Beach Haven Board of Education's vice president resigns after 18 years

The resignation of Sandra Close, who served as vice president of the Beach Haven Board of Education for the past 18 years, was announced during the board’s monthly meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 21. Her official letter of resignation, read aloud by Board President Mary Louise Bellingeri, stated that Close’s decision to leave was mostly due to the negativity surrounding “the same small group of parents” who regularly attend the board meetings. The situation, the letter explained, stems from former administrator Patricia Daggy’s decision to relocate the students to another school following Superstorm Sandy.

Photo by Jack Reynolds
The Beach Haven Board of Education will
have four new members starting in January.

“We have taught our students how wrong bullying is, yet here we have a group of adults who are doing just that,” the letter reads. “Some people thrive on conflict, I am not one of them, and those people have kept this negative energy flowing for two years now. The battle has gained such momentum that it almost has a life of its own.”

Close, a third-generation Beach Haven native whose children also attended the Beach Haven School, said in the letter that “although I care deeply about the school, I have to put my family first. This nonstop conflict and negative energy is not a healthy environment for them or me.”

The letter was submitted on Sept. 27 and went into effect Oct. 21. Replacement interviews will be held next month, Bellingeri said.

Three board members, including Close, have resigned since the beginning of the school year. Two other board members, including Bellingeri, will not be running for their seats in the November election, school Superintendent EvaMarie Raleigh told The SandPaper. There will be four new board members in January.

During the meeting, Beach Haven resident Kathy Kelly was appointed to the board to fill the vacant seat left open by Amy Haig, who resigned in September. Kelly, who is president of the school’s PTA and also works as the administrative assistant to George Chidiac, superintendent of the Stafford Township School District, decided to run for the position because she “felt it was time to give back to the community.” Her children formerly attended the Beach Haven School.

During public comment, local resident Kristy Davis said she had sent in her letter of intent for the vacant position on deadline the previous evening, but was told by Raleigh that “I will not be allowed” to interview for the position. Raleigh has denied the accusation.

On multiple occasions, members of the public have expressed their frustration with what they feel is a lack of communication and transparency between the public and the school board.

In other meeting news, the board approved a $25,000 contract with Education Facility Management of Cherry Hill to clean the school five days a week, including stripping and waxing three times a year. Although board member Donna Kilcommons and other members of the public expressed concern over the cost of the cleaning, the board deemed it a necessary action.

“In light of the viruses and Ebola and everything that’s going on, we are wiping down doors and tables and everything on a regular basis. So it really now makes more sense to do this,” said Raleigh.

The school was formerly being cleaned three times a week by Stretch Cleaning of Long Beach Township.

The board also approved a St. Barnabas Behavioral Health “Turning the Tides” Sandy Relief Grant Counseling After-School Program. The student program includes a full curriculum of social and emotional lessons.

“Since we do not have a guidance department or full-time counselor, this is a great opportunity for our school to get much-needed services,” Raleigh told The SandPaper.

Raleigh also gave a presentation on the school’s “Cross-Curricular Art’s Infused Thematic Plans,” focusing on ecology, which are being implemented through a second $9,000 grant from Young Audiences New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania. A culminating event to “showcase our student’s learning and transfer their intentions to the community of sustainability” will be held in the spring, Raleigh said.

It was announced that the Beach Haven Community Arts Program donated $500 for the school’s art program.

Discussion in regard to offering school lunch for the students was also introduced during the meeting.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.