DOHERTY EXPLORING OPTIONS TO CURRENT FREEHOLDER-APPOINTED TECHNICAL SCHOOL BOARDS

Assemblyman Michael Doherty today said he is exploring alternatives to freeholder-appointed county technical school boards in the wake of public and student outcry following the dismissal of three popular Warren County Technical School teachers by the school board.

“The bottom line is that vocational schools are not solely funded by the county, and providing elected representation on the board for whoever is paying to send students to county technical schools is both reasonable and appropriate,” explained Doherty, R-Warren and Hunterdon. “Initially, I am inclined to suggest that two of the members of the Vo-Tech Board should be elected as ‘at large’ members. They could be elected at virtually no additional cost if the election is held on the school board election day that is already held in every school district.

“As lawmakers, our responsibility is to ensure that our children receive the best education possible,” he continued. Since Vo-Tech school boards set policy that affects taxpayers and students alike, it’s imperative that we have a mechanism in place that will enable the placement of elected individuals to provide insight and who will govern based upon the input of the voters who elected them instead of being based upon the politics of the Freeholder Board."

Doherty said he is currently exploring the best options available for the Legislature to consider, and welcomes input from community leaders as he works with staff in Trenton to draft the most appropriate legislative proposal possible.

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