Candidates Tout Similarities, Differences at BOE Forum

The gave voters their respective pitches and pressed their opponents on some of the most formative education issues at the Thursday night League of Women Voters Candidates' Night.

In a unique election, Gina Damasco and Vince Loncto are competing for a three-year term while incumbent and are squaring off for a one-year term.

With over 30 residents in attendance, candidates fielded questions ranging from how to balance educational needs while realizing cost efficiencies, the state and direction of technology in the district, teacher assessments, fields issues, teacher contract negotiations and board transparency.

Despite many differences on those and other issues, all were clearly in agreement on one thing – the education system in Ridgewood is very strong, with top-notch educators and students committed to learning.

On Thursday night, the race for the one year term – Hutton vs. Morgan – seemed to generate the most interest, with the two going to great lengths to tell voters how different they are from one another.

Vince Loncto

A resident since 1995, Vince Loncto said that like many, he moved to Ridgewood for the schools. A finance guru with over 40 years of industry experience, his twins are now seniors at the high school.

"I wanted to serve the community in this capacity to give back for all the wonderful experiences we have had in our years living in Ridgewood," said Loncto, who was to the board in November . "I believe that my years of service as a financial manager have me uniquely qualified to help the Ridgewood school district maintain its quality of excellence and do it at the lowest cost possible."

Now retired, Loncto made a point of touting the efficiencies the district is known for – it has one of the lowest cost-per student ratios of any competitors. "That does not come easy, it does not just happen," he said. "It's the result of a lot of hard work and I'd like to continue that tradition."

Though Loncto called himself a proponent of exploring ways to not increase the next year ("taxes are too high and we know it," he said), such a task can't come at the cost of the educational product.

"We can't cut our way to a second-rate school district," he said. "Everything that doesn't threaten our education product needs to be on the table."

Loncto – like the other candidates beside him – stated serveral times throughout the evening that the teachers were of tremendous value to the district, and he didn't know of any teachers that should be classified as "poor".

The retired executive was clear he felt technology was a need, and it's a priority for him that an IT Director be brought in to guide the district through what's been and will continue to be a challenging area.

In other discussions that arose, he noted he would not be in support of expanding the board to seven or nine members; said he believed enough money had been budgeted to address field issues next year ($537K); expressed his belief the board was transparent with the public; and said the teacher tenure system was archaic and should be removed.

"My experience as a lifetime financial manager has given me the skills and mature judgment necessary in order to manage this process," Loncto said, referring specifically to budgeting.

"As a newly retired person I have the time, I have the relevant experience, I have the talent, I have the energy, I have the commitment, to do everything I can to maintain the excellence of the Ridgewood schools and maintain it at a cost to let everybody know we're doing the best job we possibly can with the tax dollars."

Gina Damasco

A graduate of Class of 1993, Damasco credited her success to the top-notch education she received in the village. The N. Maple Ave. resident serves as an attorney at the U.S. Department of Education, working in New York City on claims of civil violations.

It's not her first brush with education law, either. Damasco worked for years as a school board attorney and also in the private sector. Between the two stints, she's drafted and fought construction contracts, been a mediator, scrutinized teacher contracts and attended to special education matters.

"What got me interested in this position is I've been an active volunteer," said Damasco, noting her work as a Big Sister and at the Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity. "I wanted to find something that would really something back to the community that helped create me – I had a great education here and I thought my skills and experience would be best suited toward a position like this."

Because of her familiarity with education and legal matters, Damasco said her skill set is quite unique. She said she'd make it a priority to scrutinize various contracts to ensure all aspects of the agreement are being fulfilled – it seemed the major platform of her campaign.

The attorney said the district should look to negotiate conditions into contracts that hold the contractor liable for disasters, which would lower the district's liability.

Recognizing the quick obselesence of technology, particulary hardware, Damasco offered a suggestion that the district seek an IT provider, one responsible for all the hardware, software and general upkeep.

Damasco, who has no children in the district, called for teacher evaluations to be measured more on observation than data, saying it's often a faulty evaluation system.

The candidate – whose sister, she said, was once classified but with the help of Ridgewood education excelled and graduated summa cum laude from Columbia Teacher's College before becoming a special education teacher – noted that teaching jobs are not the guaranteed job for life many appear to believe and remarked she'd like to see more observation dominate the process, as tests are a poor measuring stick.

Bob Hutton

A nine-year member of the school board, Hutton's no stranger to most.

In his opening remarks, Hutton said he's been most proud of helping see through the that resulted in the Academy for Health Professions.

