The Berkeley Heights Board of Education’s reorganization was so dramatic it could qualify for an Emmy. Next time, perhaps we should aim for a Tony—because honestly, the only way these marathon meetings could be bearable is if the endless contentious debates were performed as a musical, complete with high-energy dance breaks from the Administration.

But on a serious note:
We have urgent issues—broken fire panels at CMS, missing ceiling tiles, a potential sewage problem, and no heat in several GL classrooms. Maybe, just maybe, we should prioritize keeping students and staff safe and comfortable?

Here are four resolutions I propose for every Board member this year:

• Accept that you don’t always need to be right or get the last word.
• Learn to move on. You can’t positively impact anyone if you’re constantly trying to “win” every argument.
• Respect your role. No Board member holds authority over another. Don’t act like you know more than everyone else—except for Dr. Foregger, because, well, he actually does.
• Listen—to yourself and to others.

In what could have been a promising start toward “working together,” especially from a candidate who ran on that very platform, we instead witnessed petty, tiresome antics reminiscent of grade school.

Bradford vs. Khanna: The Deadlock

The Board hit a stalemate—three times—when electing a President. New Mountainside representative Bill Dillon sided with “Team Bradford” (Bradford, Stanley, and newcomer Terrero) and voted against Ms. Khanna, despite having no prior working relationship with either candidate.

Strange? Yes.

Surprising? No.

Honestly, either candidate could have done the job. Gale Bradford was a fine President, even if I didn’t agree with all her decisions. Dipti Khanna, as VP, has also proven herself to be a capable leader. Realistically, there are about four members (excluding Mountainside) who could effectively serve as President or VP. It’s a shame they couldn’t figure it out.

The Vice Presidency Debacle

Next came the VP vote, where things got even messier. “Team Bradford” refused to discuss candidates, with Stanley insisting that a VP couldn’t be chosen without a President in place, as they need to work closely together (presumably under the guidance of County Superintendent Daryl Palmieri). Silly me—I thought all Board members were supposed to work together. Perhaps Stanley knows something we don’t?

End result: We now have no President or VP.

Public Comment and Policy 131

One member of the public raised a concern about the repeal of Policy 131 at December’s BOE meeting. The attorney dismissed the comment as irrelevant, indicating no unethical actions were involved.

Meeting Dates

What could have been a quick decision turned into a drawn-out debate over scheduling additional meetings. Some members wanted extra sessions for Superintendent reviews, student/staff recognition, and Board goals. Others felt the current schedule was sufficient. After much back-and-forth, the motion to add meetings failed.

OPRA: Facts Matter

The OPRA discussion dragged on for nearly an hour. The highlight? The Business Administrator cutting off Ms. Akiri, accusing her of spreading misinformation. Akiri had requested that OPRA responses be reposted on the district’s website, only for Juskewitz to declare that no such records had ever been posted. However, contrary to his claim, these documents were posted for two years—links can be found in JP’s article.

Here’s the thing: OPRA requests often signal a lack of trust in the governing body. Numerous articles and lawsuits—some of which I’ve personally been involved in—prove this point. Changes are needed, and trust must be restored.

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