Board of Ed Bids Farewell to Outgoing Members

The Parsippany-Troy Hills Board of Education met Tuesday evening for the final time before the April 27 school elections. The gathering marked the term ends for three members.

Despite the acrimony and division that has dominated recent meetings, particularly over the contract of Superintendent LeRoy Seitz, there was plenty of positive emotions on Tuesday.

After a night filled with normal board concerns—items involving personnel concerns, updates on activities at the district's high schools, the approval of a new —President Anthony Mancuso took a moment before adjourning the session to praise the BOE's departing members for their dedication and hard work and to wish them well on their future endeavors.

After the meeting ended,  a visibly happy Robert Crawford, who served seven years on the board, joked that he was leaving because "I believe in term limits."

Crawford, who repeatedly tried to have Seitz's contract rescinded because it did not fall in line with Gov. Chris Christie's salary cap for school administrators, has filed to run for township council.

"I want to stay active," he explained.

Asked what he found to be the best part of serving on the Board of Education, Crawford smiled broadly and didn't hesitate to reply. "I loved having the opportunity to learn," he said. "I've learned so much from so many people."

Determining the most difficult aspect of his tenure required a bit of thought on Crawford's part. After considering the matter, he replied, "What was most frustrating was not being able to set a tone from the top to address the economic hardship facing the people of Parsippany, and not being able to convince the superintendent to face those issues and come up with ideas that would allow us to alleviate the people's pain."

Crawford said he was disappointed that Seitz was offered a pay increase before the end of his original contract—and that, in the present economic climate, the superintendent accepted it. He added that similarly, when asked to share in sacrificing, union leadership refused to make any concessions. Crawford noted one exception: The custodians' union, he said, accepted a pay freeze and renegotiated a benefits package last year.

"And to be clear, I am talking about union leadership, not the teachers," Crawford said. "It is as if the superintendent and union leaders live in some sort of splendid isolation where they don't have to see or consider the problems taxpayers have to endure. And it's sad that in three years of pushing, I could not set that tone and make them see the need for shared sacrifice."

Louis Valori is also stepping down—his first three-year term as a board member will also be his last. The primary reason, the police sergeant explained, is that he wants to spend more time with his family.

"I have three daughters. The oldest  is getting married, I have another daughter who is a junior at the Hills and getting ready for college next year, and I'm really having fun hanging out with my 10-year-old," he said. "But I'll still be around. I sit on the township municipal alliance committee, and I've also been appointed to the Morris County Freeholders council on aging, disability and veterans affairs."

For Valori, the best part of serving on the board was working with his colleagues.

"With these guys, whatever's said behind closed doors stays there. I can go out and have a cup of coffee with them afterwards," he said. "These people give so much. They've all passionate about what they do."

Valori said the downside of the job is the time requirement. "It's a tough job with a demanding schedule—you have to put in at least 15 hours per week to be an effective board member," he said.

"If you get on the Board of Ed, it should be because you want to give back to the community. You've got to be able to deal with the principals, the parents, the students. There are the other board members. And then there is the public—the taxpayers are not idiots. Even when you disagree with someone. I've  learned that you have to listen. If I let my temper get away from me, it's because I'm not listening carefully enough. "

Another thing Valori said he learned is just how invaluable the administrators are. "We, as board members, make decisions, but it's these guys who do the work and make things happen," he said.

Board member Andrew Choffo's term is ending as well. However, he is one of nine candidates vying for the three open board seats in the upcoming school election. In previous statements, he has noted that as the only incumbent running for re-election, he is the only candidate with experience.

A smiling Choffo did no campaigning while in the Board of Education building. Instead, he encouraged everyone to "get out there and vote on April 27."

"However you vote,  go out on Election Day and have your say," he said.

Mancuso said the board had a good year that was overshadowed by the controversy surrounding Seitz's contract.

"With the exception of one topic, this year has been great. And even that is debatable," he said. "Let's not forget that it was a 6-to-2 vote to keep [Superintendent LeRoy Seitz] and to approve his contract, and until other things came into play, that was a non-issue also."

He pointed to the school budget recently passed by the board and approved by the county superintendent as a major success. 

"It's an outstanding budget," he asserted. "Keeping the tax increase to only 0.8 percent, especially given the cuts that were imposed last year was an amazing thing. When people focus only on that one topic, they hurt the children and shortchange the good work this board has done."

Voters will have the opportunity to vote the budget during the April 27 school election.

"And then there is the matter of what would have happened if we hadn't approved the contract," Mancuso said. "In July, Dr. Seitz's old contract would have expired. What would we do? We don't want to be like Wayne, which is operating without a superintendent—especially when we have one of such high caliber."

Whether Mancuso will lead the Board of Education during the 2011-12 school year, he said, will be a matter the new board will decide at the May 5 reorganization meeting.