the partisan school administrators used the bully pulpit during school activities to promote the necessity to vote while citizens with non school age children were left in the dark. The crude supporters of spending their neighbors money for their selfish gain are a stain on the democratic process. If you are thinking of moving to Westfield, the lesson today is greed.

Jim, you are a buffoon. The term "mixed" was referring to the turnout or number of voters at the polling stations-not how ballots were cast-also, how do you know that there wasn't a last-minute rush at the polls? And if you're so critical of others, why don't you use your full name?

I re-read it and it is still unclear. I wouldn't use mixed as a term to describe number of voters. The article mentions turnout in the beginning, then it took one quote on ballot casting from each side. That seems like the mixed part to me.

And if you're so critical of others, why don't you use your real name?

Gary, one might think that Board retirement looks good on you. Any reason to grandstand and criticize? For someone that sat on that Board for so long, hard to believe that you would choose to say that they "needed to point out the negative consequences". Some pragmatists might say that the Board pointed out the facts and communicated, something that I believe while you sat on the Board, they were often criticized for.

Threatening will only get you as far as the roof....don't underestimate voters on projects beyond the physical plant needs....there's a difference between ipads and roofs! The board will do well to keep that in mind.

WestfieldWatcher,
Why thank you! Ever since I left the board I've had more time with my family and even lost a few pounds...

My comment regarding "negative consequences" was more a reference to the need to point out the consequences of not passing the bond. It is too bad that just communicating the positive benefits of replacing roofs would not be enough in the BoE's opinion to pass it, and they had to pre-determine the consequences of not passing.

I do think BoE communication is improving, but there still needs to be a better way to handle this "social media" aspect of responding to comments, as the BoE needs an objective voice to simply state the facts as needed. Any BoE member who responds becomes the defacto voice of the Board, which may not be the official position of the Board. And if you have read the posts, they are still being criticized for the BoE's communications.

Keep in mind, the recipient always defines the meaning of the communication.

BOE Watcher
Yeah, there is a bit I could say about the prior project management, but won't or can't.

Going forward, as there is functionally a new project management team in place, (both day to day and oversight), I feel the BoE should apply some extra oversight to this project until they feel very comfortable that it is proceeding within expectations.

Other comments aside, you can search the NJ.com and other archives for plenty of school projects that were not able to complete within budget and left things half-done, wasting a lot of money. Again, hoping that will not happen here.

Perhaps you out to find out how the process really works because you clearly don't know how its done. The Board does not set the budget. There are independent 3rd parties that evaluate the project; a combination of architects and construction engineers, and they estimate the cost based on market conditions and the rule of thumb of the cost per square foot. Don't be so jaded, BOE Watcher. Not everyone in this town that provides public service is out to get the public.

Fooshy, I agree that it is deplorable that so few voted. But not voting is a vote for indifference to the outcome. That indifference is part of what one might consider "Westfield".

Why do you view the comments as "threats"? I don't think that the Board made any threats. They told you; likely the same "you" that screams about the fact that the Town Council, the school board, and other local volunteers, don't tell us enough. I applaud the school board for telling us AHEAD of time, what the plans were if the Bond failed. Would you have preferred they stay silent and then cut a bunch of things after the bond failed. You would be posting on this board in a heart beat crying about how they never told me what they were going to do.

"Candor was a problem". How could you possibly argue in one breathe that you did not like the fact that the Board used the school email file to communicate and then say that you did not think they were candid. Lack of candor implies that they were not forthcoming nor truthful. In fact, they were, you just don't like the message nor the way it is/was disseminated. Additionally, you have ignored all the other methods of communication that the Board used to get the message out. Oh, all those meetings on TV 36, the emails that go out to people who sign up for them from Dolan, the letters written on the Patch, even that absurd editorial written in the Leader. You must have loved that one; it had all of the trash that you support-half truths and lies. As far as "a continuing issue is the attitude of the Board; I voted for the folks that are in those seats and although I don't always agree with them, their "attitudes" are just fine. They care about the community, they want us to provide a better education for our children and seemingly, despite the time they all put in, they care deeply about the decisions they make.

Oh please. For the last week, you gained the attention of like 50 people who constantly read all this. I read through most these articles the last two days. What a waste of time. In the end, you and your 10 friends lost 64% to 36%.

I got a call and email about voting. I got a call from a teacher who said they were calling everyone in the directory (note: not from the board). I got an email from the principal (note: not from the board). I did NOT get any message from the Honeywell Emergency system. I got them everyday for Sandy, so I clearly did not "miss" one this time. Your "presentation" on here with your comments and letter is always inaccurate or skewed more than anyone else.

