Video: BOE Candidates Tackle Question of Referendum

After the six candidates for three seats on the Fort Lee Board of Education made their opening remarks Tuesday at the Fort Lee Homeowners Association’s Candidates Night at Lewis F. Cole Middle School and given two additional minutes to respond to one another, the questions started.

After two failed referendums last year to upgrade and expand the borough’s school system, and continued talk of a potential third, perhaps the first question the candidates had to deal with wasn’t much of a surprise. As read by moderator Alex Floratos, and submitted by a member of the Homeowners Association, the question was as follows:

“The second referendum for $89 million was heavily defeated by voters in December. It was very similar to the defeated September referendum; yet another referendum is planned for next September. Why do you think the second December referendum was defeated? And why do you think the school board approved the second referendum? We realize that our schools have real needs. In your opinion, what are these needs? And what expenditures would you support for the September 2011 referendum? Please be specific, and explain your position.”

Floratos pointed out that any one of the candidates could answer if they chose to, which all six did. Floratos left it up to the candidates to decide in what order they would answer the question. The videos here are presented in the order in which they tackled the question.