Board meets to air concerns over its won president

Sparta - Education officials had scheduled a meeting this week to air things out, but the school board leader may have gotten wind that he was the target of their concerns. Board president David Slavin failed to show up for the “special” meeting without offering an explanation to the board or the superintendent. “It’s inherent on the president to have the leadership skills to officiate meetings,” said first-term school board member Rich Sullivan. “We all are looking for someone to take the lead above and beyond what’s in the book.” The special meeting was planned last month as a retreat, but school board members made no secret that they wanted the session to be held behind closed doors because it would deal with personal differences among the members. “A lot of the issues with this board are personal,” said school board member Maureen Sharpe. “That is what we don’t have here - trust.” Notice of the meeting was posted on the school district’s Web site in advance of what was officially an open meeting; however, no one from the public was in attendance. Board member Armen Koochagian and Ronald Wolfe, assistant superintendent for business, were also not present. Vice president Douglas Chesnulovitch disagreed with other members of the board on the scope of authority the school board president has. Some members present at the meeting voiced concerns over undefined roles and responsibilities of the district’s leadership. “The board advocates it’s authority to the superintendent or the board of education president at times, and I find that to be problematic,” said board member Paul Johnson. “The president exceeded his bounds by taking some action that I’m still bitter about. It was without precedent and stepped on precedent.” Johnson said he has been frustrated by the board leadership’s attempts to shift the agenda of meetings at the last minute or without adequate notice. Others expressed displeasure with internal communications or public messages. Three seats on the board are up for election in April. The elected members will then nominate and approve a new president in May. Board member Michael Schiavoni said the next school board president will need to establish clear responsibilities and better lines of communication. “We count on that person to be a vocal point for communication and must be prepared when he (or she) comes to a meeting, and that’s where I find the biggest shortfall with David (Slavin),” he said. Ray Pinney, a representative from the New Jersey School Board Association, suggested the district’s education officials build trust among each other. “We run rampant on our board with various trust issues,” said Sullivan. “The president has taken some liberties that some board members feel are out of bounds.” While the board of education tries to circle the wagons, the public will decide in a September referendum whether to renovate and expand the existing high school at a cost of some $72.3 million. School officials hope the reconstruction project will address overcrowded classrooms at the high school and the district’s increasing student population. The Department of Education must first approve plans related to spending, curriculum and facilities before the school board can hold the public referendum in September. The school board approved the high school reconstruction project in January after a long and exhaustive search. For almost three years, the school board struggled to find land to build a new school before settling on expansion and renovation of the existing facility, which has stood off Route 517 on Mountain Road for more than 50 years. The plan, which was chosen from one of six designs presented by the Spiezle Architectural Group, of Trenton, is expected to accommodate 1,525 students with additional facilities including 24 new classrooms, three music and faculty team rooms, an auditorium, commons/cafeteria, kitchen, double gymnasium and locker rooms. Cost of the 137,910 square-feet of additions is estimated at $34.5 million. Originally, the board of education had intended to build a new high school and convert the existing facility to house grades K-4. But a strained relationship with the township council, environmental regulations, construction costs far more extensive than predicted, and a weary public that has historically opposed construction referendums forced the school board’s hand.