No reply

Few constituents take the time to speak at Middlesex Board of Education meetings. Those who do, typically comment or ask questions respectfully as the board, its superintendent and attorney listen.

In recent months, noteworthy action meeting questions related to student lunch debt, the circumstances of the former business administrator’s departure and a parent’s concerns about an awards banquet. None of those inquiries brought an immediate verbal reply from the board or superintendent.

In the course of a day, a person speaks to family members, neighbors, co-workers and others such as a grocery clerk or gas station attendant. In each exchange, it’s reasonable to anticipate a verbal response.

To go from the way the real world works into the New Jersey school board meeting universe could seem a bit strange. There, answers to public questions and comments might not be received immediately, or at all.

In some districts, there is a bit more discourse than occurs in Middlesex. Others stick to the mantra that a response to public comments is “not required.”

One Middlesex citizen’s July inquiries later received a written response from the superintendent. That’s occurred in other instances as well. The need for such caution in responding is puzzling.

It appears that board members have been convinced to say nothing publicly. The New Jersey School Boards Association preaches unity and discourages boat-rocking. A teachers’ union would likely freak over a suggestion that things could be better. A board attorney probably fears legal headaches from a board member’s off-hand comment.

There’s also the nebulous concern of a state ethics complaint if a board member were to be construed as speaking out of turn. Too bad there’s more worry about possibly saying the wrong thing than doing the right thing – reply immediately to a constituent who choses to speak publicly.

School board candidates ask for their constituents’ votes every three years. Isn’t it fair for those same voters to expect engagement at board meetings where decisions are finalized?

As hints get dropped of coming moves to address a classroom shortage, the Middlesex board and its top staff should come to a realization. If a few meeting questions can’t be answered publicly, how will the need for building improvements be articulated? Especially, in a community that might be skeptical.

The mayor and Borough Council have their own communications quandary. At governing body meetings, public questions typically draw a response and department heads are usually helpful.

But some constituents are frustrated over the inability to get answers on social media. Recently, a tax increase and county road project caused separate cyber-explosions on one of Middlesex’s often-contentious community Facebook pages.

Neither the mayor, council members or their top staff responded. That was left to the current municipal Republican chairman and the past GOP head.

The current chairman noted he was offering advice on the road situation as a “citizen.” The former chair attempted to explain this year’s municipal tax increase. When asked about a similar hike in 2023, he replied, “You’ll have to ask the council about that.”

Wasn’t that what everyone was trying to do all along?

These semi-official exchanges occurred even though the Middlesex Borough Republican Organization has a policy against social media engagement. It reads that social media platforms such as Facebook are:

“Not necessarily a good medium for a discussion in the context of a group of comments.”

It adds: “a response to comments may satisfy some people (but) there is a greater chance for misconception or misunderstanding by the others.”

Despite the policy, Republican leaders apparently can respond if elected members of the party are taking Facebook flak. It appears the policy can be finessed a bit in the interest of damage control.

This is the social media age. There’s no getting around it. If the mayor and council remain adamant about non-participation, why not designate a department head or staff member to field constituent questions on the municipal Facebook page?

To keep it manageable, the Q&A sessions could be limited to an hour or 30 minutes each week, at a specific time, on a specific day. If constituents get disrespectful, cut off that day’s session.

An outreach through social media would be forward-thinking and out-of-the-box. That might be the true problem. Actions that fall into those categories don’t usually get a warm reception in Middlesex Borough.

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