Randolph Board of Education Approves $106.5 Million Dollar Budget At April 25 Meeting.

RANDOLPH, NJ- The 2024-25 total operating budget of $106,467,246 is up 7.08% from last year’s 2023-24 budget. It has a general tax fund levy of 2% plus allowable health benefits adjustments, enrollment adjustments, and use of bank caps. The total budget when special revenue is added is $111,567,143, a bump of 6.32%. Taxes are expected to raise to $89,425,272.

There are no major program or educational cuts, no substantial changes of class sizes, and all academic co/extracurricular activities remain in place.  Staffing adjustments are up due to increased enrollment and changes in special service needs, which is a 9.33% change.

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“In general, across our budget, we are seeing services and supplies increase, which is pretty standard in every expense category out there,” said Business Administrator Stephen Frost.

Tax Cap

The district discussed exceeding the 2% tax cap. As the district has fully exhausted all eligible statutory spending authority, the final adjustment for banked cap is in the amount of $282,021.

BOE board member Michael Giordano believes that last year the board had a plan. However, this year he believes the board just wants the extra money. “The reason we have a 2% cap and the reason we have this in place is because we have out of control property taxes.” Giordano continued to explain that if the board goes above the 2% cap, to do it the right way, not a way that is considered a loophole.

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In the final budget for adjustment, the board has increased costs of health benefits in the amount of $604,164.

“It says we are going to take $600,000 and put it toward increasing costs for health benefits,” said Giordano. “But that is not what we’re going to do. We’re going to take it, and we’re going to use it for whatever unexpected expense has come up. The fact is, we’re voting on a motion that is worded in a way that we actually have no intention of following through on. This does not sit well with me.”

Giordano is in favor of going above the 2% cap, if need be. “There are ways to go above the 2% cap if we feel like that is what we need to do to adequately fund the district, and I am all in favor of that. In my opinion, it's really poor governance to say we are going to take this money for this purpose knowing we don’t need it for that purpose.”

BOE board member Amanda Adams shared last year’s similar experience.

“By becoming a part of that health insurance fund, the cost went down after the tentative budget was approved, the waivers were approved, and we voted on the final budget,” Adams said. “Money was there, and we did vote to keep it and use it the way we planned to use it.”

Adams continued to say, “It is not a loophole. It is not intended to go into a reserve. It is to be used to go back into the district to alleviate those costs.”

Giordano stuck to his side, saying, “I just don’t like the fact that we have something on our agenda that says one thing, but it's actually another. To me, that is a loophole. Someone needs to advocate for the taxpayer who is paying all of it.”

Several residents voiced concerns at the April 25 meeting pertaining to the $100M budget, expressing curiosity as to why their children are not receiving the proper supplies. A big example of the night was the school district not providing solar eclipse glasses when surrounding schools had them readily available for their students.

Resident Susan Casareale had some concerns regarding salary contracts. Casareale pointed out that Frost gets paid significantly more than Superintendent Jennifer Fano. In 2019, Frost joined Randolph Schools as Assistant Business Administrator with a salary of $92,000. By May 2023, as Business Administrator, Frost’s annual salary was $191,407.

Frost’s contract states he gets 27 paid vacation days at $736.18 per day, equaling $19,876.86. “That is not what he has on the agenda tonight. He is getting paid out for 45.33 days. How is that possible when the maximum he is allowed to receive is 27?” asked Casareale.

Casareale further delves into how Frost’s vacation payout is more than that of Fano’s, who makes $60,000 more per year than Frost.

“She gets 22 days’ vacation and an additional 22 she can carry over, yet she only gets $28,000 in change as her possible payout,” Casareale said. Frost receives a $36,073 payout for 45.33 vacation days as opposed to Fano’s $28,000 payout. “The math ain’t mathin’,” Casareale said.

“This town is asleep,” said resident Layne Broyles. “You went above the tax levy. You raised the taxes. Now you’re trying to do it again. All these people are going to realize that their taxes just keep going up and up, and then they are going to wake up.”

In October 2023, a petition on Change.org captioned “Randolph, NJ Schools Business Administrator, Stephen Frost, Must Go Now!” circulated through the community. The petition created by Concerned Randolph NJ Parents currently features 134 out of 200 e-signatures demanding Frost step down from his role. Concerned Randolph NJ Parents share documented examples of Frost’s “disrespectful and at times unlawful” behavior, claiming manipulation, extortion, nickel and diming, fleecing, verbal fighting, insubordinate behavior, violating the Open Public Records Act (OPRA) and more.

Stephen Frost Shares His Final Goodbyes

In February 2024, Frost announced he had accepted a similar position in Tenafly. Frost wanted to share a few thoughts as this was his last meeting with the Randolph School District.

Frost previously told TAPinto , “In email and other forms of communication, I have received numerous attacks where the topic is about where I live, where I vacation, who I live with, and other details of my personal life which are completely inappropriate. The amount of vitriol the district receives is overwhelming.”

“I want to recognize and thank the team I’ve been fortunate enough to work with,” Frost stated at the April 25 meeting. “They have demonstrated exemplary leadership and because of this, Randolph has had strong fiscal results without any audit recommendations each year.”

Frost recognized Superintendent Jennifer Fano by saying, “I consider her to not only be the best superintendent I’ve worked with, but one of the only leaders who I believe can successfully navigate in Randolph. Randolph will never fully understand how lucky they are to have Ms. Fano running this school district.”

He went on to recognize members of the community, including families who care deeply about our schools, and also stated, “I would be remiss to not mention the small handful of individuals who worked extensively to undermine the school district. I will never understand their obsession with me or desire to make our schools worse, but they represent such a small portion of the community and are not representative in any of the community’s opinions of the school district.”

Frost said during his tenure, he has worked closely with the Randolph Board of Education. “We’ve had so many board members that were great leaders and excellent people.”

“Despite so much to be grateful for, Randolph is a challenging and toxic place to work and holds the district back from greater success,” said Frost, who begins his new role in Tenafly on May 1.

Amanda Adams says ‘Cynicism is corrosive to a community.’

BOE board member Amanda Adams shared her point of view in a speech on Frost’s leaving, even stating she feels complicit. “I spend a lot of time on the pendulum of judgment and gratitude on the board, struggling to find the bright spots that build resilience and transform relationships and yet, I am still complicit in your leaving,” Adams said in her speech.

“We perceive negativity in a tenth of a second. It takes 12 seconds for positivity to sink in. It's a survival mechanism that we don’t need in most cases anymore,” Adams read from a speech she wrote. “Those of us who focus on the positive and acknowledge all strengths and contributions of a plan are usually seen as naive. Thinking critically, cynics are placed on a pedestal. They are sometimes seen as wise and sophisticated. They warn others ‘don’t be fooled’ by ‘this’ or ‘that’. Cynicism is corrosive to a community, it not only hurts the cynics and those around them, but also kills possibility and collaboration.”

Adams continued with her statement, commenting, “There are consequences of bullying. Humans are only made to be under stress for about 20 minutes at a time. Long enough to prepare for a fight or to hide. Think about the behavior that Stephen [Frost] has been accused of. How much of that aligns with a fight, flight or freeze response”?

“Vilifying you Stephen, is a homophobic trope. I’m sorry for not announcing this vilification as homophobic sooner. I’m sorry for prioritizing my own comfort over your discomfort for this long. I wish you peace, and calm and a sense of ease at work. Please take care of yourself,” Adams concluded.

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