Now that the last few days are over, go find something else to do.

I take a different view. The town residents elect a BOE to act in the best interests of the students of WF so that it's children receive a superior education. In doing their job, if they believe that passing a bond referendum is the best way to deliver this, then they not only have a right, but an obligation to advocate for their view. I'm not sure why you think the BOE is supposed to be an impartial body? Their job is to deliver the best education they can. This is what they have done.

If the residents with no kids int he schools want a better voice, then one of them should run for the BOE and then they will have a vote on how the schools are run.

At the end of the day, our residents (those who voted) decided that a whopping $31 extra for a year or two is a better solution than cutting $4 million per year of operating expense from the budget. Roof replacements are not maintenance, they are capital improvements. Bonding was the correct solution, and I'm thankful that it passed and thankful that the Board and school administrators did what they could to make it happen.

Vote NO, do you really think that the Union was more concerned about a wage freeze for a year as opposed to the real possibility of losing 50 jobs, perhaps as much as 10% of their work force. I think they would have traded a short term freeze in return for savings jobs. And oh by the way, would you really want a Board to top their hands ahead of what will be a collectively bargained contract? I think not. Look at the full picture here.

Considering the teachers recieved a 3.9% annual raise during a recession, I think the teachers and administrators will be looking for a big pay day. It's all a game to see how much more money can be conned out of the residents, and we thought the BOE represents us.

You had to be the one to post the last negative comment. Do us all a favor next time and save it.

How is 4200 votes apathy? Unless you define "apathy" as "my side didn't win".

I define apathy as less than 20% of registered voters voted

Disgusting? Hardly. I sat in the same room as you did and that was no attack against free speech. It was an attack against a newspaper that used its standing in a relatively small community to sway voters using anything but the truth. Go back and read the editorial and lets play where's Waldo; Waldo being the lies that the editor wrote in there. They were numerous. The big story is that the editor of that paper should be ashamed of himself. I am all for free speech but have some integrity.

Calling the REPLACEMENT of a roof "maintenance" for one. Patching a section of roof to repair a leak is maintenance. Replacing one that should last (with appropriate maintenance) for 20 years is a capital improvement.

AJB, if we are lucky to have the statement read by the Board President last night included in the Patch, and you want to be objective, which for sure is not assured, you will be able to very easily see, where the editor lied, not where he was wrong. I use the strong term "lied" because as all of these points had been reported in the editors own newspaper time and time again during this process.

Then give Dr. Dolan your email address.

Seneca, I don't believe that anyone said that your property taxes will go down and that certainly should not be your expectation. The Dolan quote said that there would be older bonds falling off in future years which would negate some of the increase from this new bond. In fact, when you assume that taxes can go up by the state mandated maximum of 2% per year, rest assured that your taxes are not going down.

Sure. The report is: the BoE is doing nothing NOW to ensure things are going to be budgeted because Westfield has shown, once again, that the BoE can get away with doing precisely nothing to budget and plan ahead.

anyone following along without an agenda, would have known that a NO vote would have called into question the possibility of giving teachers raises. Anyone with a brain knows that you don't come out and say something like that in what we will be a collectively bargained contract. But Jeff, keep sticking to your pitiful message. "While the Leader's editorial might note have got all the facts right" is the under statement of the day. The only folks who believe that was "correct and deserved" are those that have the same disregard of the truth as the editor. And furthermore, if you go back to the facts (I know you don;t like the facts), the comments about 50 people being laid off was in response to the question of what it would take to save $ 4 million. Apparently they looked at what they cut the last time they needed a $4 million savings (state aid being cut) and that was the head-count that was reduced. You see, if you follow along at home, all of the information that you so deeply crave is all there for you.

What makes people think that the "yes" vote means that the next teacher contract negotiations are going to provide for increases above 0%? Even with the yes vote, one can be sure that the next contract negotiation will be difficult, contentious and very hard on teachers and the Board members.

A. John Blake, I believe that the budget won't get a vote any more if it is within the 2% cap, so there no longer has to be even a pretense of accountability to the public by the Board. The union will expect the 2% cap to be fully used up.

Well, from last night's meeting, as summarized at
http://www.westfieldnjk12.org/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=5270

The auditors reported that the BoE "have placed $2.2 million in maintenance reserve"
which I assume will be used for maintenance items in the future....

Don't know if that was just from one year, or multiple years worth.

20-yrs from now when the roofs again need a full replacement, I would expect this to be bonded again. Capital improvements are not supposed to be paid for and expensed in a single year's operating budget. Why should today's taxpayer have to fund 100% of something that benefits the community for 20 years?