Often-absent N.J. school board member quits Thursday, April 03, 2008 • BY JOHN MOONEY • Star-Ledger Staff A state Board of Education member under fire for his poor attendance record has decided to step down from the panel, but still could face nearly $9,000 in fines for his failure to file required financial disclosure forms while serving. The Rev. Frederick LaGarde Jr. faxed a letter of resignation to Gov. Jon Corzine this week, according to the governor's office. A Paterson pastor and funeral home owner, LaGarde did not offer a reason for his resignation, but said his "sporadic" attendance was due to health issues. Appointed in 2005, LaGarde, 34, had drawn the ire of some fellow board members for failing to attend a majority of the panel's meet ings over the last year. He attended just four of the last two dozen meetings, only one of them a voting session, according to board minutes. The board meets twice a month. Despite the resignation, La Garde may not escape $50-a-day fines he has accumulated for failing to file 2007 disclosure forms required by the state's ethics commission. Commission staff said LaGarde would no longer be required to file the forms, but he is still responsible for fines dating back to last year that now total $8,850. The fine may be appealed to the full ethics commission. Efforts to reach LaGarde yesterday were unsuccessful, but in several e-mails over the last week, he contested the claim that he had not filed the forms. Regarding his attendance, LaGarde also has said he asked for a leave from the state board, although there is no formal mechanism to grant one. LaGarde's departure leaves the 13-member board four members short at a time it has been strug gling to gain a quorum for meet ings. In March, the board moved to meet just once a month to help boost attendance. A Corzine spokesman yesterday said new appointments would be named soon. John Mooney may be reached at jmooney@starledger.com or (973) 392-1548. © 2008 The Star-Ledger. Used by NJ.com with permission.