Parent frustrated with Manalapan middle school fiasco

With pressure building with calls from parents to the governor's office, the state Department of Educa-tion, senators and assemblymen, the students of the Manalapan-Englishtown Middle School can hopefully attend their school by Sept. 25.

Assemblyman Mike Panter was diligent in getting the governor's office and the Department of Community Affairs to meet with the contractors, building inspectors and fire inspectors, for the work to be completed in the main building for a temporary certificate of occupancy by Sept. 22. Assemblyman Panter personally kept me informed of updates, which is more than I can say about the school board.

Having said this, the Manalapan-Englishtown school board and town should be accountable for the hardship and anguish put to the parents of this town for lying and delaying the students their rightful education.

This town has arguably the best school system in New Jersey, but what kind of school system sends a voice mail to the parents of over 1,200 students the Friday before they are to start school the next Monday that they have no school and will attend half-days until further notice scattered among six elementary schools? When only weeks before, we were sent a packet from the school that everything was fine and ready for a great school year.

Yes, we all pay a lot for taxes. A half-day of school is unacceptable. Are we to be given a refund for the time that our children did not receive in school?

At the town meeting, the parents were enraged and rightly so. The parents asked questions and did not receive any answers. We just wanted to know a return to school date. The contractor was missing from the meeting, though we were told he was in the audience. The transportation department was not there.

On the first day of this alternate program, some students who live in my development were on the bus for [90 minutes], while my daughter waited for her bus for a half-hour. But the chaos should not be blamed on our bus drivers, teachers or principals. They are working hard and are just employees of a system that let us all down.

At the meeting, I was tired of hearing that there was a lack of communication between the school board and the town. Someone knew that this school wasn't ready and someone ought to be fired. My daughter has worked hard to achieve good grades in the Manalapan school system. All I want is for her to go to school on a regular full-day basis so she can work hard and achieve her dreams.

The town should have spent the money if it took all day, all night, and weekends so the students could go back to school. It is their right to have an education. They should not be penalized for something they had no control of.

I want to again thank Assemblyman Mike Panter for his integrity and reliability for working hard to resolve the problems.

Linda Indig

Manalapan