More Questions Remain on the BHPSNJ Improper Transportation Survey

Dec 18, 2023

At the last meeting, Mr. Juskiewicz said there was no board correspondence since the previous meeting. I pointed out the exchange regarding the transportation survey. He apologized for the oversight.

I wanted to share this exchange as I think it highlights the administration’s lack of attention to detail when it comes to collecting data from our kids and the inability of the administration to acknowledge mistakes.

A Google form survey was sent to CMS students via their bhpsnj email, asking them how they got to school and how they plan to get home.

It was sent on October 23rd, 24th, 25th, and 27th.

Ms. Kapuscinski wrote to the administration and the board questioning why parents were not notified as required by law and questioned the nature of the survey (how the data will be used and how the students were selected).

Dr. Varley replied that Ms. Kapuscinski, given her role on the PTO as the district Safe Routes to School (SRTS) representative, worked with the town to create the survey.

In the exchange copied below (apologies, it’s a bit lengthy), Dr. Varley says it wasn’t officially a survey.

You can’t have it both ways.

My response outlines:

1. This is a survey collecting student-level data. Parents were required to be notified.

2. This survey was created to support the township’s application for an SRTS Grant, with the township reaching out directly to the administration. This is different than the tallies that Ms. Kapuscinski forwards to the state following walk/bike to school days as part of the annual process to maintain SRTS status.

In other words, Ms. Kapuscinski and the PTO had nothing to do with this survey.

It’s unclear to me why Dr. Varley kept attempting to tie Ms. Kapuscinski to this survey by misrepresenting her role.

As a parent, she has every right to question the administration. Without her raising awareness, parents wouldn’t have known. Perhaps the administration made an honest mistake – didn’t think it was a big deal. But once this was highlighted, the administration should take responsibility and do the right thing instead of trying to shift blame.