Montgomery Board of Education Reviews Hope Squad, Auditor Services, and Operational Updates at Sept. 16 Meeting

Nicholas Mistretta

Montgomery — The Montgomery Township Board of Education met on Sept. 16 to address a range of topics, including adoption of a suicide-prevention program, review of the district’s auditing services, and other operational updates. The meeting included routine reports as well as extended discussion on several action items and public comments from community members and staff.

Superintendent Mary McLoughlin opened the meeting with an upbeat superintendent’s report, noting that Montgomery has been recognized this month as a “Unified Champions School,” an honor she said “reflects the incredible spirit and leadership of our students.” McLoughlin added that unified sports and leadership opportunities “bring together students with and without disabilities” and help “build a culture of respect, understanding and belonging.”

She also announced the district’s PSAT plans: the test will be administered during the school day on Tuesday, Oct. 21, and 10th- and 11th-grade students are eligible to participate. McLoughlin said Montgomery High School will cover the cost for any 11th-grade student wishing to take the exam. Other items in her report included an invitation for the community to attend Homecoming at Zoran Milich Field on Friday, Oct. 3; news that Village Elementary welcomed nine new staff members this year; and a note that Orchard Hill Elementary is emphasizing “building community within the classroom.”

Director of Curriculum Fiona Borland presented results from ACCESS 2.0, the statewide assessment that measures comprehension and communication in English for K–12 multilingual learners, while MTEA President Mike Razzoli outlined upcoming union-led community events — a holiday costume exchange, a trunk-or-treat in October and the return of monthly read-alouds at Orchard and Village.

But the meeting’s most heated discussion centered on three action-agenda items — including Item 3.5, which would bring the nationally recognized Hope Squad suicide-prevention program into the district. Cory Delgado, director of school counseling and student wellness, framed the proposal as part of a proactive strategy. “In my role I’m always on an ongoing search for more pro-active, preventative programming that would be a good fit for our district,” Delgado said. “The Hope Squad is that program. This fits squarely into our strategic plan and is fully funded for the first two years.”

Delgado introduced Chris Hoffman, who delivered a personal plea in support of adoption after sharing the family tragedy of losing a niece to suicide as a college student. “Everything seemed just perfect until it wasn’t,” Hoffman said. Principal Heather Pino-Beattie, who has twice lived through our school community shattered by student suicides, urged the board to act from hard-won experience: “We have to do everything we can, all the time, to protect our kids,” she said.

The audit discussion — driven by Board Member Joanna Filak’s emphasis on “good governance” sparked discussion. Filak argued that organizations committed to strong oversight periodically change auditors and said a review turned up a firm offering “a significant amount of resources” beyond what the district’s long-time firm provides. Business Administrator Andrew Italiano pushed back, describing reported issues as “minor and of no concern.”

The votes that followed were closely debated. Several members moved to table action on Items 2.2, 3.5 and 3.9 for further information; those motions to table failed. Filak then moved to amend the agenda to replace Suplee, Clooney & Company with HFA as the district’s auditing firm; that amendment failed as well. In the end, despite heated debate and unsuccessful attempts to delay or amend the business, the board approved the contested agenda items as presented.

Public comment underscored the meeting’s tense atmosphere. A Fountayne Lane resident and former Montgomery graduate/former Village Elementary special-education teacher, criticized the board over contract negotiations with teachers, saying bluntly: “This is not oversight, this is a failure of leadership.”

MHS physics teacher Craig Buszka defended the district’s science and math instruction after outside criticism, pointing to successful, well-attended workshops led by Montgomery educators in New York City. Jen Riddell, APSMT president, warned that the auditor dispute risked destabilizing district leadership: “What we should be concerned about is possibly losing another BA,” she said.

One of the most detailed public comments came from Belle Mead resident Karen Anderson, who used her allotted time to urge civility and mutual respect after contentious public discourse. “I wrote a letter to the editor this week about Francine. I wrote something I felt I needed to write. I think she’s a good person. I think she’s a smart person. I don’t think its suitable for her to be on the board but I respect her. I crossed paths with her at ShopRite I reached out to say hello and she acknowledged me back. I saw a human and I hope she saw a human in me too. What I heard in this audience tonight…you guys are our teachers. I’m shaking because I want to like you guys too but I heard some words sitting next to you. You were my daughters teachers. Because you didn’t like what you heard up here. Did you not learn anything this week? We have the right to speak and share what’s on our minds. These are tough discussions, have them. Just because you are teachers and you know your processes, we have the right to ask. Maybe we all can get better at this please.

Principal Heather Pino-Beattie returned to the podium to address concerns about the relationship between the board and district educators. She cited what she described as growing mistrust and interference in curriculum and district processes. “Your public mistrust of our educators, your attempts to dismantle our curriculum, your desire to insert yourself in decisions that are beyond the purview of board members and your constant undermining of our processes have got to stop,” she said.

For complete meeting click here.

Photo Credit: Nicholas Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomery.com