The January Board Meeting
Madison Orlofski (’19)
The MLHS Media Center was absolutely packed on January 3rd, as the new BOE members were sworn in. Taking place within the first 15 minutes of the meeting, the swearing-in was the highlight of the night, as a large number of attendees left immediately afterwards.
Even so, the meeting was significantly well-attended, with easily three or four times the number of normal attendees. Many people were standing, and the main part of the media center became so crowded that some could barely fit inside the room. I happened to be in the Media Center during the school day prior to the meeting, and heard about 10 minutes of very disruptive sound checks–even so, the sound was nowhere near loud enough to reach all of the people in attendance.
The procedure for swearing in new members goes about as one would expect. Elected Board members stand before the Board with their families and repeat an oath on the Constitutions of both the US and New Jersey, to “bear true faith and allegiance” to the school district. They also must state that they are qualified, have no criminal background, and can legally vote in New Jersey. Next, nominations and confirmations for President and Vice President are done, all unanimously.
Then, the Code of Conduct for the Board is read out, including a promise to, “implement policy and plans only after we have consulted those who will be affected by them,” which some may have felt was somewhat awkward given the conflicts the Board has had with students and parents in the past few months. The Code of Conduct also mandates that the Board, “appoint the most qualified personnel,” and that they can cede “all complaints to the superintendent.”
Following the swearing-in, there was a presentation on gender distribution in high level math and science classes in the high school. Mountain Lakes has a lower percentage of girls than the national average (honors and AP math, AP physics, etc) except for AP computer science, which is still at less than 50%. Extremely high level classes like multivariable calculus hover around 50%, but the class is so small that one or two people can tip the percentage enormously. No explanation was given for this difference: whether it is the culture in Mountain Lakes or just happenstance is unknown.
As for AP computer science, teacher Brandon Horn commented at the meeting that he actively encourages girls to take high level computer classes, because when he got there the gender distribution was tipped extremely in favor of boys. Board members questioned what efforts were being made to attract girls to math, but the presenter could not answer because she had been in the district less than six months. It is unclear whether any changes will be made.
The ML The Housing Market: Experiencing a Fallout?
Conrad Lewis (´22)
Over the past few years, long-time residents have been spontaneously moving out of town. As a result, an unprecedented number of houses have remained on the market for months, even years: thus, the population has plateaued. Over the past two years, fewer residents from out of town have bought property here than ever before and you can look into https://exprealty.com/us/ca/rancho-cucamonga/houses/ to know more about it. Many citizens wonder what has caused the population to stagnate and the market to become volatile.
The majority appear to blame the recent turmoil between the Board of Education and the lower administration of principals and teachers. Additionally, whether based in fact or purely imagined, there has also been a general feeling of diminishing academic excellence over the past few years. Almost all online rankings agree in that regard, listing Mountain Lakes High School lower than in previous years. A lack of student participation and motivation may contribute to this change.
Mountain Lakes Culture
Some argue that political tension resulting from the 2016 Elections has driven people away from Mountain Lakes. In 2016, Republicans won over the House, Senate, and Presidency. Roughly 49% of Lakers voted for Donald Trump, compared to 44% voting for Hillary Clinton in the election; clearly, there is a divisive split between Lakers of differing parties. Currently, the number of houses for sale in the Mountain Lakes area is 71. In mid-2014, before the election, only 41 houses were on the market. Is political division affecting not only the country as a whole, but even those inside “the bubble”?
Another possibility points to other quality-of-life issues. For example, as of late, the Mountain Lakes Club has experienced a loss of prosperity. The club has struggled to pay its debts, and during a Borough Council Meeting held in May 2018, the club considered filing for bankruptcy. Declining membership may be responsible for the club’s issues.
Improvements On The Horizon
Mountain Lakes has significantly suffered over the past several years: the housing market has proven unsuccessful, the Mountain Lakes Club is losing money and members, and the school districts are underperforming in relation to former times.
However, the town is not doomed, for these issues are most likely temporary. The market has fluctuated in previous years, too, according to data from Weichert Realtors. In addition, the ML Club has made attempts at recruiting more members and adding new events. Finally, while the schools are experiencing a transitional period with the Board of Education, the new members of the Board are bringing fresh ideas and perspectives.
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