Regionalization: Conflicts of Interest? Everywhere?

Given the Highlands School Board of Education acting chair Robyn Sanfratello’s explanation why elected board member Gina Melnyk could not vote on a regionalization question, is it now the proper time to ask whether there are other, more visible, more economy affected conflicts also involved and perceived, but apparently permitted in the regionalization question?

Gina Melnyk, an elected official on the Highlands Board of Education, was told she could not ask any questions on regionalization at Monday’s meeting of the board of education. The reason given is because her husband, Councilman  Donald Melnyk is an elected official on the governing body for the town. Mrs. Melnyk was still not allowed to ask questions let alone vote, in spite of the fact her husband recused himself from all regionalization issues on the governing body.

In Atlantic Highlands, elected board member Erin Dougherty quit her position, saying she did so, so her husband, Atlantic Highlands Councilman Brian Dougherty could vote on the regionalization issue. Just because she is no longer there, is he now excused from the conflict? If he votes on regionalization and she then returns to serve as a board official after the vote, given she indicated she quit to let him vote, is that not a conflict?

Atlantic Highlands Councilman James Murphy recused himself from voting in Atlantic Highlands. His wife Mollie, a member of the school board, has not indicated whether she will vote. Yet it appears attorneys have already advised the board she cannot.

Which brings the situation to Dr. Tara Beams, the highest paid person in the tri-district that includes the three schools in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands.

She has been the primary spokesman, primary leader, primary intermediary among the school boards and the governing bodies.

It was she who ran a highly educational and well attended regionalization explanation meeting at Henry Hudson Regional School.

It is she who was praised by Atlantic Highlands for being so outstanding in knowing everything there is about regionalization.

It is she who has addressed the many questions and considerable information about $1 million coming into the two towns if Sea Bright is voted into a tri-town regional district. Sea Bright is currently a member of the Oceanport and Shore Regional school districts, with their fewer than 50 students costing their taxpayers more than $50,000 a child to be educated in districts where they only have one or two members representing them on the boards of education. It is because of their unending agreement with those districts that the cost of their students runs so high.

It is because of their union in the Oceanport school district that they had little to say when the board decided their elementary school was too antiquated and had to be demolished, leaving the borough with no schools and a mandate their children attend Oceanport schools.

Given that information, does everyone know the highest paid official in the Henry Hudson Regional District, Dr. Beams, is a resident of Oceanport?

Does everyone know Dr. Beams owns a house in Oceanport that is assessed in excess of $800,000?

Does everyone know Dr. Beams does not send her own daughter to the Oceanport school or Shore Regional, but rather a private school?

Yet Dr. Beams is leading the discussions answering the questions, and advising the three school boards in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands on how and when the regionalization question should go on the ballot for the voters of the towns that if Sea Bright were voted in, would then cost Oceanport taxpayers more money absent the million dollars Sea Bright feeds to the Board for its fewer than 50 students every year.