PERTH AMBOY – Kurt Rebovich spoke in an interview.

Kurt Rebovich: I am talking now as a citizen – not as a Board of Ed Member. Some news articles state that we were not looking out for the taxpayer’s money. The Board of Ed is for students, staff and taxpayers. We have to balance what is right for those three as a group to affect the education for the people of Perth Amboy. Students and education come first, welfare of the staff second, and the most economic way to serve the taxpayers of Perth Amboy third.

Amboy Guardian: Looking at other news sources it appears that you were actually there when other Board Members approached the Superintendant about placing their friends in positions within the district.

KR: What I meant is at one of the Board Meetings a fellow member questioned the Superintendent about how job vacancies are filled. There was an instance where an employee put in for an opening and was overlooked for someone who had less experience. The Board Member wanted to know why a new hiree was getting paid more money than someone that has been employed in the school system for a long time.

AG: What committees do you serve on?

KR: I am the chairperson of the Discipline Committee. I also serve on the technology, athletics and co-curricular and building and grounds.

AG: What are your thoughts on discipline?

KR: It is broad and challenging regarding the suspension policy. Dianne, Israel and Mark really had to get suspensions in line. In the previous year 38% of the student body was suspended for at least one infraction. When you suspend a student you are taking his/her right to a free education away from him/her. If students have violent physical contact with each other they should be arrested. I plan to sit down with the discipline committee and Dr. Caffrey and have an open meeting with the staff in regards to the suspension policy. The BOE changed the suspension policy this school year. We need to have a full school year to see if giving the superintendent the full power of suspension over students has been effective.

For other infractions students have Saturday detention or a.m. or p.m. detention. In Saturday detention the students do their schoolwork.

There have been 5 bomb threats over the past year. We could not have the buildings searched without the Perth Amboy Police Department. The police have acted very well with the security department. They have really stepped up and made safety an issue.

I am really blessed to have the Board attorney looking out for me. Since I have close relatives that are still employed in the district. I will not be a part of the voting process in determining the outcome of Dr. Caffrey’s employment. I fear if we let Dr. Caffrey go we will lose the new High School. The state will look upon the Board as wasting taxpayers dollars because we do not know how to manage our own money. Then the state will not give us a new High School.