MERSD's Mumolie: 'Trenton is a Bunch of Fools'

Governor Chris Christie is promising schools in Manalapan and Englishtown $18.5 million in 2011, but Manalapan-Englishtown Board of Education member James Mumolie isn't sure exactly what his school district will receive from the state.

Mumolie delivered a memorable speech at the board's budget meeting Tuesday, sounding off on Trenton while voicing his support for Superintendent John Marciante.

“I’ve told John that I think he has the worst job that I’ve ever seen any Superintendent in this district have," said Mumolie. "When he stepped into his job, we had one of the best districts in Monmouth County, and with the way Trenton treats us, they’ve given him the opportunity to dismantle something that was great.”

On Wednesday, a day after Mumolie's comments, the Christie administration released a statement touting an additional $16,648,182 for schools in Monmouth County in his fiscal year 2012 budget, with a 4.8 percent increase county-wide.

For Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District, this means a total aid package of $18,594,074 from the state, a one year increase of $710,938.

Full state education aid statistics are available at: http://www.state.nj.us/education/stateaid/1112.

"More money on its own will not fix our education system," Governor Christie said in his statement. "We must continue to vigorously pursue education reforms to fundamentally change public education, focused on achieving results for children, rewarding excellence in the classroom and demanding accountability throughout the system.”

To achieve his stated goals, Christie has laid out a reform agenda that proposes to move toward a system that demands accountability, rewards highly effective teachers, utilizes performance measures and ensures each and every child receives the quality education they deserve.

Yet Mumolie's experience has left him skeptical of the state's ability to actually deliver on on their promises.

“I know Trenton is a bunch of fools,” he said. “I have no problem saying that. Everything they do is a house of mirrors,” he said, remembering the reneged promises of politicians, especially governors.

“I don’t spend my money from Trenton unless it’s in my bank. I’m an attorney, and I always tell my clients when we’re doing closing, the deal is never done until that money is in your hand and I’m going to tell the board the same thing," said Mumolie.

Mumolie has served on the Board of Education for the past 13 years. A father of three daughters who attended district schools, he is in full support of levying an increased school tax and spending to cap for 2011-2012.

“Money talks, and excuse my French, the b.s. walks,” he said. “When we go into closed, I have some other suggestions about bringing money in that’s not going to be asking parents to be giving money for field trips and sports because I think there’s some people that we’ve been forgetting about for a number of years that have just been raping us, and it has everything to do with Trenton."

Mumolie is confident that the budget will pass and that residents will know that money will not come from Washington or Trenton.  

“The reality is that we all have to dig in our pockets if we want to give our kids an education; I hate to tell you that. There’s no wizard out there and he’s not going to come out and give us a brain and a heart and all these wonderful things. If we don’t do it ourselves, it’s never gonna happen,” concluded Mumolie.  

The monologue rendered some of his colleagues speechless, in a good way.

“It’s hard to follow that,” said board member Diane Bindler. She has other ideas for line items but agreed with Mumolie “100 percent”.

“I’m in full agreement with Jim (Mumolie),” said board President Donna Formoso. “I mean I definitely support the 2 percent () because, like we said, right off the bat, we're $710,000 from the federal money that we’re going to lose for 2013. We can’t just think about today because there’s carry over effects long after we’re gone, you know, someone else is going to be feeling the cutbacks that possibly could have come at our hands today,” said Formoso.

The open workshop session was open to public comment, but only one resident voiced an opinion on the board’s discussion.

“You’re right. It is the money, and the money does talk; I think it’s a matter of where the money walks,” said Sandra Lippman, putting her own twist on Mumolie’s phrase.

Lippmann said that the board’s budget discussion was strictly in terms of raw facts and figures without discussing the district’s demographics, growth, or progress.

She feels that the board should consider creative programs and national models that could be brought to the schools. She suggested the board create a “dream list” in the event they did have some extra money, and she thanked Vice President Joseph DePasquale for considering more classroom smartboards.

“For a district this innovative and people this innovative and capable, I would feel very glad to hear you talking about that instead of endorsing what is a status quo and a time in a world that is not a status quo in any other way,” said Lippman.

Formoso thanked Lippman for her comment.

The board then the tentative school budget and increase the school tax by 2 percent. The motion was successful with only DePasquale voting “no” to both of the items.

Board members Brian Graime and Valerie Maglione were not present for the meeting.

Business Administrator and Board Secretary Veronica Wolf will send the preliminary budget to the county by Friday. A public workshop meeting on budget items is scheduled for March 22 at the ; a public hearing on the budget prior to adoption is scheduled for March 29 at .