Districts want more say on school board Better representation in exchange for lobbying. Critic calls it a power grab. Wednesday, December 05, 2007 • By JD MALONE •The Express-Times PHILLIPSBURG | Council President David DeGerolamo accused the school district's five sending districts Tuesday of twisting a group push for a new high school into a power grab. Phillipsburg School District officials have met with leaders of the five districts to hash out a strategy for securing $88 million in long-promised state funding for the project. Now those five member districts are looking for more than just the three regional seats they are allotted on the 12-member school board. "(The five regions) want more representatives," said Ernie Gallant, president of the Lopatcong Township School Board. "If (the five districts) give something, they want something in return." P'burg wants united lobbying front DeGerolamo said the meetings are meant to unite the five regions -- Lopatcong, Pohatcong Township, Greenwich Township, Alpha and Bloomsbury -- with Phillipsburg in an effort to petition the state for funds. Each of those districts sends their high school students to Phillipsburg, one of 31 Abbott districts, which are considered the poorest in the state. The sending districts pay a per-pupil tuition rate to Phillipsburg. A little more than half the school's students are from sending districts, and there are 31 trailers parked on the cramped high school campus. Councilman: Put politics aside DeGerolamo said he was disturbed by what he saw while attending last week's Key Leaders meeting. "This process should not be about egos but children," DeGerolamo said. Phillipsburg school board President Paul Rummerfield said the board received a proposal from the five regions to realign seats. The shift would provide more leverage to the five regions on matters affecting the high school. Rummerfield said the board has not discussed the proposal, but he hopes members can before the next Key Leaders meeting, Jan. 3. He said nothing had been decided or resolved regarding the plea for realignment. Rummerfield said he wished the five regions would put aside politics and focus on petitioning for funding for the new school. "I'm a little disappointed," Rummerfield said. "First and foremost, we should be talking about how we will get the new school funded and built. I think the Key Leaders have lost a little sight of that." Gallant said the five regions met Nov. 20 to discuss strengthening their position on the school board. "There are just ideas being thrown around," Gallant said. "Nothing is solidified." Rummerfield and DeGerolamo noted that even if the board agrees to cede some power to the five regions and realign its seats, the state Legislature must approve it. "In order to change the makeup of the board, we'd have to ask for special legislation in Trenton," Rummerfield said. "It isn't something that is easily resolved locally." Outside districts want more say Gallant said he knows the sending districts must contribute financially to the high school project, but the sending districts need an incentive to follow Phillipsburg's lead in pushing Trenton for funding. "What (the sending districts) are saying is that if they contribute (the sending districts) want to be included participants," Gallant said. "But they also want additional representation." Gallant agreed that even discussing a shakeup is pointless until the state makes a decision about funding the new high school. Reporter JD Malone can be reached at 610-759-4599 or by e-mail at jdmalone@express-times.com.