Why the public is losing trust in the board
Several moments from tonight’s meeting point to the same problem: a gap between what the board says and what the record shows. This summary is drawn from an audio recording of the meeting.
- Board approved minutes it hadn’t read. A parent asked why board minutes only list names of speakers instead of a brief summary of what they said. Ghebreal said council minutes don’t include summaries; the parent said they do. Board Vice President Kelly Elardo then agreed minutes should include a simple summary of what someone stated. Then, a second parent pointed out that the board’s own July 7 minutes, which it had approved, only list names with no summary. Ghebreal attributed the gap to a new business administrator. That doesn’t change what the sequence showed: moments after saying minutes should include summaries, Ghebreal was shown that the minutes she’d already approved didn’t.
- Staff learned of Sanchez’s resignation at Board meeting. Some staff members present at the meeting said they only learned of Dr. Sanchez’s resignation at the Board meeting, and that was only because a parent commented on it. No formal communication was sent to staff. Board minutes referring to the resignation identify her only by employee number, meaning anyone who wasn’t at the meeting where it was discussed has no way to know who it refers to. If you don’t show up to Board meetings, you won’t be informed.
- No plan to introduce the interim superintendent — until he stepped in. Ghebreal’s answer to why the public hasn’t been introduced to interim superintendent Dr. Giovanni Cusmanos was that the appointment is in the minutes. But he was never actually introduced – no one knew who he was or what he even looked like. When a parent responded by asking why parents wouldn’t be introduced to their new interim superintendent, Cusmanos stepped in and said he would send parents an introductory letter.
- Safety concerns. Two parents raised concerns about safety of their children. One noted the gaps in the security and evacuation drills that Dr. Sanchez identified when she first started. The superintendent assured people in attendance that all safety measures are in place. Another parent said parents are losing confidence in the board because of what she’s been observing in board meetings. She stated that the cheerleaders were left to practice in the rain because no one was available to open the gym. The parent acknowledged that was a minor issue, but she fears that some of these small issues could become big issues when school starts, based on what she’s been observing on the board.
- Interim superintendent will be away during the first week of school. Cusmanos said he will be available for the first few days with staff and the first day of school for students. Then he leaves for a week to present at a conference in Virginia. He said he’s confident that the other school administrators will be able to handle any issues that surface.
- Interim superintendent on site 1-2 days a week going forward. Cusmanos said he is only paid for the days he works at the school. He expects to be on site one to two days per week for the foreseeable future. He said he understands the role is a 24/7 job and committed to responding to calls and emails on the days he isn’t in the building, knowing he won’t get paid for it.
- Permanent superintendent search: public will be involved, prior superintendent experience required. A parent asked what the process and timing will be for hiring a permanent superintendent. Ghebreal said the public will be involved in the process and that candidates will be required to have prior superintendent experience. On timing, she said there’s no way to set a timeline given all the unknowns.
- New state device policy raised — with one meeting left before school starts. Board member Paul raised New Jersey’s new “bell-to-bell” law (P.L. 2025, c. 195), which requires the district to adopt a policy restricting students’ non-academic use of personal internet-enabled devices before the 2026-27 school year begins. Ghebreal told board members to start looking into what Strauss Esmay recommends. That leaves the August 27 meeting, the board’s only scheduled meeting before school starts, to introduce and vote on the policy. The law was signed in January 2026, and the state’s guidance to districts goes back to September 2025.
- Board president misstated its own recording policy. When responding to parent requesting more transparency for parents who can’t attend the meetings, Ghebreal stated that the public cannot record audio or video without prior board secretary approval. She added, “I know that it’s been broken.” District Policy 0168 says otherwise: only video recording requires advance notice. Audio recording does not. Fact-checking is important.
- Longstanding microphone complaints acknowledged. Cusmanos said he’d work with the business administrator on getting quotes to fix audio issues in the meeting room. This has been brought up by the public at least four separate times since last fall.
- Parents asked for Spanish translation and an ESL-focused transparency push. A parent requested translated agendas/minutes and a translator at meetings, saying a high population of Spanish-speaking parents in the district means they should have a voice too.
- Stipend vote. The board approved stipends pulled from the June agenda after a closed session. Anthony Astrologo voted against the stipends; all other members voted in favor. No public explanation was given for the delay.
- Board president dismissed social media criticism as mostly inaccurate. Ghebreal said social media commentary about the board is “5% facts wrapped around 95% opinion and rhetoric.” This summary is built entirely from the recorded audio. And contrary to Ghebreal’s own statement earlier in the meeting, audio recording of a public board meeting does not violate District Policy 0168.
The next scheduled board meeting is Thursday, August 27 at 7pm. Let’s continue to show up, pay attention, and ask good questions.
