Board member offers public apology as ethics complaint is settled

Mrs. Mikulski offered a public apology to Superintendent Dr. McDowell at the June 24 Collingswood Board of Education meeting, saying she regretted comments she made at the Sept. 23, 2024, public board meeting and that she should not have raised the concern in that forum.

"Dr. McDowell, I want to sincerely apologize for the comments I made during the board meeting on September 23rd, 2024. I communicated a concern in public, and I quickly learned that I should not have done so in that forum," Mrs. Mikulski said. Her remarks drew applause from those in attendance, and Dr. McDowell replied, "Yes, I accept. Thank you so much."

An assembled statement read on the record by a speaker identified in the meeting as Roger summarized the background: the complaint was filed by seven current and former board members, the School Ethics Commission found sufficient facts to proceed, and the matter was forwarded to the Office of Administrative Law. According to the statement, the parties reached an amicable settlement that the School Ethics Commission adopted April 28, 2026, and the Commissioner of Education issued a reprimand on June 2, 2026. The statement said the settlement included a public apology by Mrs. Mikulski as part of the agreement.

The board framed the exchange as a resolution of a longstanding matter. Several members told reporters and attendees they were relieved the issue is concluded and said they look forward to continuing work "with one goal in mind, the success of every student in the Collingswood School District." The meeting moved on after the apology.

What happened next: administration and the board proceeded with the published agenda, including recognition of Garfield School staff and the regular business calendar. The board did not take a separate disciplinary vote during the June 24 meeting; the settlement and the reprimand described in the meeting record are administrative outcomes recorded in the statement made at the meeting.