Elected or appointed? Voters decide in April

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Elections will be held in April to determine if the school board will remain an elected body or become one appointed by the mayor, state Commissioner of Education Lucille Davy said yesterday.

That election will take place simultaneously with regularly scheduled school board elections, in which three seats every year are up for grabs. Board members Franklin Williams and Anthony Cucci complained the twin elections may confuse voters.

Davy acknowledged the possibility, but said it is a matter of "communicating" with voters. Plus, having both elections at the same time will save money, she said.

If voters decide to switch to an appointed board, those appointees would take office Jan. 31, 2009, Davy said. Winners in the election next April will hold office until that date.

City Councilwoman Viola Richardson and Carl Czaplicki, Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy's chief of staff, attended yesterday's meeting. In a statement, Healy said he would "reserve judgment" on whether he wants an elected or appointed board until receiving a briefing from Davy "on the full parameters of the return of local control."

KEN THORBOURNE

Board of Education's call whether to keep Epps, State Education boss Davy says

Thursday, September 13, 2007
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

State Education boss Lucille E. Davy told members of the Jersey City Board of Education yesterday that the decision on retaining Charles T. Epps Jr. as schools superintendent is up to them, according to knowledgeable sources.

Appointed by the state to run the Jersey City public school system seven years ago, Epps' latest three-year contract ends in June.

As a state-takeover district, the decision on Epps' employment status would normally fall to the state education commissioner. But after a review of the district's operations this summer, the state decided to return control of governance and finance to the local school board.

In light of that decision - and after consulting with the Attorney General's Office - state officials decided the local school board should make the call on Epps' future, Davy reportedly said.

If the board retains Epps as superintendent, per state law, he'd have to be signed to a contract of between three and five years, Davy told board members, according to sources.

Board members agreed to announce a decision about Epps' contract at the board's upcoming meeting on Sept. 20, sources said.

Neither Epps nor Davy would comment after the meeting, which was held at the district office on Claremont Avenue.

The highly anticipated sitdown with Davy, niece of Jersey City's first state-appointed schools superintendent, Elaine Scambio, was conducted in two parts.

The first half, which was open to the public, was devoted to procedural questions about returning the district to local control. The second part, about Epps' contract, was held closed-session since it pertained to a personnel matter.

State Ed chief to discuss local control

Wednesday, September 12, 2007
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

State Education Commissioner Lucille E. Davy is scheduled to meet with members of the Jersey City Board of Education this morning to discuss the process by which governance of the district is to return to local control.

Run by a state-appointed superintendent since 1989, the opportunity to return governance powers to the locally elected school board emerged this summer when a state review concluded the district has the capacity to run its own affairs in the areas of governance and finance.

The Quality Single Accountability Continuum review required the district to come up with "corrective action plans" in three other areas: instruction and program, personnel, and operations management.

But returning the nation's longest-running state takeover district to local control puts both the state and the district in uncharted territory.

According to the QSAC legislation, an election must be held to determine if the board continues to be an elected body or one that's appointed by the mayor.

But when will that election be held? Can the board's powers be fully restored before that election takes place? And what role should an about-to-be fully empowered board play in deciding if the contract of Jersey City's $230,000-a-year Superintendent of Schools Charles T. Epps Jr., is renewed?

These are just a few of the questions board members hope Davy will answers.

"I know we are moving toward autonomy. But what does that mean?" Board Chairman William DeRosa said.

Davy has said she intends to discuss Epps' contract with board members, and that portion of the meeting will be held in a closed session.

The public meeting is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. at the district office, 346 Claremont Ave.