Election Aftermath Stirs Debate on Moving School Vote

Law Requires Public Comment at All School Board Meetings

Court Rules for School Board in Coach’s Prayer Case

Preview of May 17 Delegate Assembly

Candidates Seek Positions as NJSBA Officers

Somerset County School to Host 2008 Special Education Week Celebration

Calendar

Click here for a pdf version of this issue of School Board Notes

NJSBA reminds all school boards that decisions made by each Delegate Assembly are followed by action that often results in the introduction of legislation, stopping of undesirable legislation, or new State Board of Education policies. The Delegate Assemblies give local school boards the opportunity for input before these far-reaching statewide policy decisions are made. Therefore, NJSBA urges boards to review the proposed resolutions so that their delegates are familiar with the issues. Policies adopted by the Delegate Assemblies are codified in NJSBA’s Manual of Positions and Policies on Education and can be viewed on the NJSBA Web site. 

The election of Officers to serve the Association in 2008-2010 will also be on the agenda.

Resolution No. 1 from the Ramsey Board of Education (Bergen) calls upon the New Jersey School Boards Association to adopt new policy language to the NJSBA Manual of Policies and Positions on Education, stating that NJSBA believes all New Jersey schools, on all election days, should be encouraged to provide lessons on civic responsibility and the importance of exercising these hard-earned rights.

Resolution No. 2 from the Ramsey Board of Education (Bergen) calls upon the New Jersey School Boards Association to adopt new policy language to the NJSBA Manual of Positions and Policies on Education, stating that NJSBA opposes the provision of a supermajority (60%) vote for school district special questions and seeks restoration of the principle of “one person, one vote” in the State of New Jersey.

Also on the agenda is the Final Report of the Ad Hoc Committee to Study the Delegate Assembly and the sunset review of File Code 9000, (Organization/Operations of Local Boards) of the NJSBA’s Manual of Positions and Policies on Education.

Notice was e-mailed/faxed to school business administrators and county association presidents on April 10 advising them that the resolutions and background materials, the Ad Hoc Committee Report to Study the Delegate Assembly and policies for sunset review were placed on the NJSBA Web site and could be found on the “Delegate Assembly” section of NJSBA's Web site, so local boards could review these materials prior to the Delegate Assembly. Hard copies of the Delegate Handbook were mailed to all delegates registered by April 24. If a delegate was not registered by that date, the handbook was mailed to the school business administrator to distribute.

The May Delegate Assembly will be held at the Wyndham Conference Center/Hotel (formerly the Lakeside) in Plainsboro. Directions are provided on the Web site and in the Delegate Handbook.  The link for Online Registration is located on the left side of the Delegate Assembly Web page. Delegates may also be registered by calling Heidi Bullock at (609) 278-5217. If the delegate or alternate is unable to attend, any member of the board of education may be certified to represent the board at the meeting.  To be certified, delegates must show proof on district letterhead that they have been designated to represent the board at the meeting.