself to standing by the values I will campaign on and fully support the board and Dr. Mortimer to develop and execute a plan that puts our students in the best situation for long-term success and positive influence on society.
Most of our property taxes go to the schools. How can this body perhaps reduce the tax burden here?
Now more than any time in our district’s history, fiscal responsibility will be needed to minimize future tax burden on local taxpayers.
Our district is challenged with multiple issues intersecting nearly all at once including the impact of learning loss from the pandemic, the generational turnover within our district and the permanent relocation of New York City families to our communities during the pandemic.
Furthermore, the startup housing programs linked with a significant number of incremental students will put a continued stress on the district.
Regarding learning loss, data shows that the average student was 30% behind in math and reading at the start of 2022, as a result, there is a significant urgency to include resource heavy co-teaching environments, while simultaneously dealing with the great resignation of teachers.
The unfortunate outcome of this, our district will be challenged with the need for more educators, during a time where there is a significant shortage across the state. The district will need to work creatively to offer a competitive compensation rate for both full-time and substitute teachers moving forward.
With the surge we are experiencing in the student population in the younger grades, it’s clear that overall space within our schools will be a massive challenge for our district.
This is especially true with the limited amount of funds we maintain in capital reserves for district funded programs.
The additional challenge stems from Trenton and the politics being driven by the NJEA and Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration. New Jersey has budgeted nearly $2 billion for school construction and renovations in 2023 for the roughly 600 school districts across New Jersey. However, with the NJEA’s influence on Murphy’s administration and most inner city SDS school districts, $1.55 billion will be allocated to the 31 SDS districts and the remaining $350 million will be allocated to the other 559 districts. This is another clear example of woke ideologies being driven into school districts across New Jersey including WWRSD.
The future BOE in WWRSD will need to be comfortable advocating for funding in Trenton that is needed to expand the available space in our elementary schools – some of which are nearly 80 years old and have experienced significant flooding during violent storms.
During a time with record high inflation, penalizing the hardworking citizens of this community with another significant tax increase just isn’t practical.
As a taxpayer, and father of four young children in this school district, I have a long-term vested interest ensuring that our tax burden remains reasonable for the years to come.
We need the support of the state to fund these future construction/renovation programs and taking ‘sorry but no’ answers from Governor Murphy’s administration can’t be the path forward.
It would be a dream come true to have the opportunity to challenge this administration for funding in a district like WWRSD, where for too many years school districts in affluent areas, composed of hardworking families, have been neglected due to New Jersey’s broken, regressive tax system. We’ve worked just as hard as anyone else and need the funding to ensure our kids have sufficient classroom space for a safe educational experience. It’s time to put politics aside and put “all kids first.”
Any additional comments?
Many of the opportunities for change that exist within the WWRSD originate from requirements and policies driven by the state and the historical alignment amongst New Jersey school boards and the NJEA.
The “math” is simple: you can’t drive change in districts that are owned and operated by the same political entities that support defunding your school district and embedding woke ideologies in the curriculum/educational process.
Lastly, I advocated for every child in this district like they were my own for the last several years. I put the quality of their education above my personal interests and received in return a combination of cease and desist orders, subpoenas and cancel culture from woke ideology supporters.
However, the reality is, I also received an immense amount of love and support from community members and met some great people along the way. We as parents aligned on a truly selfless purpose: putting kids first.
I look forward to having the opportunity to continue driving this same purpose throughout our school district as a board of education member.
Westwood
Michelle Sembler
With 0 being “not responsive” to district stakeholders’ concerns and 10 being “most responsive,” where would you rank your school board?
I would rank us a 9. I have to say that most of this board is extremely responsive and receptive to all stakeholders’ feedback and concerns. We always listen, and we address anything that has been brought to our attention via a meeting, email, or conversation. Transparency and communication with the community is a top priority for our board. However, there is always room to grow.
Most property tax dollars go to the schools. How can this body perhaps reduce the tax burden here?
One area in which we are looking is finding safe investments with a high rate of return for our current capital, which will create profit and can ease the burden of tax increase on our taxpayers.
Further, long-term strategic planning with respect to purchases and facility upgrades, beginning with the end in mind, will reduce future burdens for the taxpayer.
Additionally, with the current economic environment driving inflation and rising interest rates, the district needs to be very strategic about which facilities improvements are made now vs later. We want to manage our capital in a way that drives maximum return. Get more done for less money and avoid getting into projects where the cost of goods is variable in nature.
Additional comments?
I believe that I have positively contributed to this board’s success. This board has undergone a state of change that had greatly benefitted our district and our student population.