The personal CFO for a wealthy family in New York, Hutton also noted the $48 million referendum has transformed the physical plant, and also touted the "stability of leadership under [Superintendent] Dr. Fishbein."

Marked as the status quo candidate, Hutton pointed out that many of the topics discussed were really state issues – sure, he'd like to see the process to rid the district of bad teachers easier, and noted Ridgewood will incur more costs with elections by not moving to November. The burden on administrators, due to various state mandates, is great, he said.

He defended the , saying that despite change orders, it's still under it's projected budget. During public questions, he defended only hiring superintendents from outside Ridgewood.

"We're a lean district," he said, adding there is a selection process that includes reviewing internal candidates. "The issue is a district like Ridgewood, their probabilty of hiring someone who hasn't done it some place before is going to be remote."

Hutton defended the (weather was extreme in 2011, dropping 17 inches of rain in August), pointing out users of the fields get much more out of them now that they're turfed, and said the referendum has truly improved Ridgewood's chance of keeping special education students in district.

With the longest tenure on the board, it seemed Hutton's task to answer various questions from the candidates – taking shots on the technology problems from all sides but also fielding questions on teacher tenure ousters, fields issues and general policy.

Budget cuts had badgered the technology budget, he said, though he credited forsight in spending $650,000 on a fiber optic network that was an unpopular decision at the time. Hutton expressed interest in adding more to the technology items, but said unfortunately due to state cuts they've had to prioritize spending.

As was predicted, Hutton had one big-ticket item he wanted to discuss – the . Between salaries and benefits, it represents about 55 percent of the operating budget, which the current board VP said was all the more important with accelerating health care costs that outpace the 2 percent cap by significant margins.

The teachers have thrown public protests in recent weeks, saying Hutton and the board have not negotiated in good faith, contentions board members deny. The previous deal expired nine months ago.

"In these negotiations, balancing the wants, wishes and desires of all – and I emphasise all the stakeholders in the Ridgewood community – makes these negotiations a difficult task," he said Thursday. "I believe it is in all those same parties' best interest not to change players at this time."

"My opponent and I fundamentally differ...and the difference between our two approaches could not be more different," Hutton stated.

Jim Morgan

By all accounts, Morgan said he's running a campaign against the status quo. A retired CFO, auditor and past president of the Ridgewood Education Foundation, the Beverly Road resident said as a member of the school board he'd ask the hard questions that need to be asked and help make the board more transparent.

Morgan identified a look beyond the usual budgeting approach, calling for a method.

"As a board member I will not accept a on tax increases is the answer to planning our schools' spending budgets," Morgan said.

"My goal is our tradition of excellence will continue for many years," Morgan said. "We all want the best for our childrens' education; to achieve this goal the board of education must make smart decision. I will bring the management skills, a fresh perspective on ideas and the curiosity necessary to achieve this goal."

He pointed to deficiencies in the technology plan and the relative lack of funding  ($700,000 in a $90 million budget), openly questioning why hardware and not curriculum was the basis for the plan (Vince Loncto said Morgan was incorrect). Morgan himself suggested the district consider how to integrate technology students are already using – each has a phone, he presumed – into learning.

According to Morgan, there's a simple software that can silently alert a teacher if the student doesn't understand parts of lessons, something that teacher can use as "Holy Grail" feedback – do they get it or not?

In one of his many points of dissention, Morgan alluded to the district not specifically budgeting for a mistake, and said the fields are an investment the district is already wedded to; it needs to get what it can out of them. 

Members of the public took notice of his outsider status, pressing Morgan on the issues he first garnered attention for – the lights and the fields.

Prompted by a question from a resident and later, Bob Davies, a youth sports organizer, Morgan did not eliminate the possibility he might have to abstain from .

"Something like the lights or fields could potentially have an impact," he said. "If it were , I would consult with counsel and see whether or not my particular situation having a property next to the high school would have to be something I'm cognizant of." 

Still, he said he'd like to "move forward" and said although it's healthy members have differing points of view, he'd have "no problem" working with Loncto and member Christina Krauss.

Morgan also advocated for a bigger board, saying seven members would add an element of further inquiry while lightening what can be a large commitment for individual members.

Ultimately, like his opponent, he wanted to make clear they're different men and different candidates.

"I see clear differences between Bob and myself – first the teacher contract for having it on the table nine months past due," Morgan said. "I think there's a management issue here that should be addressed and we should get the contract done."

School board elections are on April 17.