Board axes policy panel

April 16, 2010


By PATRICK E. LITOWITZ
plitowitz@ncnewsonline.com

After Ralph Blundo scored, New Castle benched its policy committee.

Wednesday night’s hiring of a new high school boys basketball coach allowed an assistant principal onto the court. It also produced an unexpected result: the disbanding of a school board committee.

As the board’s agenda progressed, so did the increased sparring over the group’s function.

Before the vote on Blundo’s selection, the board had to revise athletic guidelines that previously prevented district administrators from coaching.

Anna Pascarella, Barbara Razzano and Dr. Marilyn K. Berkely outlined their concerns.
Pascarella talked about the importance of an administrator’s duties.

Berkely focused on the overall effect.

“It sends a message to the staff, students and community that policy at the whim of school board can be scrapped.

“It destroys moral and the credibility of the school.”

Razzano raised issues surrounding the process, wording and rationale for the move.

When the vote took place, Pascarella joined the board’s six other members and passed the revision.
Eight policy changes followed. Razzano’s questioning of a tax levy guideline prompted Superintendent George Gabriel to respond.

“The (board) meets every Monday prior to our regularly scheduled board meeting,” Gabriel said. “Mrs. Razzano, you’ve missed the last eight meetings. Are you aware of that?”

When she answered “Yes,” he continued.

“That would have been a perfect forum for you to express any opinion that you had regarding our policies. I went through ... each and every one of those policies with the board as a whole.

“If you would start attending caucus meetings, you would have more of a say-so.”

Razzano said she teaches on Monday nights, which prevented her from attending. The state’s Public School Code of 1949 requires board members to attend regular meetings but does not address work sessions.

She added that previous gatherings proved to be contentious.

“It seems like every time I come here, there’s an argument breaking out.”

The superintendent disagreed. Razzano then pointed to Monday’s work session in which board President J. Allan Joseph criticized her and Berkely.

Before the meeting’s end, Gabriel requested that the board craft a motion abolishing the policy committee.

“If you’re not going to use it, you might as well get rid of it,” said Razzano, who helped pass the measure in a 7-0 vote.

Fellow policy committee members — chairman Bradley G. Olson Jr., Mark Kirkwood, Mary Ann Tofel and Pascarella — did not speak against the move.

Karen Humphrey and Joseph voted with the majority. Mozzocio passed on the measure.

“I don’t know enough about it to even comment,” said Berkely, who declined to vote. Her action was recorded as a “pass.”

Olson, an attorney, said after the meeting that the group functioned in an advisory role. He said it had not met during the five months he has been on the board.

“The decision to abolish the policy committee was made in the spur of the moment,” Razzano wrote later in an e-mail. “I believe that this was a mistake.

“I have been a strong advocate of policies that are clear, concise and complete.”