Departing Morris Plains School Board Members Honored for 'Unbelievable' Job

Two exiting members of the Morris Plains Board of Education were lauded by their fellow board members at Tuesday night’s meeting at the Borough School for leadership, dedication and work ethic.

Dennis Reilly, this year’s board president, and Christopher Gardner will not be seeking re-election, making Tuesday’s meeting their last—at the next board meeting, to be held on May 10, the winners of will take Gardner’s and Reilly’s places.

“It has been a quite enjoyable four years,” said Reilly. “I don’t have the time to say the things I feel for this board, the district, and the administration. … I think we’re very fortunate in this district to have what we have.”

Both Gardner and Reilly have been members of the board for four years.

Maria Manley, in her ninth year on the board, was among those who spoke, praising Gardner and Reilly and adding that recently the board has seen exceptional levels of integrity and ethical decision making.

“That makes me very proud to be a part of something that was made better,” Manley said. “I thank you for your time.”

Interim superintendent Dennis Mack agreed.

“For the year and a half I’ve been here, both of you have been unbelievable. … You guys have done a great job," he said.

Reilly discussed what he said were some of the board’s accomplishments after the meeting: Surviving current economic trends, putting together a budget for 2011-12 that is below the 2- percent state mandated cap on the local tax levy, entering into shared services agreements, and seeing improvements in test scores, which he said were already high, but are now higher.

Manley and board member Terri Kaag, two of the most experienced members of the board, said that recently the administrators, teachers, parents, and board have been successfully working together, more so than they have seen before, to improve the district.

During the meeting, the board also unanimously adopted a resolution allowing the board to apply to the Morris County Improvement Authority’s Series 2011 renewable energy program, which would put solar panels on the roofs of schools at no initial cost, and which would also offset up to 10 percent of energy costs at the schools.

The panels, after being installed, would have to be maintained by the district, specifically in cases of normal wear or after rain or wind damage—a potential cost that could outweigh the fiscal benefits of joining the program.

Because of the potential costs, the board has not yet formally agreed to join the program—the resolution merely allows the board to apply to the local finance board for the necessary consents and approvals, if, after further study, it is found that joining the program would save more than it could eventually cost.

“We’re still not sure that the pros do outweigh the cons,” said Mack.