Janice Havay at the charter school following acceptance of her resignation Tuesday night. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

In the midst of a highly contentious expansion proposal, the president of the Red Bank Charter School board of trustees has resigned.

Janice Havay, who served as board president since mid-2014, cited “expanding work responsibilities” and family obligations in a resignation letter that was dated February 4 and accepted by the board at its regular monthly meeting Tuesday night.

Havay declined to comment on whether she had misgivings about either the expansion plan, which would double enrollment over three years to 400 students, or its rollout, which has been widely criticized.

A parent of two charter school students, Havay works in training for Prudential in Newark, and is scheduled to travel soon to Japan for the third time in six months, she told redbankgreen.

Attending a monthly board meeting, as well as participating in three board committee meetings per month was just too much, she said.

“Everything was suffering — the board, my job, my family,” she said. “Everything was compromised.”

Havay, a board member since 2013, took over the presidency in mid-2014, succeeding Bruce Whitaker.

Her departure creates a vacancy for one of the three “parent-nominated” seats on the nine-member board, though parents may nominate non-parents.

During the public comment session of the meeting, residents Sue Viscomi, who sits on the district board of ed, and Steve Hecht leveled criticisms at the trustees over aspects of the expansion plan.

“Given all that has happened, the breadth and intensity of all that’s happened, what do you intend to do to help heal the community?” Hecht asked. “I want to support you. What will you do to help me do that?”

Hecht’s questions were met with silence from the board.