BY JOHN SNYDER
OF PASCACK PRESS
TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON, N.J.—Repeating his criticism that Superintendent of Schools Raymond A. Gonzalez is out of touch with the concerns of residents, Councilmember Thomas Sears in Monday’s council meeting went a step further, calling on Gonzalez to resign.
At the outset of the Aug. 21 meeting, Sears asserted Gonzalez is “anti-Washington Township” and “has no interest in this town. […] He really should step down.”
Reached for a response over email, Gonzalez said that he is “not in a position to speak about the opinions of another.”
He said he is “fully committed and proud to serve the educational interests of the two communities that comprise the Westwood Regional School District.”
He added, “Collectively, as a school community, we have done exceptional things for our students and schools. We should be proud of what we’ve accomplished and where we are headed as a school district.”
He further said that his door is always open to any members of the community “who are interested in finding out more about our achievements and how they can contribute to our success.”
Board of Education President Darlene Mandeville, asked for comment, said “emphatically […] the Westwood Regional Board of Education supports our superintendent. As superintendent all initiatives are in direct response and through the direct action of the Board of Education in its efforts to serve the educational interests of the two communities that comprise the Westwood Regional School District.”
Sears has criticized Gonzalez over student parking at the junior-senior high school, at 701 Ridgewood Road, and planned or proposed multimillion-dollar capital projects.
At its previous meeting, the township council revised the township parking ordinance to limit parking on up to 16 streets near the school to two hours during the school day.
The move was a response to a year of pitched complaints by residents who say some students who lack spaces on campus—or who choose not to use them—drive and park erratically, rudely, and dangerously in the neighborhoods.
No juniors are guaranteed spaces on campus, and there are fewer spots for seniors than there are seniors enrolled.
Asked whether Gonzalez might have a point about students licensed to drive needing to be held accountable for their own driving, as he suggested to the Pascack Press in earlier coverage, Sears replied, “Why torment the community? It’s a simple, easy fix for school leadership.”
With school starting presently, Gonzalez has said it appeared that there would be enough spots on hand for those families that applied for a campus parking space under a lottery system.
School leaders have said 400 parking spaces would be needed to accommodate every junior and senior driver, but there are competing needs for space and some grounds are protected wetlands.
Approximately a dozen residents spoke out against the ordinance change, fearing it will expose them, their guests, and contractors to fines for parking in front of their own homes.
They said they would bring their concerns to the Board of Education meeting today [Aug. 24].
Millions in spending; questions over taxes
Against this backdrop, the district plans to spend $3 million on a maintenance facility and concession stand at the high school and is gearing up to ask voters’ permission this December to borrow $23.9 million for a dedicated middle school eyed for Third Avenue in Westwood.
A month ago Sears urged Mayor Janet Sobkowicz to write to the state Department of Environmental Protection seeking a halt to construction of the maintenance facility on environmental grounds.
The final presentation regarding the maintenance facility took place at a November 2016 public meeting, and the Board of Education approved the submission of the project application to the state Department of Education (NJDOE) that December.
“After the review of the project application by the NJDOE and the delineation of wetlands by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), we received all requisite approvals to proceed,” Mandeville told Pascack Press.
“As required, our design specifications were also submitted to the Washington Township planning board in February of 2017,” she added.
Pascack Press has requested a copy of a DEP email Sobkowicz said was received by the planning and zoning engineer today alerting him that the permit had been approved and would be issued.
In an interview, Sears also followed up on his concern about the bigger middle school, saying he was not convinced the project is needed or that taxpayers would be well served by it.
He said the fact that 63.54 percent of the 2016 total tax levy went to the school system “is outrageous. […] Why are our taxes so high for the schools? Why?”
In her emailed response to Pascack Press, Mandeville acknowledged the heft of the proposed middle school price tag, but suggested the district has been doing its homework.
The project will face additional scrutiny at public hearings this fall.
“I think it is also important to note that throughout the 2016/17 school year the Board of Education had multiple public discussions regarding the middle school, its configuration, its cost and the most efficient and effective way of financing an undertaking of this magnitude,” she said.
The district’s budget is posted here.