Board of Education Candidates Open Up About Budget, Other Issues

Community relations, curriculum changes and the budget were the top issues discussed during a special forum of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education candidates Tuesday night.

The event, sponsored by the Scotch Plains-Fanwood PTA Council at district headquarters, included Amy Winkler, Michael Lewis and Christopher Pflaum — all whom are running for the open 3-year Fanwood seat in Fanwood. Incumbent Rob O'Connor, who's running  for another one-year Fanwood term also appeared, as did David Gorbunoff and Nancy Bauer, both incumbents who are running for the two 3-year seats to represent Scotch Plains.

PTA Council Vice President Susan Johnson moderated the conversation between the candidates and offered three questions from the organization before opening it up to the public. The immediacy of the budget (which incumbent board members passed) dominated many of the questions.

"The budget we're looking at is actually reduced from the budget we had last year, although it will show tax increases, we're trying to maintain what we have," said Winkler, defending the budget. "It's a balancing act."

The candidates all explained that they don't want to change class sizes and aim to keep the cuts away from the classroom. However, by noting that teaching staff is indispensable, they admitted that they would have to cut other positions and activities if asked to reduce costs.

"If we're going to have to start to make cuts … maybe you have to start looking at the teams we have at younger areas," O'Connor said. "Depending on what happens, we may have to do it."

Gorbunoff said he would look into the budget and ask questions about every aspect of the administration and staff to find the most efficient programs.

"What are the areas getting the most use? Where are we being the most efficient? Where are the areas where maybe we can make some changes?" he asked.

Pflaum said that although they are trying to avoid cutting jobs for teachers, he thinks placing more students in classes wouldn't have the effect that many others are afraid of.

"I think it's taboo to say 'keep the class size low at all costs,'" he said. "Increasing by five students is not as detrimental as we think."

Pflaum said he has also researched several unconventional ways that the board could help the district save money by looking into what others have done. He suggested switching software away from expensive Microsoft-licensed products and auctioning off naming rights to local schools. He and Winkler both spoke about the possibilities of pursuing solar energy in the schools to generate more income.

Lewis said that he would like to look into sharing superintendent and administrative duties with other districts. He also said that the district needs to investigate different services regarding testing, teaching practices and distance learning capabilities.

Community cooperation was also a hot topic among the candidates. While teachers were concerned with negotiations and the growing animosity between them and the public, the board candidates insisted that the only way to get through these tough times is to work together for a common cause.

"Teaching is a passion. If you have the passion, you should teach," Gorbunoff said. "It's not the board versus the teachers, board versus the parents — we're all in this together."

Lewis stuck to the point of having people better understand the process of teacher negotiations, and promoted transparency to keep the public more involved. Meanwhile, Bauer said that communication could be improved by utilizing Web sites, electronic services and working more closely with the PTA.

All of the candidates also said that they hoped to have more of a presence in the schools if elected. Bauer also suggested continuing with roundtable discussions to facilitate public contact.

Regardless of the challenges the new Board of Education will face, all of the candidates agreed on one strength of Scotch Plains-Fanwood: the people in the community. While some towns may fall apart in these tough economic times, the candidates all said they are sure that this district will band together.

"The situation we face in New Jersey is not unique," Gorbunoff said. "What sets towns apart is the way they can get through it."

Candidates will be selected by the voters at the April 20 election.