TAKEOVER TALKS
Assembly panel goes against Christie, OKs Atlantic City plan
TRENTON >> Gov. Chris Christie had no problem defending his planned takeover of Atlantic City.
But when he was asked Thursday at a press conference at the Catholic Charities of Trenton if he had the same intentions with Trenton Public Schools, he quickly shot down any assumptions.
“No, no, no,” the Republican governor said when questioned if his administration plans to take over the capital city school district before he leaves office.
The quick succession of no’s came out before a Trentonian reporter completely finished his question, eliminating the slightest inkling Christie had any intentions of a power grab of Trenton Public Schools.
Mayor Eric Jackson said Thursday in a phone interview that he has not had any discussions with the state about a takeover and was relieved of the governor’s “resounding no.”
“I’m glad the governor said what he said because there’s no imminent position to take over our Board of Education,” the first-term mayor said. “There’s no threat.”
However, at recent Trenton school board meetings, members have used the threat of a state takeover as a reason for their actions.
Last month, board President Jason Redd warned that if the school board had not approved a budget that calls for 167 layoffs and a school closure, the state would take over the district as it has done in Newark and Paterson.
“If we can’t regulate ourselves and we are one step closer to state takeover,” Redd cautioned on March 21. “That doesn’t serve the residents of the city of Trenton to have the (state) Department of Education come in here.”
And the threats by board members have apparently continued with the search for a
new superintendent.
Leaders of the Trenton teachers union, the Trenton Education Association (TEA), alleged Thursday that Vice President Gerald Truehart is running around the city telling community stakeholders if the board does not pick one of the two finalists, a state takeover is imminent. Both of the finalists have been scrutinized for baggage they are bringing over from their previous employers.
“It’s the rumors that the board members are passing among the community like they have to pick one on these people or the state’s going to come in,” TEA President Naomi Johnson-Lafleur said Thursday of the empty threat. “If Christie is saying ‘No, no, no,’ then who’s telling the board members that.”
Truehart, who the teachers union previously asked to resign, did not return a call seeking comment.
The mayor said the board must meet statutory obligations, such as pass a balanced budget, or it can face a litany of consequences from the state, but cautioned against the use of intimidation tactics.
“Certainly, I don’t want people to throw threats out there — and I’m not suggesting anybody has — but that’s not healthy ,” he said .“The only way we’re going get where we need to be is to work together and to work to get the state to meet us at the table for those discussions, and that’s how we’re going to improve year-to-year and help our children.”
Jackson admits the district has issues to sort out.
“Do we have to dramatically improve? Yeah, we’ve got to in a number of areas,” the mayor said. “But we’re not in a place where the state’s even looking to say ‘We’re going to take these guys over.’ We’re working through the issues and we’re making good process.”