Freehold officials answer boro high school critic Council, mayor defend reputation of school and students

Freehold officials answer
boro high school critic
Council, mayor
defend reputation of
school and students

The sentiment being ex-pressed by Freehold Bor-ough officials and residents alike in response to comments made about Freehold Borough High School and its students may well be, "I’m mad as hell and I’m not gonna take it anymore!"

No doubt Peter Finch would be proud to see his famous statement from the movie Network being reiterated in numerous variations on a central theme.

This outpouring of outrage comes in response to what borough officials and residents believe were disparaging remarks made by a Manalapan resident aimed with double-barrel cannons at the borough’s high school.

From Mayor Michael Wilson and Freehold Regional High School District Superintendent of Schools James Wasser to Bor-ough Council members and residents who showed up at the council’s April 1 meeting to put their two cents in, all had a disgusted attitude about the potshots taken against the high school.

Those who spoke said they wanted to let people everywhere know they are proud of their town, their residents and the high school that has graduated many people who still call the borough home.

The borough’s response stems from comments made by Manal-apan resident Art Weissglass at a public hearing during which the redistricting of high school students was being discussed. Noting that one redistricting proposal would send some Manalapan residents to Freehold Borough High School, Weissglass said he was "totally unimpressed with the scores at the Freehold Borough High School."

Freehold Borough "is not the equal of Manalapan, particularly with regard to the sending of students who desire to attend a four-year college and ultimately accepted for admission," Weiss-glass said. "The non-learning center students at Freehold Borough comprise a great proportion whose educational goals do not extend beyond high school, whether it is due to desire, ability, financial circumstance or values which encourage academic achievement."

He compared Manalapan and Freehold Borough high schools, referring to the student suspensions and drop-out rates and said, "This is not an environment [to which either] I nor my neighbors want to subject their children."

He said he believed redistricting would have a serious negative effect on Manalapan property values.

Wilson fired back in a letter to the editor that was published in the March 27 News Transcript.

"I was rather appalled by the comments echoed by Manalapan resident Art Weissglass," the mayor wrote. "In short, Mr. Weissglass’ comments, made from ignorance, do nothing more than promote an environment of dissonance among our region. The mere concept of a regional school district is to foster efficient education and harmony that not only transcends the geographic borders but also binds the region into one community."

Wilson advised the students of the borough high school to "rise above these comments and continue to excel."

In a March 27 guest column in the News Transcript responding to the comments made by Weissglass, Councilman Kevin Coyne directly addressed an issue that some people believe is the reason why some parents in the region do not want their children to attend Freehold Borough High School.

"The people protesting the redistricting of our regional high schools system have been twisting and turning to avoid saying what everybody here in Freehold Borough knows is the real reason for their objection: They don’t want their kids to go to school with blacks, Hispanics and other people who aren’t like them," the councilman wrote.

Coyne said people protesting the redistricting think they are "better than us, that their children are too good to go to school with ours." He said his outrage was tempered by a sadness he felt for those who would make attacks on things they can’t understand.

"The attackers and their children, as we all know here in Freehold Borough, have more to learn from us than we do from them," Coyne said.

At the April 1 council meeting, Councilwoman Sharon Shutzer shared her thoughts on the matter.

"For far too long, this borough has tried rise above the ugly stepchild role thrust upon us by some of the other sending districts in the high school district," Shutzer said. "We have tried to turn the other cheek and rise above the mud-slinging tirades which have ensued every time a mention has been made of redistricting."

Shutzer said she believed borough residents had "borne the brunt of blatant bigotry and undisguised snobbery the likes of which would not be tolerated by those who themselves are delivering such vitriolic rhetoric."

"The residents of this town are ready, willing and able to stand and be counted," Shutzer said. "Those who are so quick to vilify our school, our homes and our residents should not be surprised if in fact, this entire situation is determined by our deciding whom we want at Freehold Borough High School.

"We will not tolerate the effects of intolerance and hatred which would infiltrate Freehold Borough High School if snobbery is allowed to prevail," she said.

Councilman Kevin Kane has a child in the high school and commented on the tremendous sports program the school has to offer.

"People don’t know what they’re missing here," Kane said, "but we can’t fight this with negative comments, we need to be proactive about this issue and let people know how we feel about our school."

Council President Michael DeBenedetto said Freehold Borough High School students perform well on the SAT and said the school’s technology program is outstanding. He has two stepchildren in the school now.

Councilman Michael Toubin’s children graduated from the borough high school.

"They didn’t see color or race," Toubin said. "It was just a place to get a great education. The kids put in and they got it all back."

Councilman Robert Crawford praised the school and said he was proud of its graduates.

Borough officials and residents were not the only ones to react to the negative comments made about the borough high school. In a guest column published in the News Transcript, Wasser said, "by every standard, Freehold Borough High School compares well to its sister high schools in our region."

The superintendent pointed out that the percentage of Freehold Borough students who attend four-year colleges and universities is practically the same as Freehold Township High School and just a few points lower than Manalapan High School.

"I challenge anyone to compare the quality of college acceptances among our high schools," Wasser said.

He also commented that out of all the FRHSD schools, the borough high school is the most culturally and economically diverse, helping students to learn lessons that cannot be leaned from textbooks.

"The students at Freehold Borough celebrate this diversity. They are mature, well-rounded and respectful of one another," said the superintendent.

Wasser asked that during the ongoing talks about redistricting, people focus their attention on the students, the academic programs, cost efficiency and available space.

"Rumor and innuendo are counterproductive to the purpose for which we are all committed," he added.

Freehold Borough High School, Broadway and Robertsville Road, will host a public meeting on FRHSD redistricting on April 10 from 7-9 p.m. The district’s Board of Education has indicated that some redistricting of students will be necessary for the 2003-04 school year. The meetings scheduled for each of the district’s six high schools this month and next are being held to help the board obtain public input on the issue as a student attendance area plan is developed.