Board Candidates Split Ways on Regional District Structure

While the West Morris Regional School Board has four open seats in Tuesday’s election, just two of those spots are being battled for, and only one has an incumbent being challenged.

That seat currently belongs to Mendham Borough’s Jacke Schram, who is being challenged by Brian Cavanaugh. Schram has served as the board’s only Mendham Borough representative for more than eight years. This is Cavanaugh’s first foray into elected office.

Both have decorated backgrounds. Cavanaugh has volunteered at Eva’s Kitchen and Homeless Solutions for the past 15 years, coached Mendham Recreation League Basketball for a decade, and is currently the Acting Executive Director with Morristown Neighborhood House.

Aside from Schram’s tenure on the school board, she has served as president of the Welcome Wagon (now known as Newcomers), president of the Mendham Borough Home School Association, treasurer of the Mendham High School Parent Teacher Organization, and volunteered bi-weekly at The Seeing Eye in Morristown for 11 years.

Schram’s son and daughter both graduated Mendham High School. Two of Cavanaugh’s daughters have graduated Mendham High School, a third is currently a junior, and the family has a youngest daughter in the elementary school system.

Patch asked the candidates three questions in written format. Below you’ll find the question and each candidate’s answer, unedited.

Question 1:
Budget vs. Enrollment: A demographer's report to the board in September showed a very steep decline in enrollment in the high schools over the next five years. If those numbers come to fruition, your tenure will see the first projected 60% of the drop. How can the district effectively budget to keep costs in line with the projected decrease while still delivering quality education?

Cavanaugh: Until I get on the board and have access to the information, I will not speculate. Suffice it to say that, if the student population is dropping, then our variable costs (teachers, utilities, food, transportation, etc.) must drop accordingly. We'll have to see if it needs to drop proportionately, but it is certainly the case that Mendham Borough and Mendham Township are OVERTAXED as it is, and the high school represents, on average, over 30% of their total tax bill. The fact that so much of our taxes are going to some other town's school is just salt in the wound. Taxes need to come down as the student population declines. Ms. Schram likes to tout the fact that she has keep budgets under the 2% / year increase cap set by the state, in which the public has not say any longer.. The reality is that she has no choice. The State has effectively done her negotiating for her. Mendham Borough residents should have the right to approve school budgets, because they are the ones being taxed. I have publicly committed to support, as have ALL of the Chester Township candidate for the board seat, to vote to allow voters the right, once again, to approve school budgets for the district.

Schram: The demographer's report shows a steep decline in the current K8's over the next five years. That student population will eventually move, all other things being equal, into the high school grades. School budgets have been and continue to be capped at a 2% increase in the tax levy, while the high school population has yet to decrease. That has meant some lean years recently as the teacher : student ratio was and continues to be a prime concern. Any drop in enrollment may provide an opportunity to accomplish important goals such as decreasing class size. Presently the high school facility is very near full capacity so a drop in student population will create an improved learning environment and a greater availability of support and resources. Partnering with the school administration in the budgeting process is the most important step in creating a responsible budget that delivers the most effective education to our students.

Question 2:
Technology: This is the first year the district has allowed BYOD and plans to expand in the technology curriculum as each year comes. Should the district move to a technology-based platform (begin eliminating text books, etc.), and should the district fund the purchase of devices for all students to create a level playing field?

Cavanaugh: BYOD is certainly the way the world has already moved and those book bags have been weighing in at 40+ pounds for years. I worry about our kids' backs. This is a nice to have that we need to see if we can afford it. I would think that the cost/benefit might prove desirable if we can materially reduce textbooks costs by "going digital" and if students prove to be responsible with technology that can be expensive. Most of our children at Mendham HS have technology already. I would want to start with a survey of what they already have, then look at what cost would be to get all students to a similar level of technology enabling. Frankly, what I'm more focused on is software education (programming classes), than hardware decisions. Only this year did Mendham HS get a computer science class. I hear its very popular. We should have been dong this 10 years ago and we need to increase our students exposure to programming, either through our own classes or by leveraging existing low-cost resources, like the MOOC's or Code Academy. Let's enable our children to explore this field. No matter what you decide to do in life, you will need to at least WORK WITH programmer, so you need to understand how they think and communicate. Computers are the new labor force to be leveraged to accomplish things. You simply have to be literate.

