BY VINCENT TODARO
Staff Writer

Alan Bartlett SPOTSWOOD - With two seats available on the Board of Education, and only two candidates running, the outcome of the April 18 election may be a foregone conclusion.

But it's what happens afterward that counts, and the two incumbents seeking re-election say they're ready to meet the challenges.

Alan Bartlett and Richard O'Brien, the board's current president and vice president, respectively, agreed that between the budget woes and the revision of school district curriculum, they have their work cut out for them over the next three years.

Bartlett, who is completing his second term, said that although he decided to run again, it wasn't without hesitation.

"It's tough. It's a lot of time and effort," he said. "But I look at myself as an advocate for the kids."

Bartlett said he considered not running because being on the board makes him something of a "lightning rod."

"You're always in the middle of things" he said in reference to things such as arguments over the budget, the most contentious issue the board faces each year. Spotswood's school budget is consistently defeated by voters at the polls, and is then often cut by the Borough Council. Changing state laws can also add frustration and make budgetary decisions more complicated for school officials.

Richard O'Brien O'Brien, now finishing his first term, said he sees the budget as the most difficult issue.

"It's getting harder and harder to meet the thorough and efficient education mandate in the face of flat state aid and growing expenses," he said.

The balance that must be struck between keeping tax hikes low and financing the budget is a difficult one, he noted.

Bartlett agreed.

"That was a reason I considered not coming back, the constant fighting over money," he said. "It seems we're always talking cuts."

Bartlett, who has been the board's president for the past three years,

believes that New Jersey should shift away from a system that relies so heavily on property taxes. Other states, such as New York and Pennsylvania, rely more on income taxes, state taxes and user fees.

Bartlett also expressed frustration that, in his view, many people vote the school budgets down each year because it is the only budget they can vote on; it is their only chance to make a direct statement about taxes.

Looking ahead, he said, local school officials will have the challenge of dealing with possibly declining state aid over the next few years. He also mentioned the need for more advanced placement classes at the high school.

A product manager by day, Bartlett has lived in Spotswood since 1987, and is married with two children, one still in the Spotswood school system.

He said this term will be his last term on the board.

"I want to give it one more try," he said. "This will absolutely be the last term. My son will be gone at that time, and it will be time for new blood."

The board includes just five Spotswood residents, along with one representative each from Milltown and Helmetta, which both send students to Spotswood.

A borough resident for the past 18 years, O'Brien is running for some of the same reasons as Bartlett - to finish work that has been started, such as the revision of curriculum and improvements to the security system.

"We have a great team on the Board of Education," O'Brien said.

"It's a real team effort, and that's a key part of my decision. Also, the opportunity to be around kids. It's very rewarding to be involved and work with youth," he said.

O'Brien, a federal postal inspector with a wife and three children, said he wants to better communicate the board's messages to the community, and to work towards a more technology-driven curriculum that better prepares students for the global economy and workforce.