ITEM # 17

More on Closter School situation

On Closter's school expansion

During my tenure on the Closter School Facilities Investigation Committee, it has become apparent that the Board of Education and more specifically the schools superintendent were using this forum to expedite their agenda for expanding the district's infrastructure.

I was also told that there was indeed a problem of overcrowding. Clearly, as one of my esteemed colleagues on the committee would often repeat, "The deck is stacked."

It became very clear that the board and the superintendent did not wish to encourage the introduction of contradictory information nor did they care to examine the substance of any other information that was in direct conflict with their points of view. If those individuals not supporting the board's point of view tried to introduce controversial or opposing information, it was often met with extreme resistance and belittlement, or the board's appointed moderator for the committee would often summarily dismiss it without merit.

There were basically three competing views on what to do about the problem of overcrowding in the school district:

Adding to existing schools -- Hillside and Tenakill.

Building a third school at either the site of the old Village School or another location.

Doing nothing precipitous, an argument favored by fiscal tax hawks who are not convinced that a problem exists.

There is a healthy difference of opinion within the Closter community on these issues. Residents can take comfort that their views have been likely represented by good, honest advocates on the committee.

What remains clear and problematical, however, is the way the Board of Education and the superintendent have failed to provide the objective information that would allow Closter voters to make intelligent choices on the operation of the school district. There may or may not be an overcrowding problem; it remains to be seen if a demographer's report will support estimations of the ebb and flow of students in the future.

What does not remain to be seen is the apparent rush to solve the problem by expanding in one form or another with an inadequate capital budgeting process, thus increasing property taxes in a declining economic period.

Ralph Armenta, Closter, Nov. 7
The writer is a member of the Closter School Facilities Investigation Committee

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