Barnegat school board president resigns, cites 'lies and fearmongering'
BARNEGAT — Board of Education President Sean O'Brien resigned suddenly this week, citing long term "political theater" and "lies and fearmongering" on the board as some of the reasons for his decision.
O'Brien said during Tuesday's school board meeting that the board spent much of the past year focused on "politically-charged misinformation-filled rhetoric" while Barnegat schools suffered from low staff salaries, high turnover and poor student performance. The board president said supervisors had resigned from Barnegat schools to take higher paying jobs as lower level teachers in other districts.
"We're still debating the bistro and politically-driven policies, but at the end of the day, no one is upset that our students are underperforming, can't read, write or do math on grade level," O'Brien said, referring to a bistro-style special education program designed for students to gain work experience. The project was estimated to cost about $340,000, according to Jersey Shore Online.
The school board president said "lies and fearmongering" have driven some of the board's decisions.
"Our board is broken," he said as he announced his resignation.
This year was O'Brien's third in a row serving as president, according to the news website Barnegat/Waretown TapInto.net.
"The past year I spent more time blocking and defending for pure nonsense than adding value to our schools," O'Brien said. "I'm not here to play games and be forced to endure political theater."
According to the New Jersey Department of Education, Barnegat students performed below average in math and English language arts in the 2021-22 students assessments.
In terms of school attendance, nearly 24% of Barnegat students were defined as "chronically absent," compared to a statewide average of 18% that same year.
In addition, a smaller percentage of Barnegat students graduated high school, attended college, or participated in Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate classes compared to their peers across New Jersey, according to the state department.
O'Brien said the school board has failed to adequately support Barnegat students.
"Our district needs and deserves constant investment in its improvement," he said. "Our community deserves the best we can offer."
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Amanda Oglesby is an Ocean County native who covers education and the environment. She has worked for the Press for more than 15 years. Reach her at @OglesbyAPP, aoglesby@gannettnj.com or 732-557-5701.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Barnegat school board president quits, citing 'political theater'
