Get To Know Parsippany Board Of Education Candidate Matt DeVitto
PARSIPPANY, NJ—In less than a month, one of the most heated elections in our history will take place. Parsippany's School Board race features six candidates vying for three, three-year terms. Get to know Matt DeVitto, one of the candidates:
Bio: I am a life-long New Jersey resident & have been a resident of Parsippany in the Lake Intervale section since December of 2014. One of the reasons we moved to Parsippany was because we enjoyed living here previously in Lake Hiawatha and in addition, the good ratings of the township's public schools.
I have been a network engineer for 21 years with FIS Global, a financial services company. I feel today’s children need a good grasp of today’s modern technology to further many of today's academic goals.
I am active in intramural sports in town coaching with the Parsippany Soccer Club and Par-Troy West Little League baseball. I do see the value of extracurricular activities to supplement our children's academic education.
I hope you will vote 1-2-3 for BOE: DeVitto, Orme and Berrios for Parsippany Board of Ed!
Why are you running for the board of education seat?
I have had the honor of serving on the Board of Education since January 2018 and I am seeking re-election. My wife and I have three children ages 14, nine & nine attending the Township Schools and we want them & all our township’s children to receive a meaningful education. I am running with my two fellow incumbents, Debbie Orme and Tim Berrios who I have gotten to know throughout this time & also believe they also care about the education of our township’s children.
What makes you qualified for the position?
During my term for the past three years I have attended practically all official board meetings and I have served on the Transportation, Buildings & Grounds, Sports, Communications, Personnel, & Policy committees. I have a professional technology background that helps others understand the needs of technology with the hybrid and remote learning that is occurring right now. I bring the perspective of a parent as not all other Board members have children attending the schools any longer. I believe I have the experience to help maintain this stability of the Board in these challenging times.
What is the most pressing issue facing the school district and what will you do about it?
The fiscal responsibilities with regards to COVID-19, maintaining the highest quality education while adhering to health and safety guidelines set by the CDC and state while addressing the needs and welfare of the whole child and our staff all while keeping watch and remaining within the parameters of our diligently developed budget.
What are some other issues you want to see addressed?
In my opinion the another pressing issue is the impact on our schools of the multiple house developments planned in our township over the next few years. We have 14 school buildings to maintain and they are all aging, and if most of the development are approved they may become overcrowded.
What do you hope to be your overall impact on the BOE if you are elected?
Since I have been lucky enough to have served on the BOE for the past three years I would like to continue this into the future. I hope that my impact will allow to maintain and improve our township schools so that we would be a desired town for families to move to have their children educated here.
This article originally appeared on the Parsippany Patch
