Board of Education

BOE January 2024

Alison Cogan, President, Andrew Choffo, Vice President,and newly elected Board Members Matthew De Vitto, Sheethal Abraham and Judy Mayer

President's Message

About Us

The Board is an elected, unpaid group of nine citizens who function as a single body to set policy and make decisions on educational, financial, and personnel matters for the PTHSD on behalf of all residents. While the Board is legally responsible for school programs and operations, it delegates authority for the district's daily operations to the Superintendent of Schools. Individual Board members may bring any question, concern or suggestion to a Board Committee or full Board Meeting for discussion, but no action can be taken without majority Board approval. Individual Board members do not exercise authority over or direct staff. 

In general, the following are the essential functions of the Board:

  • Setting and maintaining policies that define the district's values and expectations,

  • Approving the Annual School Budget,

  • Representing the community's educational philosophy,

  • Hiring and annual evaluation of the Superintendent,

  • Supporting and implementing the district’s Goals and Strategic Plan.

Board Member Responsibilities 

The Board’s President and Vice President are members of the Board and are elected by a majority vote. They serve a one-year term. Responsibilities of Board Members, as outlined by the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA), includes the execution of certain duties as noted below:

  1. Establishing goals based on student educational needs, parent and community aspirations, state and federal standards and district financial resources.

  2. Developing a philosophy of education that will become the basis for sound decisions that affect the governance of your community's schools.

  3. Developing policies to guide the administration in managing the schools; and developing bylaws to direct the board in fulfilling its governance responsibilities.

  4. Developing a community understanding of educational issues and school policies through the maintenance of effective communications systems.

  5. Providing adequate funding through the school budget for the district's present and future needs.

  6. Ensuring quality education by providing adequate facilities and equipment.

  7. Establishing conditions that enable the administration to recruit and effectively evaluate professional staff.

  8. Engaging in board self-evaluation and in-service training programs for the purpose of providing well-informed leadership and sound decision-making.

  9. Establishing a process for the board to negotiate in good faith with its employees, while representing community educational goals and fiscal interests.

  10. Abiding by the oath of office for school board members.

For more information about Board operations, please see the Board’s Bylaws.

Contacting the Board

The Board welcomes input and communication from the community, after all you elected us to represent you. Please feel free to send your comments to the Board by emailing the Entire Board, or individual Board Members by clicking on Email the Board of Education or the individual name in the Contact Us section below. Please note that all written, email and text communications to Board members about Board business become a part of the public record and can be accessed by the public using the Open Public Records Act (OPRA). All communication about Board business to Board members' personal email addresses, social media accounts and cell phones are part of the public record and can be made public under OPRA.

The Board is a policy setting body and is not responsible for the administration of the district. The Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Robert Sutter, is an ex-officio member of the Board of Education. He is responsible for implementing district policies, overseeing daily administration and operations, and problem solving. Please refer to the Problem Solving document to better understand how your concerns can be quickly and effectively addressed using the district’s chain-of-command. You may also email the Superintendent directly or by calling 973-263-7200.

Contact Us