PLEASANTVILLE – Board of Education President Doris Graves said Tuesday, Feb. 14 that recent stories in the media on alleged mismanagement of district resources and calls by local politicians for state-level investigations have painted the district in an inaccurate light.

“This district is not a mess,” she said shortly after the school board meeting was called to order. “We are doing excellently academically, and the morale in the schools is excellent.”­­­­

She said she is proud of the district.

“If you see me hang my head, that’s when you should hang yours – and you won’t ever see that happen,” she continued.

Graves said some board members have provided information to the media that originated in executive session, which is typically privileged information.

“We have been warned not to say anything,” she said, referring to an Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office investigation into missing school resources.

Superintendent Garnell Bailey said she filed the complaint, but the prosecutor’s office has declined to confirm or deny the existence of an investigation.

Graves said she is the only board member who is allowed to speak to the media.

“I know exactly what to say,” she said Tuesday.

However, according to board’s stated policy, board members are entitled to express themselves publicly on any matter, including issues involving the board and the school district.

“Individual board members cannot, however, express the position of the board except as expressly authorized,” the policy states.

While Graves did not state the names of the people she was referring to, board members Darleen Bey-Blocker and Joanne Famularo have been quoted in recent stories on the subject.

Graves said the board will be “taking action sometime this week” against those who commented on the investigation, but declined to provide any details as to what sort of complaint or to which agency the action would be taken.

Famularo said she did nothing wrong.

“When you are doing the right thing, people always try to put you down,” she said. Bey-Blocker could not be reached for comment prior to this newspaper’s deadline.

In other business, the board approved the creation of a Pleasantville Sports Hall of Fame to recognize positive contributions by honoring individuals who met the “highest standards of excellence” of the school’s athletic programs including football, basketball, track, soccer, cheerleading, cross-country, wrestling, tennis, volleyball and swimming. A category for coaches will also be created.

The criteria from nominations and induction into the hall of fame was presented at the meeting, but it was tabled for further discussion.

The board also introduced a tuition assistance policy that requires staff members to obtain approval from the superintendent prior to enrollment in any course of study for which they seek tuition reimbursement.

The policy would also require the superintendent to receive approval from the board before enrollment in any course for which reimbursement is sought. All coursework must relate to the employee’s current or future job responsibilities.