'Lack Of Transparency' Cited In Cusanelli's Decision Not To Seek 2nd Brick School Board Term

BRICK, NJ — When the Ocean County Clerk's Office released the list of candidates who submitted petitions to run for Brick Township Board of Education in the November election, current member Karyn Cusanelli's name was not on the list.

The absence wasn't a huge surprise to anyone who follows the school board closely; Cusanelli has repeatedly expressed frustration this year with what she feels is a lack of transparency in actions by the board under President John Lamela, from last-minute agenda changes to delays in providing a detailed budget for the 2016-17 school year to the public before it was adopted.

Lamela was voted in as president after he, Victoria Pakala, Stephanie Wohlrab and George White were sworn in after winning election in November 2015. Shortly after being sworn in, the four voted to terminate the district's professional contracts and seek new vendors, as well as replace then-Interim Superintendent Richard Caldes with Interim Superintendent Thomas Gialanella.

Cusanelli expressed frustration at the June board meeting when the contracts of Gialanella and Business Administrator James Edwards were not published with the agenda so the public could see them prior to the vote. Edwards, in response, said the contracts were not published in response to advice from labor attorney Paul Kalac. Kalac, in the spring of 2015, said exposing contracts to public criticism before the board approved them could be construed as the public negotiating the contracts and could be cause for litigation.

After several back-and-forth remarks between Cusanelli and Edwards, Lamela put an end to the discussion and called for a vote on the contracts.

Cusanelli, reached by email Tuesday, confirmed her decision to step away and issued the following statement:

"It has been my honor and pleasure to represent our community since 2013. I’m proud to have served with members of visionary boards that voted to institute full-day kindergarten, long-overdue improvements to our facilities, and extensive upgrades to the technology available to our students. All this was accomplished without ever raising taxes, but by prioritizing the needs of the students, improving efficiencies, and cutting waste. As a lifelong resident and product of our schools, myself, I am gratified to have been involved in these, as well as many other, positive changes for the benefit of our children's education.

"My hopes and vision for the district are not in agreement with that of the new majority of the board. The lack of transparency (shown not only to the public, but to myself as a board member) does not lend itself to a unified community or gain public confidence and trust. Raising the tax levy 3.5 percent, firing staff, and ignoring budgetary waste have also indicated a direction with which I do not wish to be associated. My decisions have always been made for the enrichment of all our students, not for the benefit of partisan politics. Therefore, I have decided not to run for another term.

"Prior to becoming a board member, I attended nearly every board meeting since 2007, as a parent and a concerned taxpayer. As a volunteer board member, I have spent countless hours on research, meeting preparation, and additional school board training. I have taken every vote and every issue very seriously and I have performed to the best of my ability; I will continue to do so for the remainder of my term. Brick is my hometown and, like my own parents, my husband and I chose to raise our family here. I love our town and its people; I can only pray more parents will get involved and board members (both current and future) will give our schools and our residents the dedication and respect they deserve.

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve as a board of education member in this great town.

Karyn Cusanelli"