Administration, board can't deal with diversity of opinion

There are many controversies surrounding the performance of the Sayreville Board of Education, namely the high school building-addition delays, permits, firewalls, costs and no-bid contracts. The school-busing question generated a lot of concern about children's safety.

Now we are embarking on another questionable decision and how it is handled. The school administration wants the board to relocate all the children from Selover School and place them in the unused space in Samsel Upper Elementary School. It appears that the facility projections were way off the mark when the school was designed. Furthermore, I guess they haven't learned anything from the past about how difficult it can be to reopen a school once students have vacated the premises.

Due to the fact that board members and administrators spend taxpayers' money, we should ensure it is done cautiously and efficiently. If it were not for the people who attend meetings and speak out, board members and administrators would be like engineers on a runaway train, completely out of control when spending our money.

As a regular attendee at meetings, it is apparent to me that Michael Macagnone, board president, has not developed sensitivity to the people and their concerns. It has become quite clear that the board president has difficulty with the recognition of individual differences.

All residents' concerns and opinions should be carefully considered. They should be treated with respect and not be subjected to insults and intimidation when they appear at the microphone to voice their points of view. Perhaps, Mr. Macagnone and the administration need to be reminded that diversity of opinion and community involvement can be a cornerstone for a successful education.

School elections and voting are very important to me. As voters, we are fortunate to have the right to cast a vote to say yes or no to certain candidates, budgets and public questions. The school board election will be held on April 17. There are only five candidates seeking three seats. I'm proud to state that I will be voting for Tom Biesiada, Maria Stratton and Ron Batko, and I would like to encourage you to vote for them as well.

While I applaud Curtis Clark for his many years of service, I do not feel that his contributions are taking us in the right direction.

Most importantly, please exercise your right to vote. We need a change in leadership.

Christine Knoblock-Nandor

Sayreville