Jersey City School Trustees Could Be Appointed By City Council

JERSEY CITY, NJ — The City Council could soon have the power to appoint trustees to the Board of Education, rather than have the public elect them.

Mayor Steven Fulop and the City Council will vote at the next council meeting on a resolution that would, if approved, go to the voters via a referendum in November. The referendum would ask voters if they want an elected or appointed Board of Education.

The next council meeting is Wednesday at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

The City Council would consent to all appointments, if voters approve the referendum.

City officials are proposing the change. They said that the nine-member board has been "plagued with dysfunction" recently, resulting in five resignations, an indictment, and a board member coming under fire for anti-Semitic comments she made.

Former President Sudhan Thomas, whose term ended Dec. 31, was indicted on bribery charges last month.

Trustee Joan Terrell Paige called Jews "brutes" in a social media post following a mass shooting at a kosher market the Greenview section of Jersey City. Gov. Phil Murphy and Fulop have called for her resignation.

Fulop said in a news release Friday morning that officials are asking residents to give them the tools to make decisions that will fix the schools.

"Today, we are blamed for the schools, but we don't have the ability to make any changes as that only rests with the Board of Education," he said. "If given the chance, we will restore the schools so that our public school system will work better for students, parents, teachers, and taxpayers."

Councilman At Large Rolando Lavarro said in the news release that the future of the district's 30,000 students is at stake.

"An appointed Board of Education — with the advice and consent of the City Council — makes it crystal clear that the city and schools have a shared responsibility to confront and address this problem head on, and to align our priorities and resources, so we can provide equitable educational opportunities for every Jersey City student."

Ward D Councilman Michael Yun said Board of Education trustees were "traditionally" appointed until the state took over running the Jersey City School District. The state ran the district from 1989 until 2017.

New Board of Education President Lorenzo Richardson could not be immediately reached for comment.

"If we don't change now, we are dooming ourselves to continue down this path of failure, which has led to a [nearly] 30-year state takeover, special interests influencing our education system, and other unethical practices that have led to failing schools," Yun said.

Related:

• Jersey City School Board Pres., 4 More Charged With Taking Bribes
• Mayor, Governor Call For Jersey City School Trustee's Resignation

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com