Bloomfield BOE Candidates Field Questions at Forum

Seven candidates vying for three open spots on the Bloomfield Board of Education (BOE) were front and center Wednesday night for the candidates forum at

, , , , , and each gave a two-minute introduction and closing statement and were given 30 seconds to answer questions submitted via email prior to the forum, attended by nearly 100 people. A portion of the forum was dedicated to public questions.

Mayra Pastore and Joanne Christiansen, of the Home and Schools Association, served as moderators.

Below is a selection of topics discussed. The 90 minute-long candidates forum will be aired in full on Ch. 35 WBMA-TV.

Political Affiliation and Campaign Funding

Wolf, the only incumbent in the race, said she has pooled resources with Castro and Rosen, but is not affiliated with any given party. Funding has come from friends and family, she said. Rosen refused to give his political affiliation, calling it "irrelevant to this discussion because this is a non-partisan election."

Grimes said he has no political affiliation and no source of funding.

In her opening statement, Smith noted she is a registered Democrat, while Zaccone is an independent and Bumpus is a Republican. The three women are running as the Building Excellent Schools Together (BEST) Team.

"I think running for the board has become very costly, and we're trying to conserve or pool or resources so that's why decided to run together," said Smith, who said the BEST Team held a "very grassroots" fundraiser for its campaign.

Castro appeared to have been skipped over during this question.

Special Education Advisory Committee (SEPAC) and Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA)

Questions concerning the district's special services came up more than once Wednesday evening, which seemed to at times bemuse Grimes and Castro.

"I'm not currently on the board, so I'm not 100 percent sure what the I.D.E.A. funds … (are)," said Castro. "If I am elected, my first year, I plan to learn as much as I can."

Smith and Bumpus said they'd like collaborate with Special Services Director Frank Esposito to expand programs currently in place. The two, along with Zaccone, touted SEPAC as vital to the community.

I.D.E.A. funding could be used to help all students after an inclusion program begins next year, according to Wolf.

"You'll have an aide who won't only have to help one kid, they'll be able to help multiple kids within the classroom," said Wolf.

Rosen would like to see the money used for aides, calling them a "special adjunct to education."

Superintendent Salary Cap

Bumpus, Wolf and Zaccone supported the Gov. Chris Christie-imposed salary cap for superintendents, while Smith and Grimes weighed the pros and cons.

"I believe that people earn their salaries … however, being a responsible person and knowing that those salaries can become very high, a cap is not a bad thing," said Grimes.

Smith suggested the governor should address salary caps for interim superintendents, saying their salaries are too costly.

Rosen also favored the salary cap but deemed it as a constraint the district must work within.

"Perhaps what this does is enforce some fiscal restraint," Rosen said, "which quite frankly, we would've had to adopt anyway."

Castro did not answer, saying she did not understand the question.

Collective Bargaining

Rosen at first digressed from the question regarding collective bargaining, calling Smith "disingenuous" for previously stating she believes interim superintendent salaries are too high.

"When Ms. Smith was a member of the board a number of years ago, it was the first time an assistant or associate superintendent was hired at a salary of approximately $160,000," said Rosen.

Rosen then said he was in favor of collective bargaining, having come from a "union family."

Wolf also backtracked to challenge Smith's comment, saying Interim Superintendent Catherine Mozak, whose last day was Wednesday, cost the district about $40,000 to $50,000 less per year than a full-time superintendent. Wolf said she did not understand the context of the question about collective bargaining.

Zaccone, Smith, Grimes, Bumpus and Castro also supported collective bargaining, but some candidates noted difficulties posed by that type of negotiation process.

"From what I've heard, I can sense that it's a challenging process," said Bumpus. "I certainly greatly value our teachers and think they need to be treated with respect."

Tenure Reform

Each candidate expressed support of tenure reform, with a consensus that it weeds out non-performers and fosters accountability.

"I've seen abuses of tenure, but I've seen abuses of the political system entering into the school district," Zaccone said. "I would examine is much more closely, but I am in favor of accountability. Automatic tenure is not something I would favor."

Castro said tenure reform is a way to protect children's education.

"We need to hold teachers accountable because at the end of the day, it's our children's future at stake," she said. "If they are not performing up to par, our children are the ones who will suffer."

Zero-Impact Budget

Bloomfield resident Ken Douglas asked candidates their thoughts on the BOE's proposed zero-impact budget, which calls for a for the average assessed home value of $286,871.

"I'd give back the $3.27 to the district and let it go back into the classroom," said Grimes, who received applause following his response. "If we're looking for quality education, that $3.27 could could a long way for each one of those children."

Smith agreed, saying the money could be used toward schools that did not meet Adequate Yearly Progress last year.

The Bloomfield BOE election and voting of the school budget are next Wednesday, April 27.