The Board of Education's role is to advise and consent. Our five-member team of elected, unpaid, nonpartisan members ensure our superintendent and business administration are in step with the district's goals, objectives and policies while adhering to all state regulations.  

Our board consists of professionals with post-graduate degrees in law, finance, education and communications. We use our skills and experience to ensure the superintendent and business administrator put the students, teachers and administrators in the best position to succeed by ensuring:

• The administrators have the flexibility to bring in a united and diverse team of teachers and help them grow

• The teachers have the freedom and resources to, well, teach.

• The students feel safe and empowered to be their true selves and embrace their educational journeys with excitement.

Schools across New Jersey and Essex County have been in the news for having to cut scores of education professionals in the face of budget deficits exceeding $10 million due in large part by ever-increasing healthcare and utility costs.

By comparison in my three years on the Board of Education, Verona's budget journey has been a success story. For the coming fiscal year we balanced a $47.5 million budget thanks to the following actions:

•  While many schools have seen their healthcare costs increase by more than 30%, Verona has been participating in a collective that is able to contain increases to a bit less than 20%. 

• Top administrators have been wearing multiple hats to lead their departments to ensure our teaching teams are fully operational. 

• The business leader re-negotiated dozens of contracts and debt obligations. 

• Verona has enhanced its special services to keep students in need within district. Placing a student out of district can cost the schools tens of thousands of dollars a year.

Neverthess, we will continue to face financial strain. All of our board members have deep financial experience. We must continue to help Verona prepare for:

• Further increases in healthcare and utility costs

• Shrinking state and federal aid

• Diligently managing capital expenditures. School facilities are aging and the maintenance costs are significant. We are developing strategies to  fund those needs over a structured time horizon. 

• The cost of community growth. Verona is an enviable place to live. As such, our student population is growing. Unfortunately, the town will continue to provide tax abatements for builders as allowed by a program commonly called PILOT. These abatements limit the amount of tax revenue new construction would otherwise provide. We must work collaboratively with our town colleagues to find an amicable solution to this challenge.