Montclair tempers fray over board

Montclair activists both for and against an elected board of education are spending thousands of dollars in mailers, flyers and lawn signs to sway undecided voters in the days leading up to the Nov. 3 referendum.

The seven members of the school board of this township of 37,000 residents are appointed by the mayor, and attempts to change that system have failed four times before, most recently in 1995.

But a group of residents dissatisfied with the board's recent decisions have built up momentum again to begin electing board members.

"This should just be a no-brainer," said Pegi Adam, the driving force of the grassroots movement. "We have no voice. We have no say. We have no nothing."

Supporters of the status quo consider this all to be a waste of time.

"If you look at just the past five weeks of this election campaign, emotions are high, tempers are short, and I don't see people focusing on the central question, which is: "How do we best educate our children?'" said Mary Beth Rosenthal, a mother of two.

Harvey Susswein, of the Appointed Board Coalition, said it's notable that several organizations, including the local NAACP chapter and the Montclair League of Women Voters, have voiced support for the appointed board.

"The other side has no endorsements," he said.

Those who support an appointed board say it keeps politics out of the process, and it's the best way to maintain diversity, since turnout at school board elections historically has been low.

Kabir Baber, father of three, said he used to think an appointed board was best for Montclair, but that was before then-Board of Education member Renee Baskerville, now a 4th Ward councilwoman, was not reappointed to a second term in 2007, despite the fact she was elected vice president by her school board peers.

"That was a political move to me," said Baber, a father of three.

He also pointed out Montclair voters have supported black candidates in previous elections, although the township's population is largely white -- Deputy Mayor Roger Terry was by far the top vote-getter in the council's nonpartisan election in 2008.

"That old cliché doesn't stand anymore like it did in the "70s," Baber said.

Baber and others who support an elected board say it would make members accountable to voters and increase transparency.

Susswein said: "No public body, whether elected or appointed can satisfy all the people all the time. We just elected a new mayor and a new town council a year ago, and it's amazing how they're now vilified in our blogs. They're seen as nonresponsive. I just think it goes with the territory."

If voters approve the referendum, the board would be expanded to nine members, according to the New Jersey School Boards Association. This means voters would elect five board members in April, since the terms of three current members will have expired. Residents would also vote on school budgets.

Nic Corbett is a reporter with the New Jersey Local News Service. She may be reached at (908) 243-6216 or ncorbett@njlns.com.