On the ballot in the November 3 election for Red Bank Borough Board of Education: E. Pamela McArthur (Editor’s note: redbankgreen was awaiting McArthur’s candidate photo when we saw her at the recent Red Bank Halloween Parade and asked if we could use this photo. She replied, “sure.”)
Name: E. Pamela McArthur
Age: 66
Street: Leroy Place
Where did you attend elementary/middle school?
East Woods School, Oyster Bay Cove, NY
Where did you go to high school?
Huntington High School, Huntington, NY
Did you graduate from college? If so, which school, what degree?
Bachelor of Science, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Juris Doctor, Hofstra Law School, Hempstead, NY
What do you do for a living? (Title, employer, brief description of your responsibilities)
Retired Contracts Attorney, Department of Veterans Affairs and Retired U.S. Army Reserve Lieutenant Colonel (Judge Advocate General)
How long have you been a resident of Red Bank?
26 years
Do you own real estate in town?
Yes, my personal residence on Leroy Place
What boards/committees have you sat on or volunteer positions have you held in town? If you are in incumbent, how long have you been on the board of ed?
I am a member of the Green Team on the Red Bank Environmental Commission, have been on the Red Bank Board of Education since 2022.
Do you have children?
yes
Do they/will they/have they attended school in the borough? If so, which schools?
My daughter attended Red Bank Regional High School.
Why have you decided to run?
I feel very strongly about positively contributing to the educational opportunities of the children in the Red Bank community.
What should Red Bank residents expect of a BOE member?
That a member will bring forward his/her skills, experience and strengths to maintain and improve the quality of the education that residents of this community expect from their schools. That Board members will not shy away from problems simply because those problems appear large or require commitment beyond that Board member’s personal legacy. That a Board member will strive to be a responsible steward of the taxpayers’ dollars.
What are some things the Red Bank Primary School and Red Bank Middle School do very well?
The Board has a stellar team in our Superintendent, staff and teachers!! During Dr. Rumage’s tenure, he has overseen impressive facilities improvements, and our cutting-edge technology is being actively leveraged to assist students in and out of the classrooms. Dr. Rumage and his team have developed a broad, deep array of programs and partnerships that have helped developed the whole student. The environment in the school is remarkable, and honestly one of the great joys of being on the Board. When we as Board members go into the schools, the kids we observe are obviously happy to be there, alert and ready to learn. I attribute that to the effort, expertise and genuine care of our staff and teachers. Not for nothing, but they rock! I’m not surprised that the New Jersey Department of Education officially designated the Red Bank Public Schools a “High Performing District”!
What are some things the schools need to improve?
We need to be laser-focused on student outcomes. That means directing our attention, energy and resources to that end.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the district? How specifically would you address that issue?
Of course, the district faces fiscal challenges every year due to increasing costs and volatile state funding. Residents don’t want to pay more taxes, and no one on the Board wants to be in the position to be approving a budget that requires a tax increase. We as Board members and people in the community together see the huge, abrupt increases in the cost of health care, and these health care cost increases are not going away. Having two schools to support with one budget does not help with the math. All that said, I can assure Red Bank residents that I, all the Board members, the Superintendent and his team are keenly aware of this situation. We work hard as a team to search for solutions and leverage every dollar we are given to get the best results for our students. When we do that, we have implicitly met our obligation to the taxpayers.
The Board of Education has approved relatively large tax increases over the past two years of ten percent and 9.5 percent. Health insurance costs – the main driver of the tax increases – are expected to rise by more than 30 percent again this year. What more can be done to prevent putting a greater burden local taxpayers?
What is your approach to fiscal issues such as budgeting, taxes and debt?
My response to the three questions above is pretty much the same. As a Board member I try to make sure that Red Bank taxpayers get the best bang for their tax dollars. To that end, I strongly support Dr. Rumage as our representative at a panel looking at ways address excessive transportation costs/issues that exist across the state. The cost of health care is out of control everywhere, and we continue to shop for the best affordable solution that will keep our staff and teachers healthy. To help with energy costs, as a Board member I supported our plan to weigh the benefits of solar panels in the electrical upgrade of the primary school, not only for environmental reasons, but as a long-term buffer against increasing energy costs. As stated below, I am a fan of shared services and consolidation when/where it makes fiscal sense and is handled properly. I believe all the Board members are supportive of updates to state funding methods. Hopeful net result: More state funding in, no more abrupt tax increases for our residents, increased cost savings and more resources to direct at our awesome kids!!
Do you think it makes sense that New Jersey has 590 school districts? Would you be in favor of more regionalization and consolidation?
I am very much in favor of regionalization, consolidation and shared services to the extent they increase efficiency and save money, and so long as they do not harm staff, administration, students or families. These processes need to be done, but done thoughtfully, with consideration and with the proper knowledge and expertise.
Red Bank has a publicly funded charter school. The board of education recently passed a resolution asking the state to deny its renewal in 2027 and has done so several times in the past.
If you are incumbent, why did you vote for that? If you’re not, would you have supported it? Why or why not?
I voted for the resolution. We are a physically small, fiscally stressed, and culturally diverse town, with both schools drawing from the same limited pool of families and students. As the Commissioner and our elected officials consider the future of the Red Bank charter school, I would urge them to view this reunion first and foremost as a special and unique set of circumstances. Second, this is an opportunity to join two schools whose families in this very small community already overlap outside the school in so many ways (the same YMCA, churches, synagogues, parades, Little League, etc.) that unification in the school only make sense. Third, there is nothing that precludes the charter school from integrating into the Red Bank Boro and bringing along all its ideas, creativity or experiences. If they had to, Dr. Rumage and Mr. Dorsey are perfectly capable of negotiating a reunification that would benefit everyone.
A fellow board member earlier this year sought to have you ousted from the board for missing too many meetings over the past several years. Can you respond to the notion that you should not be on the board because of attendance issues? Do you plan on improving attendance? Should the board allow members to attend meetings virtually?
I had some long-term health issues that I hope will be resolved in the very near future that will resolve any in-person attendance issues. The Board of Education has considered a virtual attendance policy consistent with the Board of Education virtual attendance law that has been proposed at the state level, but so far this policy has not been adopted.
Your final thoughts, or anything you’d like to add in 75 words. Go.
RBB is BIA!!! :0)
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editor Brian Donohue may be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling or texting 848-331-8331.
