New head of N.J. School Boards Association eager to get to work
BY CHRIS MURINO Staff Writer

Harry Delgado

SOUTH BRUNSWICK - Harry Delgado was recently named president of the New Jersey School BoardsAssociation, and now he's looking ahead to starting his work.

Delgado has been amember of the township Board of Education for 13 years and is a former president of theMiddlesex County School Boards Association.

"As president of the NJSBA, my goal is to advance our association's mission in the areas of training school board members and advocating the interests of public school students," Delgado said. "A primary focus has to be student achievement."

Delgado has many ideas on how to improve student achievement in New Jersey.

"I want to engage a larger share or the state's 4,800 local school board members in advocacy- to speak with one voice in support of our communities and their children," Delgado said. "New schools rank near the top nationally achievement, according to the federal Department of Education, results of the National Assessment of Educational progress and other studies. Part of our success has been the ability of communities through their local school boards to make policy decisions based on local educational goals. We must work to maintain that element of our success."

Delgado also expressed his opinions on two issues that have been brought into focus recently - moving the school board elections to November and not having the public vote on the budget unless it exceeds a cap.

"I see no benefit of moving school board elections to the party-driven November general election," Delgado said. "The intention of current state law is clear: educational issues at the local level should be debated strictly on theirmerits, without political party influence. That's why local school board candidates appear on the ballot without party affiliation and why they stand for election in the spring."

Delgado does have an alternative. "NJSBA proposes a single non-partisan spring election for school board members, fire district commissioners and officials of the 87 municipalities that have nonpartisan governments," Delgado said.

Delgado understandsAssembly Speaker Joseph Roberts' concerns about voter turnout, but thinks this alternative would have a good effect.

"We believe that a single, statewide nonpartisan election would draw increased media attention and voter interest in school board races," Delgado said.

However, Delgado and the NJSBA are in favor of eliminating school budget elections when they are at or below the state's spending cap.

"School district budgets are subject to a 4-percent cap on taxlevy increases," Delgado said. "Their finances receive stringent review by the state government. But unlike municipalities or counties, school boards must also place their budget before voters. Too often, fiscally sound proposals are

rejected because of voter dissatisfaction

with nonschool spending." Overall, Delgado said the government in

ismaking proposals that are too intrusive.

"Some aspects of the new laws and proposed requirements are worthy goals- for example, transparency in government and expanded training for local school board members," Delgado said. "Others, however, get into details that are truly absurd, such as not allowing school districts to print publications on glossy paper."

He also said thatmany of the laws work against each other.

"For example, the accountability act requires more board member training, but limits reimbursement for travel and, therefore, could make it extremely difficult for board members to obtain needed training," Delgado said.

For the past four years, Delgado has been the vice president of county activities for the NJSBA, so he does not think it will be difficult to balance his other responsibilities as a member of the South Brunswick school board and a captain of the police department.

"I do acknowledge that as the leader and voice of the association, the challenges will be different," Delgado said. "I am looking forward to them."