Schram: The BYOD rollout is purposefully gradual and meant to evolve over time. Most students are not bringing their own technology to classes but many are using them to complete homework during school hours. The school is presently purchasing chromebooks and other devices that will be able to be borrowed by students like a library book. Classes have access to chromebooks and other devices throughout the building and within each department for all students. Many school districts have purchased devices for every student for millions of dollars only to find that it is not an effective learning tool and/or the upkeep is too expensive to fit within a 2% cap. I think it would be wise to move slowly. So the questions remains: will the purchase of online text books actually improve learning or hurt it? Is it a real cost savings or are there hidden costs related to upkeep and training? Time will tell. A gradual approach, with continuous reassessment of progress, should help guide the district's adaptation to increased use of technology in the learning environment.

Question 3:
Curriculum: As a board member, do you believe the four sending K-8s should align their curriculum to lead students into the high school district? If so, how would you, as a board member, work with the corresponding administrations to help achieve this?

Cavanaugh: This is an important issue. Some people really like local control of their k-8 schools, but we have found at the High School that students from different school districts have different strengths and weaknesses when they get to Mendham HS. I personally suspect that Central HS should actually be merged with its K-8 district in Washington Township. For Mendham HS, which has multiple sending districts, it gets a little more political. I have publicly supported for the past year studying not only the consolidation of Central HS with its ONLY k-8 sending district, but also the evaluation of the pros and cons of continuing to have 3 sending districts feed Mendham HS VERSUS consolidating it all into a Mendham/Chester k-12 district. I believe that you will likely see both curriculum (educational) benefits and financial benefits (as you significantly reduce administrative overhead). Provisions guaranteeing parents that their children will not be moved to "another school" will likely reduce anxiety about such a combination, but it likely makes sense. Hopefully, we'll get the feasibility study done and find out just how big those benefits might be. Harmonization of the curriculum's is likely smart, both financially and educationally. How would I, as a board member, work to achieve this if it clearly made sense? I would transparently share all objective data and analysis demonstrating the benefit to each "interested party" and work to orchestrate a smooth transition to this newly consolidated district. I would respect the concerns that parents might have about "loss of local control." I would NOT support such any such k-12 consolidation if it were to include Washington Township, because that would only exacerbate the already tremendous tax problem we have in the high school district.

Schram: Yes, I believe the four sending k8's should align their curriculum (to the extent possible) to lead students into the high school district. Presently, all math and English/language arts curricula is already aligned with the k8 districts because of the new national Common Core standards. The establishment of discipline/district supervisors (by subject) in the regional high school administration last year has led to increased articulation between the high school and the K8 sending districts. Through an effective high school board Curriculum Committee, a board member can work to see that emphasis is placed on curricula alignment with the k8's wherever practicable. In addition, working as a board, district or board goals can be established to see that the district continues to identify areas for additional curricula alignment with the k8 sending districts.

Cavanaugh said his focus, if elected, is to represent Mendham Borough and “restore Mendham High School. I am not there to represent either the administration or Washington Township. I am being elected by Mendham Borough."
 
The challenger also said that while he’s been the driving force behind a feasibility study analyzing the district’s structure, his focus would shift if elected.

“While, as a private citizen, I have led the effort this year to study the restructuring of the high school district (which is structurally flawed), I will work, as a board member, to optimize educational effectiveness at both schools for all students, subject to the resources available for each school and I will work to minimize administrative and operation inefficiency across the district, so taxpayers can be confident that they are getting the best ‘return on their investment’ in public education,” he said.

“I want to protect the investment in our high schools that the taxpayers in our area have made,” Schram said about running for re-election, noting a major reason Mendham Borough was recently named the best place in the state to live was due to the school districts.

In seeking her third term, Schram said she wanted “to ensure that the board has members who fulfill its role to see that the schools are well run and provide the best educational environment for the students while respecting the financial commitment made by the taxpayers. That has been and will continue to be my role as a school board member.”

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.