VENTNOR – The school board made its position clear last week: The door is open to sharing services with Margate.

But it appears its neighbor has been reluctant to step through.

Board member James Pacanowski spoke on behalf of the board’s shared services committee at the Ventnor Board of Education meeting Wednesday, Jan. 25. He said his comments addressed inconsistencies that surfaced during the December Margate school board meeting.

“The Ventnor school board and its current administration is now, and always has been, open and receptive to the sharing of any and all services that would not have a direct impact on our students and would result in a direct benefit to both districts, while saving both districts and its taxpayers monetarily,” said Pacanowski. “The comments made that Ventnor is not interested in sharing services is incorrect.”

Several Ventnor school board members had listened to the Margate meeting online, he said.

He said a three-year plan presented by Margate included sharing professional development, food service and bus service in the first year, which the two districts were already doing when the plan was drafted.

“Ventnor wanted to add additional items, but Margate was not interested in them. The items in year two include drama and music programs, which we have already tried to implement, with limited success,” Pacanowski said.

He said Margate implemented a preschool program for handicapped children even though a small number of students were enrolled.

Ventnor has an inclusionary preschool program that has been in place for a number of years, Pacanowski said, and Margate could have joined that program.

Also, he said when Ventnor told Margate it wanted to put hiring a facilities coordinator and a technology coordinator on hold, it was only pending receipt of bids on the position and a clear decision on the direction of technology.

Pacanowski said Ventnor merely wanted to evaluate both positions, which have contracts expiring in the district at the end of the school year.

“In year three, the sharing of special education and curriculum are items that Ventnor has attempted to push to the forefront, but has met with resistance from Margate,” Pacanowski said.

“Curriculum is an easy and obvious item to share, as it has no direct impact on the students, and the standards are the same for all districts. Ventnor continues to push this item and would like to see this shared immediately.”

He said that an aggressive approach is needed to share services.

“Ventnor has even gone so far as to keep the door open for the sharing of a superintendent and/or the possibility of a consolidated district,” Pacanowski said.

Ventnor currently has its middle school Principal Robert Baker serving in the interim superintendent position following the retirement of Superintendent Carmine Bonanni, who lives in Margate, prior to this school year.

“The arms and doors of Ventnor are open, and we look forward to Margate sharing the same passion and need to share services that will allow us to better serve our students, give the best education possible, and serve the taxpayers of both districts.”

Pacanowski said the mayors of both towns and the shared services committees of both schools are scheduled to meet Feb. 15.