Around two weeks back WW-P School Board President Tony Fleres and former president Hemant Marathe made comments on Facebook regarding nepotism, videotapping, Q &A (mandated by the NJ State Education Board) by parents and community residents, and the new administration building.
The following questions come to my mind:
1. Should nepotism, whether legal or illegal, be tolerated by residents of Plainsboro and West Windsor? Below is a statement by Fleres on nepotism:
“During the summer of 2013, my son, a college student at the time, worked for the technology department along with three other students mostly moving and setting up equipment for the September start of classes. In keeping with district policy at the time, the two college students were paid $10/hour while the two high schoolers were $7.25. According to state law and the 2010 district policy, the nepotism rules do not apply to student employees.”
2. Why is Marathe trying to justify the actions of the School Board? Will he please move on and focus on delivering his promises to the West Windsor community?
3. Do we want school board members to be role models for our kids? If so, should we have leadership at board level that promotes nepotism?
4. Do we want a future mayor and a current councilman to promote no video taping of public proceedings, justify nepotism (yes it matters and it is wrong, Mr. Marathe), and listen to attorneys? We want our future mayor to partner with the community, not with the attorney.
Marathe on nepotism: “I do know other board members whose kids have worked for the district over summer, and there is nothing wrong with it.”
5. Also, Mr. Marathe, nothing is boring and mundane about our kids’ education and future.
Mr. Marathe, we, the community and our kids, are facing the consequences of your tenure as board president. It is a shame that you call meetings where our kids’ future is being decided mundane and boring.
“As president of the school board I never supported taping of the board meetings because I feel the money will be better spent on things that directly benefit the students. No matter what anyone claims, things cost money and the school board never had sufficient resources in my opinion to justify cost of taping all school board meetings. Most of them are boring and mundane.”
6. We are not questioning the new administration building but are questioning the exorbitant price tag that was used to build the facility. We urge the administration to open the new administration building for public viewing, so the public can decide if it is a public office or a palace.
Zul Kagalwalla
Jeffrey Lane