I also believe that we need to invest in our employees because the level of service that they provide greatly impacts district performance and student learning.
Finally, I would like to ask the residents of Westwood to vote for me, so I can continue to serve them into the future and bring additional services and a better educational product to our students and families.
> Laura Cooper
With 0 being “not responsive” to district stakeholders’ concerns and 10 being “most responsive,” where would you rank your school board?
I believe the school board has established an improving record of responsiveness to district stakeholder concerns and I would rank them at a 7. Over the last six months of the 2021 to 2022 academic year, I have experienced Dr. Mortimer and the rest of the school board respond professionally and quickly to respond to serious substantiated issues with courtesy, action and professionalism. As a collective body, they operate in an approachable way that is open minded and caring.
I think there is an amazing opportunity to build on this momentum to encourage more community engagement, feedback and support as we work collectively towards the benefit of our children and the district.
Most property tax dollars go to the schools. How can this body perhaps reduce the tax burden here?
“I have not had the opportunity to examine school spending in detail so I can’t say at this point conclusively what requires attention to reduce the tax burden. What I commit to is ensuring superior fiscal responsibility, especially considering the exponential inflation, market volatility and rising interest rate environment that our community is struggling to keep up with.
I am determined to engage in prioritized fiscal oversight including the following:
— Funding school necessities and programs leveraging our current resources where there is tangible return on investment that improves the quality of education for our students. This has to be our first prioritized goal.
— Highly scrutinizing the schools current requests of parents contributions for needs in the classroom annually to ensure that the resources are completely necessary, and fully utilized when provided.
— Negotiating with transparency and fairness with our teachers during contract deliberations that ensure we are the destination district for top quality teachers who strive to make a difference. When we treat the teachers like accessories to education rather than necessities, our children suffer with bottom tier educators.
Additional comments?
Westwood district schools need to be beacons for our children to fully actualize their intellectual and social potential. I have over 15 years in complex leadership positions that drive impact in a highly positive and collaborative way. With a strong balance of fiscal responsibility and high academic and social standards, I will do all I can to manifest our united vision of accelerating the Westwood District to operate at its best.
> Jason Garcia
With 0 being “not responsive” to district stakeholders’ concerns and 10 being “most responsive,” where would you rank your school board?
That’s a great question — I first want to thank the entire board and all who volunteer their time for our students and our dedicated district staff. Our greatest assets for our students are those individuals that share time with them in their schools every day. I appreciate you!
Regarding district concerns, the evaluation depends on individual stakeholders’ perspectives. I would give the current board a 7. In most cases, they appear to have listened to the public’s concerns and acted in the majority’s interest.
However, and not exclusive to our towns, it has become increasingly difficult to ascertain what the actual majority is and what they want. Some community and BoE members are very vocal, in person and on social media; their passion and sheer activity overshadow others who have become increasingly less comfortable publicly expressing their thoughts, concerns, and wants to this board — for numerous reasons.
I believe this board could improve its responsiveness by first engaging stakeholders through proactive outreach, especially relating to sensitive topics that have unfortunately become divisive.
The middle school referendum is a great example. With that same outreach and engagement, this board could assure the public they are voting to meet the needs and expectations of the majority.
This board appears divided. Some members seemingly listen to only “their constituents,” and their inability to bridge that divide, factor in various stakeholders’ opinions, and work toward a compromise that best serves all could have dangerous ramifications for stakeholders, staff, and, most importantly, students.
Most property tax dollars go to the schools. How can this body perhaps reduce the tax burden here?
Nearly 70% of property taxes go to the school district. I believe It is incumbent on the district and board of education to utilize tax monies they receive efficiently and to explore outside sources of revenue to take some of the burdens off of the taxpayer. There are many ways this can be accomplished, from income-generating energy sources, field rentals, advertising, and creating programming that brings students into the district rather than sending students and tax dollars out to meet the needs our district currently cannot.
Additional comments?
In our district and across the country, the board of education has become a hostile meeting ground. We need to refocus our energies back on excellence in education. Our primary focus should be on the students, their education, and their well-being. We need to be creating safe learning environments where students can thrive.
Combative and aggressive behavior at the board level trickles down to the students. They hear they feel, they see, and they know what is going on. We need to do better; be better. We need civilized discussions. We need to hear the facts, know the facts, and speak to the facts. And we must find ways to represent all members of this community — unite our district, not tear it apart.
I will work with all stakeholders and trustees to maximize our efforts and ensure together, we achieve all our WWRSD goals.
— Election Day is Nov. 8.