Arguments Throughout Packed Manasquan School Board Meeting

A contentious Manasquan school board meeting in a packed high school cafeteria saw tearful and heated pleas from audience members on topics such as board in-fighting and recent resignations, the elimination of a funded ice hockey program, and increasing the random drug testing program.

Ice Hockey supporters call for reinstatement of funding

The 2013 school budget was described as a "maintenance year" budget, to create a level school tax levy and as small a tax increase as possible. Superintendent Robert J. Mahon said in order to do that, several cuts to staff and programming had to be made, including not funding the winter season of ice hockey.

Ice hockey supporters, including many current high school players and fellow students, came to the school board meeting to protest cutting any student programming. A petition containing several hundred signatures to that effect was presented to the board.

Many parents and students decried the all-out elimination of the sport's funding, instead suggesting minor cuts be made across the board to programs so multiple sports could share the pain of funding cuts.

The board agreed to send the matter back to committee to see if the program could be saved.

Increased Money for Random Drug Testing Program

With an additional $7,000 in funding approved for the district's random drug testing program, many students saw that money as better used for student programs.

Multiple students and parents said the program took away from the central mission of teaching and enriching programming, and did not properly address drug use among students. Mahon said 7 percent of drug tests come back positive, and that the money would allow for increased tests, meaning more drug users could be caught with $30,000 in funding for the program.

Several students asked for the program to be discontinued outright, while others asked the board to funnel the increased funding into programs cuts from the 2013 budget, such as ice hockey and the industrial arts program.

Board member, several audience members call for Shelton resignation

Board member Michael Shelton was called a bully by audience members, to a standing ovation and calls for the board member to step down.

Several audience members, including Michele LaSala who recently resigned from the board, read emails Shelton had sent to them, citing inappropriate and profane language. The emails were "behavior unbecoming of a board member," the critics said, but Shelton said other board members were also sending similar emails and that he was dedicated to improving the school district and finding efficiencies in the budget.

Others criticized Shelton for allegedly reaching out to people they consider possible candidates for the next Manasquan superintendent position, going around the search committee, and also criticized him for "slowing" other contracts negotiations. Shelton said he was glad Board Member Patricia Walsh had stepped down from the negotiations committee, saying it was her actions that were slowing the processes.

Several audience members pleaded with the board to stop its infighting and address the multiple resignations among members over the last year. Board Attorney R. Armen McComber asked the board and audience to not engage in a back-and-forth argument and directed the audience to instead address their comments to the board president. New board president Thomas Bauer called for decorum after an attendee shouted profanity from the audience, and banged his gavel to get the crowd under control.