Thank you for being so forthright about your position. Some people only like democracy when the majority of people agree with them. In this case, the school knows it is not supported by our town (well, financially yes, but in principle no) and so it has purposefully negated public participation.

Well said Ms Cornavaca and hats off to you for taking the time to explain your position. I have to admit that previous to your letter I for one had made some very inaccurate assumptions about your background and motives...SHAME ON ME. And yes it is unfortunate that this seems to have divided our community, And just for the record, I am not affiliated with Hatikvah nor do I have children attending.

Lack of transparency? You and Christine personally attended many of the board of trustees meetings for months! If you had any concerns or issues or wanted to have dialog, how come you did not raise your concerns in those meetings? I think your letter is misleading. You have done everything to oppose the school at every step of the way. What it seems is that your only negotiation would be no school at all. After all aren't the schools board meetings open to the public now? The meeting dated are posted for all to see. Is it there fault if no one attends?

I meant the meeting dates are posted.

I am interested in reading the document Ms Cornavaca mentions in her letter. How can I get access to this?

The PDF of my testimony is on the side bar. If it die not open please let me or the Patch know.

Die= does. My apologies for the typo.

To clarify the record, I have attended numerous Board meetings. The first one I attended I spoke about proposed charter regulations that would grant the Commissioner of education unilateral and arbitrary authority to close charter schools - and I urged to board to join the protest to this capricious regulatory change. To Patch Me In, please be specific as to how I have opposed you? To ask you to follow the laws of open government? As Larry has pointed out, Hatikvah is a public school and required to follow laws of open public meetings and records. To advise you of current regulatory changes that threaten your ability to stay open? Just because I object to the schools location does not warrant characterizing me as opposing you at every step. The record demonstrates otherwise. That is my point to my blog here.

I grew up in EB and my parents live within walking distance of this proposed site. This building is far from a "warehouse." Most of it is office space and it's in pristine condition, far better than the majority of elementary schools located in EB. The street it's on is as quiet as it gets in EB and it's certainly safer than most school roads. It's not a through-street and there's barely a car on it for the most part. There are acres - ACRES - of lush woods behind the building. You are completely mischaracterizing the property. You wonder why people question your motives but how many residents are paying a Hill Wallack lawyer to appeal the zoning board's decision under the guise that you want to engage in the democratic process? Or is some other entity actually footing that bill???

I have been reading about this school for a week now on patch and saw some of the meeting on channel 3. So on my way up route 18 yesterday I decided to go see where this property is. After my maps strangely took me to some side street with houses in south river I finally figured out where I was supposed to go. Anyway I stopped at the "correct" Lexington avenue and agree with the last person posting. I did not see a single truck let alone even one car go by for the entire 15 minutes I was looking around. The building is very well maintained as is the landscaping. I took a photo but don't know how to share it. There are residences right across from the building and I could see their windows and yards.

The council members definitely never visited this property. I feel embarrassed for them that they are making a spectacle of themselves.

I actually think its a very nice location for a school. Much much quieter than the streets that any school is on and possibly less traffic than the amount of cars that go by memorial school which is also on a local road.

Sorry ran out of room.

I read somewhere that the appeal people said the road was too bumpy for a school. There were some potholes which is really the job of the town to fill in. But it's in better shape than the street I live on.

I feel bad for the school having to be delayed since I see there current location on Cranbury road which does not look very spacious.

Why cant our town leaders hold their next meeting at the property to allow them a reality look at the situation? I am ashamed to have voted for some of those individuals.

I'm wondering why Hatikvah has had three principals in three years. That's a high turnover rate, certainly higher than in the other public elementary schools in our school district.

The reason oft touted for charter schools in inner cities is that public schools have failed the children. I look forward to seeing how the standardized tests of Hatikvah students measure up to those of students in other EB public elementary schools. The proof of effectiveness of the education will be in student performance.

so I guess a unanimous zoning approval is no longer your concern. the more you write, the more you look for any reason to attack the school. charter schools don't mean inner cities. ever hear of a science & technology charter school (monmouth county)? Or a performing arts charter school? how about the princeton charter school?

anyway, suppose they outperform the other schools, you'll probably say that the tests were fixed too. why do they have a waiting list?

I bet your family benefited from full day kindergarten at some other district school, to the credit of this one. but I can't change your personal mission to discredit anything this school does. still though, seems odd that now the BOE is discussing offering foreign languages at an earlier age.

I believe the presumption is that this is not a good location for a school - it is not zoned for that purpose for a reason. Mr. Leiber showed a google maps photo when that building was used heavily for transport and he said he counted something like 50 trucks in the lot (I do not have the transcript in front of me Mr. Leiber so please forgive me if you feel I have not captured your statement fully on that picture). With 5 Lexington Avenue for sale/lease imagine if a company brings in that density of truck traffic to that road. They would not need a variance because the area is zoned for it. I truly believe if this had been a community discussion at the outset, as is recommended by federal guidelines for site selection of schools and as is the norm for our district, our community could have come to consensus rather than this unfortunate, and too often petty, fighting at this late juncture.

Please remember, Hatikvah is a public school and we all have a stake and a say as we do with our entire public school system. People who do not have children in our school system often speak before the Board of Ed and they are not told they have no right because they do not have kids in the system. Nor should those of us participating in this discussion be told we should stay out of hatikvah's business. We have a right to participate in this discussion. A discussion that should stay focused on the actual issue not speculation about motives, backgrounds, etc.

@seeforyourself

In 2004 I was part of a community group that was put together to discuss school renovations in the district. In those discussions, 8 years ago, the district articulated it was their goal to implement full day kindergarten. They had to create the space first and foremost. Eight years ago the district began the process. Long before Hatikvah.

Second, foreign language programs in this district's elementary school were a state model. We began instruction in third grade. That program was phased out as a result of the deep losses to the budget - state cuts and perhaps in part charter costs- and everyone I know in the district wants it back. The district had elementary school foreign language long before Hatikvah.

Thank you Paying Attention for finding that information. So is it not a legitimate concern that there could be that kind of traffic generated by whatever locates in 5 Lexington Avenue? And if so how would that impact the school environment in terms of air quality, noise levels, traffic patterns and safety? 5 Lexington Avenue would not need a variance to bring in that kind of business because that is what the area is zoned for.

The zoning board already granted approval to 5 Lexington to convert the entire building into medical offices. There is just no market for warehouse space. I'm a realtor, so I know about the demand in the area.

Thanks for that update Quick Info. I had not found that out. Last time I had checked, which was a couple months back, it was still for sale. Appreciate you chiming in with that.

Ms Cornavaca, why do you keep misleading everyone? why don't you tell everyone who are the neighbors next door to the new site? its not a warehouse it's the Chinese Evangel Mission Church which reside in the next door building safely since December 16, 2007 and Besides the two weekly worship services, ministries of the church also include children and adult Sunday schools, various fellowship groups, retreats, vacation Bible schools and other special events at the location.

The immediate neighbors of 7 Lexington Avenue are 5 Lexington Avenue (currently vacant) and a vending truck company located on Litchfield. The church is 2 doors down. I do not believe I have misled anyone on what is clearly visible from a google photo or a trip down the road.

Dear Deborah - maybe the next artice that you write should be "In my own voice....How I became so desperate to close a charter school that i had illegal conversations with the judges in my appeal case" It would be nice to hear your justifcation for that.

Saying that you are 2 stay at home moms, fighting for the safety of innocent children is ridiculous. Your desperate actions speak louder than your insincere words.