Schools
BOE Considers Changing Meeting Day
Meetings could shift to Wednesdays or Thursdays when the township committee doesn't meet.
The Board of Education of the School District of the Chathams discussed changing its meeting schedule for the 2013-14 school year so that its meetings would no longer conflict with those of the Chatham Borough Council.
The meetings of the board, which usually meets at the Chatham Township Municipal Building, and of the council often occur at the same time, both semi-monthly on Mondays.
Board member Richard Connors asked why the meeting night had never previously been moved from Mondays, stating that, despite occasional discussion, this has been an “ongoing issue” since he joined the board.
Find out what's happening in Chathamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“I honestly have no idea,” Superintendent Michael LaSusa said. “Since I’ve been in the district, it’s always been Monday night.”
Connors said he believes the Monday board meeting scheduling is a holdover from when municipal court hearings would take place in Chatham Township before shifting over to Madison.
Find out what's happening in Chathamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“There were conflicts, so Monday was the only viable day,” Connors said. “I think it would be helpful for people who are interested in both [the borough council and Board of Education] to move it.”
The board discussed the possibility of shifting board meetings to Wednesday nights, or moving them to Thursdays on the weeks when the Chatham Township Committee does not meet, or keeping them on Mondays and working with the Chatham Borough Council to make sure the dates don’t conflict.
LaSusa explained the board could try meeting on a different day in May or June once the reorganization meeting happens on April 22.
“Once the board potentially changes and once committees change, there’s nothing forcing us to wait until July [to change meeting schedules],” he said.
One of the campaign issues of Chatham Borough resident Ed DiFiglia, who is running for incumbent member Phil Franz’s board seat, is increasing access to school board meetings, including making sure they don’t conflict with the borough council meetings.
Business Administrator and Board Secretary Peter Daquila asked board members if they would like to continue the practice of also traveling to the various district schools to host its meetings during the school year, a practice currently in its second year.
Board members responded with a unanimous affirmative. “It gives opportunities for people who live in those areas to come out,” Connors said.
