When the “Kids First” candidates won a majority on the Hardyston Board of Education, they promised a new era of fiscal responsibility, transparency, and student-centered decision-making. Now, approximately 100 days into their leadership, it’s time to evaluate what they’ve actually accomplished for Hardyston students and taxpayers.
Campaign Promises vs. Board Reality
During the campaign, the “Kids First” slate made several key promises to voters:
- Put students first in all decisions
- Enhance fiscal responsibility and careful stewardship of taxpayer money
- Increase transparency in board operations and decision-making
- Improve academic outcomes through strategic planning and accountability
- Focus on issues that matter to the Hardyston community
Let’s examine how their actions measure up to these promises.
❌ Putting Students First?
The first indication of the board’s priorities came at their very first meeting, when Board President Donna Carey and Vice President Jean Barrett were caught on their phones during student recognition ceremonies. When questioned about this through an OPRA request, we learned that no district business was being conducted during this time-suggesting personal matters took precedence over celebrating student achievements.
- ✅ Campaign Promise: Put students first
- ❌ Reality: Board leadership couldn’t even put their phones down during student recognition
❌ Fiscal Responsibility?
On fiscal matters, the board’s actions tell a concerning story:
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Wasting Legal Resources: Board President Donna Carey has racked up over $20,000 in legal expenses, including $9,697.03 for her personal ethics defense and thousands more for politically motivated complaints against other board members.
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Jean Barrett’s Improper Legal Requests: Vice President Barrett attempted to use board legal counsel for what appeared to be personal political purposes, claiming board majority support before any vote had occurred.
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Kicking the Can Down the Road: Rather than making tough decisions to address budget shortfalls, Donna Carey pushed to pull $275,000 from reserves, creating a larger hole for next year’s budget.
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Tony Alfano’s $21,000-per-Week Tutoring Fantasy: Board Member Alfano proposed an unfunded $756,000 annual tutoring program during budget season, with no explanation of how it would be financed or what would be cut to pay for it.
- ✅ Campaign Promise: Fiscal responsibility and careful stewardship
- ❌ Reality: Wasteful legal spending, unfunded proposals, and budgetary band-aids
❌ Transparency?
The “Kids First” majority has actively worked against transparency:
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Policy 0174 Expansion Without Oversight: Board leadership modified Policy 0174 to expand their own authority to use legal counsel but rejected proposals for transparency requirements that would have notified the full board of these consultations.
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Donna Carey’s Misleading Statements: Carey was caught misleading fellow board members about when and how she consulted the board attorney, claiming she would notify all members but then failing to do so.
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Selective Information Sharing: Carey has demonstrated a clear double standard on transparency, expecting full disclosure from others while withholding information when it suits her purposes.
- ✅ Campaign Promise: Increase transparency
- ❌ Reality: Expanded authority without oversight, misleading statements, and information control
❌ Improving Academic Outcomes?
Despite campaign rhetoric about improving academic performance, the “Kids First” majority has yet to introduce any substantive educational initiatives:
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No Academic Planning: The board has not presented any comprehensive plan to address the academic concerns they highlighted during their campaign.
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Policy Removal Without Alternatives: Rather than constructively modifying policies to better serve students, they’ve focused on removing policies without providing alternatives, creating potential governance vacuums.
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Budget Workshop Priorities: In budget workshops, discussions have centered on bus consolidation and schedule changes, with minimal focus on academic improvement strategies.
- ✅ Campaign Promise: Improve academic outcomes
- ❌ Reality: No substantial academic initiatives, policy removals without alternatives
❌ Focusing on What Matters?
The board’s energy has largely been directed toward consolidating power rather than addressing substantive educational issues:
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Political Posturing Over Governance: Board discussions have frequently devolved into political theater rather than productive governance, with policy decisions appearing more motivated by ideological agendas than educational needs.
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Weaponizing Legal Resources: Both Carey and Barrett have attempted to use legal resources against perceived opponents, diverting attention and resources from educational priorities.
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Creating a Climate of Fear: There are growing concerns that board leadership has fostered an environment where staff feel intimidated about expressing professional opinions that diverge from the board majority’s positions.
- ✅ Campaign Promise: Focus on issues that matter to the community
- ❌ Reality: Political battles, personal vendettas, and power consolidation
Where Are The Accomplishments?
After approximately 100 days of “Kids First” leadership, a critical question remains: What have they actually accomplished for Hardyston students?
The record shows:
- ❌ No new academic programs introduced
- ❌ No measurable improvements in student outcomes
- ❌ No innovative solutions to district challenges
- ❌ No meaningful progress on campaign promises
Instead, their first 100 days have been characterized by:
- ✅ Expanding their own authority
- ✅ Restricting transparency
- ✅ Wasting taxpayer money on legal battles
- ✅ Removing policies without providing alternatives
- ✅ Creating division rather than building consensus
The Bottom Line: Actions Speak Louder Than Campaign Slogans
The “Kids First” slate won their elections with promises of a student-centered approach, fiscal responsibility, and increased transparency. Their first quarter in office has revealed a significant gap between those campaign promises and their governance reality.
Hardyston taxpayers and parents deserve leadership that delivers on its promises-leadership that truly puts kids first, not politics first. As the board continues its work, the community should continue to hold them accountable for the promises they made and the results they deliver.
The question now is whether the “Kids First” majority will course-correct and refocus on the educational priorities they campaigned on, or whether the pattern of the first 100 days will continue.
What do you think of the board’s performance so far? Share your thoughts here.