To the readers of VeniVidiScripto who are waiting to read this morning’s article on last night’s meeting of the Highlands Board of Education, I have sad news. Board members present, together with school business administrator/secretary Christopher Mullins, told Highlands Councilwoman Joann Olszewski and me, the only two people present, that the executive session called for 8 p.m. was not about the superintendent’s evaluation.

I had my information wrong, Mr. Mullins told me when I challenged his statement. I saw it in writing that this was the purpose of tonight’s meeting, I explained. Not so, the business administrator responded. It was simply a meeting to discuss a replacement for another employee in his office, he said.

But I saw the notice of the meeting, I continued. No, he insisted, the reason for the meeting is to discuss a replacement for someone in my office.

This is the Special Meeting as advertised on the tri-district page of the Henry Hudson Regional Tri-District page.

HIGHLANDS BOARD OF EDUCATION

SPECIAL MEETING

Notice is hereby given that the Highlands Board of Education will hold a Special Meeting on Monday, May 22, 2023 at 8:00 p.m. in the All Purpose Room of the Highlands Elementary School, 360 Navesink Avenue, Highlands NJ. The purpose of the meeting is the Superintendent’s evaluation. Action maybe taken by the Board of Education at the Special meeting.

None of the five board members present offered any further information, further explanation or any reason why this notice was on the Henry Hudson Regional Tri-
District website. Pleasant, courteous, and friendly, they reiterated the purpose of
the meeting was not as this notice on the official website said.

The councilwoman and I both left the meeting since they were going into executive session. Rather than wait the anticipated hour board members and the administrator indicated the meeting would take before action would be taking place, we felt assured that Mr. Mullins would respond to my e-mail “tonight,” as he generously offered, informing me of the action taken at the meeting.

As of 7 a.m. this morning, I have not had a response.

That isn’t the only strange thing that happened at a board meeting of one of the
Tri District meetings. The minutes for the April meeting of the Henry Hudson Regional Board of Education has a single line about the resignation of member Rosemary Ryan.

As the fifth item in his five item report, president Michael Gannon reported Rosemary Ryan resigned today from the Board of Education. We wish her well in her future endeavors.

Ryan, who has served both on the Highlands Borough council and on the regional board in the past, was recently elected to another term on the Board of Education as a Highlands representative.

The minutes of that meeting do not show any letter of resignation, any action that ousted her, or any reason for her resignation. The only other reference to the board member, who was not present at this meeting, came towards the end of the meeting in the board of education comments. Minutes show that Dr. Beams will post the need for another board member to replace Ryan on the board.