Board of Ed Chair Expresses Confidence in Superintendent and Board Decisions

"I think this is baseless," Board of Education chairman Ted Raczka said about an investigation and audit which is underway under the order of Mayor Sebastian Giuliano.  "Right now it seems like there's a lot of shouting, but no one is speaking in terms of facts."

Raczka, who is a student of history, and who, as a student, completed a thesis on the McCarthy era, likened the accusations to that period in history.

"This sounds the same as someone saying 'I have the names of 13 card carrying Communists in the State Department,' but can't come up with the fact to prove it," Raczka said.

Raczka was referring to calls for a Board of Education investigation and audit by Common Council members during a budget meeting on Thursday.

"I know of no impropriety in the Board of Education," Raczka said.  "Do we always agree on judgments that have been made?  Of course not.  We make judgments every fifteen minutes.  But to say that judgments are illegal is just not true."

Raczka confirmed that the Board of Education is responsible for the way in which the school administration spends the dollars assigned to it, and added that additional audits are a regular part of the process.

"Education is a  very audited process," Raczka said.  "The state just doesn't give you, in our case, $15 million dollars without an audit process.  We answer to the state and federal government."

Raczka is concerned that the call for an audit and investigation will place a huge burden on the school budget.

"This is taking up a lot of time and money, in the leanest of budget years" he said.  "That's going to have an effect on what goes on in the classroom, on what training sessions happen, on what supplies are purchased.  I just don't see the point."

In terms of charges that the Board of Education has not treated union employees according to contract, Raczka pointed to the Police Department.

"How many votes of no confidence in the Police Chief have there been over the years," Raczka said.  "Labor tensions in Middletown are a way of life."

Raczka said that the Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools Michael Frechette will hold a news conference today (Monday) at the Administration offices at 1 PM.