Letter to the Editor: Don't Delay RFP

Good evening.  My name is Jamie Button.  While I represent Mendham Township on the West Morris Regional High School District Board of Education, as I have for the past 5 years, my comments this evening reflect my views alone, not made on behalf of the board.

This evening I would like to comment on recent events in Egypt and how they relate to events here in Mendham Township.

In Egypt over the past week, we have witnessed a military coup that has deposed the first democratically elected president in that country’s long history, since even before Moses, 3,460 years ago, led the Israelites out of slavery from Egypt into the Promised Land.

It was not the Pharaoh last week, however, but the Egyptian military who decided they didn’t like the direction taken by Egypt’s first freely and fairly elected president.  So those holding the guns took over, thwarting the will of the majority of the people.

While mayhem reined on the streets of Cairo, here in Brookside last Thursday morning we celebrated the 237th anniversary of our forefathers replacing a monarchy with a democracy.

Today you, the Mendham Township Committee, elected by the people of Mendham Township for the people of Mendham Township, have before you a Request for a Proposal on a feasibility study to examine the financial and educational impact of restructuring the West Morris Regional High School District.

I applaud Mayor Neil Henry and the Mendham Borough Council for assuming a leadership role by approving this RFP.  I encourage you, the Mendham Township Committee, likewise to approve it without change and without further delay.  Our constituents in Mendham Township have already waited too long.  Let’s review the history.

I have lived in Mendham Township for 28 years, half of my life.  My six children have attended Mendham High School for the past 15 consecutive years.  During this period I have been dismayed to see the decline of our high school, from 4th in the State to 45th, as Mendham High School has been neglected by the Washington Township majority on the board of education that has diverted greater resources to West Morris Central High School than to Mendham High School.

In response, Citizens for Better Schools was formed in August 2010 to reverse the decline of our high school through improved and fairly funded education for our children.

In support of CBS efforts, on January 25, 2011, the Mendham Township Committee took the lead in unanimously passing a resolution asking the West Morris Regional High School District Board of Education to hold a public referendum on changing its tax apportionment among municipalities from property value-based to student count-based.

Two weeks later, on February 7, 2011, the Mendham Borough Council followed Mendham Township’s lead by unanimously passing the same resolution.

A week after that, on February 15, 2011, the Chester Borough Council unanimously passed the same resolution.

And on March 1, 2011, even the Chester Township Council unanimously passed the same resolution.

But on March 21, 2011 the Washington Township Committee, in outright defiance of the four unanimous resolutions passed by the Mendhams and Chesters, countered with a resolution calling for the creation of a mega K-12 school district of all five municipalities.  The Washington Township Committee also passed a second resolution directing the West Morris Regional High School District Board of Education not to hold a public referendum on changing its funding formula.

At the next school board meeting, on March 22, 2011, I made a motion to hold a public referendum on changing the school district’s tax apportionment among municipalities from property value-based to student count-based.  A Washington Township representative on the school board, however, obeyed his town committee’s demand for no referendum.  He moved to table my motion for a referendum and another Washington Township representative seconded his motion.  The Washington Township majority on the board, together with Mendham Borough’s representative, Jacke Schram, then voted to table the referendum.  It remains tabled today after more than two years.

Since then, we have seen two years of educational summit meetings and mayors meetings that have all failed to get a regional high school district referendum on the ballot to allow voters a say in the matter.  The delay is costing Mendham and Chester taxpayers more than $6 million per year, half of which is borne by Mendham Township at the rate of $9,000 a day.

Eleven weeks ago, on April 23rd, a proposed RFP was presented to the Mendham Township Committee by Brian Cavanaugh.  And since then the ball has been in the Mendham Township Committee’s court.

I have heard a few naysayers suggest that education at Mendham High School would somehow suffer from restructuring the district.  I ask you, how could an additional $6 million per year possibly result in a worse high school education for our children?

I have heard tonight that certain Mendham Township Committee members require changes to the RFP.  I ask you, which RFP changes are worth $9,000 per day of additional delay?

I have heard that the Mendham Township Committee is busy with other matters.  I ask you, what item on your agenda today or for the year has a higher priority than getting a referendum on the ballot?  What item on your agenda would yield a greater potential benefit to Mendham Township residents than $3.3 million per year?

On behalf of our Mendham Township constituents, I ask you to set aside any petty differences you may have with the Mendham Borough Council.  I ask you to resist developing uninformed personal opinions before reading a completed feasibility study.  And I ask you not to delay any further in taking all steps necessary to allow Mendham Township voters to be heard through a referendum on restructuring our high school district.

In a November 2004 referendum on dividing the regional high school district in two, an overwhelming majority—86% of Mendham Township voters—voted “yes.”

We must not thwart the will of this majority in Mendham Township as the Egyptian military has thwarted the will of the majority in Egypt.  We cannot afford to have the Mendham Township Committee drag its feet.  The Mendham Township taxpayers’ meter is running at $9,000 per day.  Let’s move forward with urgency on getting a referendum on the ballot.  And let the people be heard… now!