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BOE GIVES MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT TO SUPERINTENDENT MUÑOZ WHILE SCHOOLS CONTINUE TO FAIL

ELIZABETH, NJ May 15, 2006 - After only one year as Acting Superintendent of the Elizabeth School System members of the Board of Education granted Pablo Muñoz a five-year million-dollar contract.

During Muñoz’s first year as Acting Superintendent of Schools two reports have been published outlining shameful test scores and fail schools.

The two Star Ledger reports include a March 15, 2006 article on schools not meeting Federal requirements for five straight years and a February 2, 2006 report on the New Jersey Department of Education Schools Report Card. Both articles point to repeated underachieving schools citywide, below average test scores, and high dropout and absenteeism cases.

Board of Education President Rafael Fajardo was even quoted in a January 20, 2006 Star Ledger article as say, “Over 18 percent of our high school graduates cannot get a job. The suspension rate is 22 percent, expulsions are 4 percent and absenteeism is 11 percent.”

In the last couple of months Superintendent Muñoz has been very supportive of the Board of Education’s $200,000 campaign to acquire contaminated land for a new high school. His efforts have included TV commercials, ads, and multimedia presentations all funded by taxpayer/Abbott money.

In addition to new salary increases and million-dollar contract Board of Education Members also voted on $180,000 position for former Superintendent Tom Dunn Jr. After being dismissed by BOE members a year ago (with pay) for poor performance, Dunn Jr. is returning as Assistant Superintendent, adding an extra full-time position to the already crowded Central Administration Office.