By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI
The Asbury Park Board of Education voted unanimously at its Feb. 15 meeting to start an internal investigation to determine who is responsible for recording incorrect enrollment figures for state school aid.
The investigation will be completd by the boards law firm.
The investigation comes at the same time that members of the Asbury Park Education Association, who are staff members at the high school, took a vote of no confidence in their building administrators.
Reasons cited for the vote, according to a statement read by John Napolitani, president of the Asbury Park Education Association, are the “absolute lack of leadership” and the inability of staff members to “effectively administer discipline.”
The lengthy statement also said that high school principal Linda Palumbo informed the APEA that she will not be returning next year. She said she has received no support from Central Administration, including Director of Student Personnel Services Bill Shannon, who takes no action against students sent to his office for disciplinary reasons.
The vote comes as the district is being guided by an Intervention Team from the state Department of Education and while three other investigations are underway after subpoenas were issued last fall.
Board President Robert DiSanto said during the five years he has been a member of the board, figures on state aid applications have been recorded inaccurately and the state has mandated a corrective action plan.
“We’re looking for accountability. There were more questions being asked and we weren’t getting any answers,” DiSanto said.
Board Member Frank D’Alessandro said the internal investigation should not be difficult.
“They just have to ask them who was responsible for not observing board policy. It shouldn’t be difficult just ask ‘why did you record these numbers?’”
DiSanto said two years ago a similar investigation was conducted resulting in two staff members being let go.
Allegations were also made, in Napolitanis statement, that vice-principals from the high school were undermining Palumbo by going directly to Acting Superintendent of Schools Kathy McDavid. Palumbo claims McDavid told her “not to pay any attention to the union.”
“The disciplinary climate at Asbury Park High is a major safety issue for staff and students alike,” Napolitani said.
The most disturbing comment claims that test scores have no hope of improving in the district “because teachers can’t teach” in the chaotic environment.
The district was also required recently to submit two corrective action plans to the state dealing with fraudulent state aid figures and bidding irregularities.
Maintaining a stable atmosphere in the district has been an ongoing problem due to what many call “the revolving door” with few teachers staying in the district for more than a couple of years.
At its December meeting the board accepted the resignation of 17 teachers and Napolitani said the turnover rate in the district is 90 staff members per year.
D’Alessandro, former leader of the Middletown Education Assoc., said he was not surprised by the no confidence vote.
“It’s a last resort, when people are not paying attention and you are desperate to get their attention,” he said. “We’re hemorrhaging staff members.”
D’Alessandro who will be seeking re-election this year also said, “We have a ridiculous turnover at 90 staff members per year. That’s a huge percentage. It’s normally 7 percent.”
D’Alessandro said most of the problems in the district are at the high school level, where there is sometimes a 40 percent rate of turnover.
“That’s intolerable,” he said.
D’Alessandro said he fears a no confidence vote may be coming from the middle school as well.
He said that the elementary schools in the district are doing a good job of educating their students, but too many problems surface in the middle school.
Three years ago, said D’Alessandro, there was movement to change the elementary schools to kindergarten through eighth grade schools, in the hopes of alleviating the problems that surface in the middle school.
“We have an unstable school system,” he said.
Bill Shannon and Kathy McDavid did not return calls for comment.
Napolitani’s entire statement is posted on the APEA website at asburyparkea.net.
To Contact Joanne Papaianni email to: joanne@thecoaster.net.
Read more about your town by picking up The Coaster at your local newsstand or subscribe today.
Published every Thursday.
