LIVE UPDATES: Candidate's Night Forum

UPDATE 8:07 p.m.:

What is the most important job of board member?

Tavis: You’re a servant of the pubic, he says. Be a good listener, he says.

Perrotto: Communication is key, she says. You need to listen to the people, children, staff members.

Cervantes: Agrees with communication, she says, which is the most important.

Wren: Set policy. You’re not here to run the district, he says. Listen to the taxpayers and carry that back into the board room to influence your policy, he says.

Closing statements are now being read by candidates, starting with Perrotto. Wren will be last.

UPDATE 8:00 p.m.:

How do you feel about tenure?

Perrotto: Tenure is important, but other things are important too, she says.

Cervantes: Teachers need to have assurance that they are protected from unfair evaluations, she says.

Wren: I am not a fan of tenure, he says.

Tavis: Changes in tenure could be good, if surgical.

What is your opinion of Technology in elementary school?

Wild: There has always been a lack of technology. There are some things that should be addressed in terms of what is there, he says.

Farrell: Don’t know enough to comment on it, but on personal level it’s important to keep up on it, he says.

Moonan: Remembers when there weren’t computers in the schools. Glad students know how to use it properly. We could always use more, she says.

Tonzola: The district is going in the right direction, he says. The trick is trying to pay for computers, he says.

What curriculum changes has the district made and how do you feel about them?

Cervantes: Concerned with loss of elementary Spanish courses and reduced computer time, she says.

Wren: Says Block scheduling is a positive.

Tavis: Says he favors block scheduling, but changes have to be teacher, not administration, driven.

Perrotto: Says Block Scheduling is positive and key to that is staff development.

How would you increase communication between Board of Education and Community?

Farrell: Says the board could use the local newspaper to update people.

Moonan: Start with our parent groups, she says. It could spread from there, she said. Update the website. Also community outreach groups, she says.

Tonzola: Parent groups are extremely important, he says. Communication is extremely important, he says. The communicate through the district website, or through Patch, he says.

Wild: One of the things we’ve realized the most, when you have a big issue, you have to invite the public, he says.

Do you believe district makes available sufficient financial information?

Wren: There’s a reality to the whole budget process and there’s what the public wishes it could be, he says. If we could find a way to get this information to the

Tavis: It’s not transparent enough, he says. You need it, and you need to know what you’re looking at, he says.

Perrotto: Budget process is a very difficult process, she says. I believe it needs to be available to the public, she says. 

Cervantes: It should be online, she says. For a lay person looking at it, there would be questions. It would do the district a lot of good to put it out there, she says.

UPDATE 7:38 p.m.: Linda Mather, from the League of Women Voters, is moderating the event.

Candidates are sitting in ballot order. Candidates will answer questions in two groups of four. 60 seconds to answer.

What do you see as most important issue facing the district in next five  years?

Doug Wild: Budgeted constraints being forced from 4 percent to 2 percent cap, force the board to be limited in negotiations and look at other revenues.

Timothy Farrell: Overall budgetary constraints. Curriculum going to change in relation to budget constraints, he says.

Ann Moonan: Budget is paramount, she says. Keeping community support in our schools.

Joesph Tonzola: Definitely communication, he says. The communication between all the players is extremely important, he says.

What are the positives in Wall school district?

Robin Cervantes: Cites teaching staff. Says communication needs to be improved.

David Wren: The strong points are the people. Starts also with the kids. Says district has some of the best teachers in this district. Give them the support they need by passing budgets. We’re failing the kids and failing the administration. Were going to lose ourselves, if we don’t help ourselves.

John Tavis: Teachers, community and the students. Bring all three of these positives together.

Pam Perrotto: Wonderful teaching staff, supportive community.

 What would you to cut costs while providing services?

Farrell: Says district needs to look at trailers. Says West Belmar has room in it. Says he thinks the reserve fund is too large.

Moonan: Take a look at budget line by line, looking for things to do without. Says district could make smaller cuts and look into other kinds of revenue. Keep it small, she says.

Tonzola: To close a school is contrary to what I believe in, he says.

Wild: Cutting costs has always been key topic, he says. Most budgets is salary and benefits, he says. Need to start looking at more revenue – like advertising on school busses, he says.

Do you support the budget and second question?

Wren: I do support the budget – the budget as a whole, he says. The best budget those nine people could come up with.

Tavis: Yes. You have to be in favor of the budget, he says. You need the budget to pass in order to run the schools. Look at budget for more cuts later, but the budget needs to be passed.

Perrotto: The most important thing is that we support our budget, she says. Another defeated budget would be a disaster, she says.

Cervantes: The ability of the (teachers union) to come up with concession was amazing, she says. I do support it. Line items have to be looked at.

What qualities are important in a new superintendent?

Moonan: Has to be a leader, she says. Should have a good moral compass, she says.  Has to appreciate parent volunteers, she says.

Tonzola: Have to understand where to search out for funds, he says. And communication, he says.

Wild: Having a strong communicator, he says. Team leader and be a good listener, that’s a strong aspect, he says.

Farrell: Equal experience of administrator and teacher. Open, honest and fair. Has to be a people person.

How would you keep the next superintendent’s salary down?

Tavis:  All the perks should not be included.  

Perrotto: We will have parameters because the Governor has changed the standards. I think with our next search, there will be a cost savings there.

Cervantes: Vitally important to include our community and take input from community. I would be prudent, certainly, and a lot of the perks will not be in the next superintendent’s contract, she says.

Wren: Our next will be paid $165,000, which has been put forth by the state. Not entitled to pay raise, he says.

UPDATE 7:02 p.m.: About to get underway at Wall High School for the Meet The Candidate’s Night, which is sponsored by the Wall High School Boosters. The question and answer session is to be moderated by the League of Women Voters.

 were invited to participate, organizers have said.

The candidate field Tuesday morning narrowed to eight from when Michael Tranberg, of Dubac Road, called it quits.

Tranberg followed John Meechan and Michael Manson, who previously withdrew their candidacies.

Manson and Tranberg will each appear on the April 27 ballot because they dropped out after the state-imposed deadline. Meechan withdrew prior to the deadline. His name will not appear.

Incumbents David Wren, 3243 Rambling Hill Ct., Douglas Wild, 2131 Old Mill Rd., and Pamela Perrotto, 2315 Xanadu Ln., have filed to run to retain their seats in the April 27 polling.

Challenging them are:

Robin Cervantes, 2009 Tally Ho Dr.; Timothy Farrell, 1601 Walton Way;  Anne Moonan, 1910 Sherwood Dr.; Joseph Tonzola, 2400 Lincoln Ave.; and John Tavis, 1610 Holly Blvd.

Tavis and Perotto are running for the 1-year unexpired term of former board member Michael Bogner, who resigned in July, 2010.

Cervantes, Farrell, Moonan, Tonzola, Wren and Wild are all running for full, three-year terms.

Voters also will vote on the district's proposed $56,829,239 tax levy, which supports its $61 million budget.