Schundler grilled on religious beliefs in job hearing

TRENTON - Conservative school-choice advocate Bret Schundler was grilled on his views about sex education and the separation of church and state yesterday in his first day of confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee to become New Jersey education commissioner.

The political maverick, a top official at a Christian college before becoming the interim commissioner last month, kept his cool and often referred to the positions of his boss, Gov. Christie.

Committee Chairman Nicholas P. Scutari (D., Union) repeatedly asked the former Jersey City mayor questions apparently intended to ascertain how Schundler's religious beliefs might affect his decisions as the state's top schools official.

Scutari inquired about his opinion on the separation of church and state - Schundler said he supported it - and asked on several occasions whether he would advocate abstinence over safe sex in a sex-education curriculum.

Schundler at first deflected the latter question, saying he did not think it was the job of the commissioner to dictate to school districts on such matters.

When Scutari persisted, Schundler shared the advice he said he had given his 18-year-old daughter.

"I encourage my daughter to abstain from sexual activity," said the cabinet nominee, who at Harvard University led a student Christian club and entertained thoughts of entering the ministry. "I think so far she has, and I am happy about that."

Schundler also has a son, 11. Both attend private school.

In other questioning, Schundler reiterated the Christie administration's goal of providing education aid in the next fiscal budget that is equal to last year's, but said it would be "extremely difficult."

The slightly more than $1 billion in federal stimulus money that bolstered last year's budget is gone, Schundler said. School districts have been told to prepare for an aid reduction of up to 15 percent, and the administration has not excluded the possibility of an even deeper cut.

Asked about the state of education in New Jersey, Schundler praised approaches such as small learning communities, but was critical of the Department of Education's many accountability regulations, which he said have generated more paperwork than anyone was likely to read and that waste districts' time.

Schundler said he wanted to review the state funding-formula law enacted in 2008. He indicated that he would go after waste, but he said the Education Department's Office of Fiscal Accountability and Compliance was backlogged and might need additional resources. He called school choice "a human right for parents."

"Education has always been my passion," Schundler, 50, said in his opening statement. Before assuming the state's top schools spot, the two-time gubernatorial candidate was chief operating officer at King's College, a Christian liberal-arts school in Manhattan.

The confirmation hearing adjourned early in order for Democrats to attend a scheduled caucus meeting. It is expected to resume Monday.

After the hearing, Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R., Monmouth), a senior lawmaker who is a member of the Democratic-led Judiciary Committee, issued a statement expressing displeasure about the delay.

"The governor needs to have his team in place if government is to function smoothly," he said.

The full Senate yesterday unanimously confirmed Lee Solomon, 55, of Haddonfield, a former federal prosecutor and Superior Court judge in Camden County, as president of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.

Also confirmed by 39-0 votes were Essex County Prosecutor Paula Dow as attorney general; Maj. Gen. Glenn Rieth as adjutant general of New Jersey's Department of Military and Veterans Affairs; and Monmouth County Administrator Robert M. Czech as head of the Civil Service Commission.

Former New York state Tax Commissioner Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff was confirmed as the state treasurer by a vote of 37-2.