A Firsthand Glimpse of the North Brunswick Board of Education

Within the United States, the government acts on many different levels ranging from federal, to state, to local. Although local governments are much smaller, and don't have as nearly as much power, they still have a very important role in their respective communities. After attending the Board of Education meeting on April 12, 2007, I was able to get a firsthand glimpse of its powers and what its role in society is.

By acting on the local level, the Board of Education often takes on "menial" tasks that are often not important enough for state governments to take care of. However, the fact of the matter is that without the local level of government, none of these tasks would get done and our community would not be able to function as efficiently as it does. Furthermore, it would be impossible for the state governments to effectively govern each town without understanding its nuances. Thus, we see the importance of the Board of Education and the role it fulfills within our community.

Although the meeting I attended was shorter and less substantial than most, I was able to observe the job of local government, and the role it plays. The first thing I noticed was the very formal atmosphere of the meeting. All of the Board members addressed one another very formally, and follow procedure very strictly. Even though it is not seen as an important part of the government, they take their jobs very seriously. Most of the members were present for the meeting, with several people being absent.

The course of the meeting itself was actually quite simple. Since there were no topics of debate, the Board merely went through all of the topics on the agenda and unanimously voted upon all of them. The issues which were touched upon range from the approval of substitute teachers, to approving funds, to approving procedural matters. The meeting itself took approximately 45 minutes, and had an agenda 9 pages long. The procedure they went through reminded me most of the legislative branch of the federal government. The Board of Education's main function was the approval of various topics.

However, there were several points of interest among much of the routine. The first point was the resignation of a Board member, Mr. Kristjanson who had been a part of the Board for over 15 years. Mr. Kristjanson gave a long thank you speech thanking the members of the Board for working with him for so long. However, upon further investigation I realized that many board members came to call for him to hand in his resignation because his wife is in the process of filing a lawsuit blaming her cancer on the contamination at the High School. Thus we see the political side of things rear its head in even the most local levels of government. Mr. Kristjanson's speech was nothing more than a politician's speech, a slew of words giving him a good reputation so that if he wishes to, he may run again in the future.

Another unique moment in the meeting took place when the Board president spoke of a North Brunswick graduate who had passed away. She expressed her sorrow and spoke of the young man's accomplishments. She also read a letter he had written to the Board thanking them for making his education possible. Once she read this letter, it dawned on me as to how this group of individuals which had changed over the years is responsible for who I am today. Over the years, the Board has been responsible for putting together the budget every year, probably the greatest of all its responsibilities.

The North Brunswick Board of Education is made up of a group of dedicated individuals who take time out of their lives in an effort to become a part of the local government and make a genuine a difference. Although it appears as if it is a simple process, many of the arguments take place behind closed doors. The Board then meets to give the public a chance to see what decisions they make. The Board of Education seems to play a minor role in our lives, yet its decisions impact all of us, from the taxes we pay, to the books we read in class, to the salaries of our teachers, to the class trips we go on. All these items will appear on the agenda and go before the Board of Education to get voted on. Without the Board, there would no longer be an effective manner for the government to interact with individuals on the local level, thereby making it an integral part of our country.