Scores of candidates register to run for Jersey Shore school boards

Despite school board members facing verbal abuse, defiant residents at board meetings and increased online attacks, many incumbents and challengers are still throwing their hats into the ring this fall.

Recent election filings in both Monmouth and Ocean counties reveal that interest remains high in nearly every Shore district, with dozens of races drawing multiple candidates for each open seat.

But some current board members have chosen not to run again, citing abuse from residents and more demand due to COVID-19 related issues and dwindling state aid.

“Going to the meeting every month and getting berated, it got tiresome,” said Joseph Hall, a first-term member of the Wall Board of Education, who chose not to run again this year. “I thought ‘why am I putting myself through that? And I keep getting banged by people who don’t want to listen to the facts.’ The nastiness and the tenor of it is just driving people away.”

Wall was among several Shore districts that experienced meeting disruptions when attendees refused to wear masks despite a state mandate. Others included Freehold Township and Marlboro.

“I got involved in the board thinking that I could make a difference,” Hall said. “When I got on, it quickly became apparent that some of the things I was concerned about were beyond the board’s control; you are limited in what you can do.”

With Hall declining to run, only incumbents Ralph Addonizio and James Maliff are on the ballot for three open seats. That means a write-in candidate will win for the second year in a row in Wall.

In Monmouth County, 166 school board seats are up, drawing 201 candidates. There are 24 contested races and 51 uncontested.

Ocean County, meanwhile, reports that 108 candidates have filed to run for 73 open seats. Those include 24 contested races, with 19 uncontested.

Both are slight increases over the number of candidates per seat who ran in 2021.

“I’m running again because I see positive changes, but there is still a lot to do,” said Grace Anne Talarico, an incumbent Ocean Township school board member and one of seven candidates vying for three seats in that Monmouth County district.

She understands why some incumbents are choosing not to run and others are staying away, citing the issues related to the pandemic − from lost learning to previous mask mandates that sparked angry crowds at many area board meetings and even verbal attacks.

More:Monmouth, Ocean County school enrollments dropping fast

“It was very challenging for a while, a lot of frustration and fear and anxiety,” Talarico said. “The past couple of years have been unprecedented, but I hope people feel like they want to run to make a positive change.”

Jeffrey Weinstein, the Ocean Township board president who also is seeking reelection, agreed.

“It’s gotten tougher,” he said. “Everybody’s interested a lot about their own situation, which is great. But they are tougher on the administration and tougher on specific issues as it relates to how we function. People email a lot and text a lot and post things on social media.”

Talarico said more work needs to be done and she is concerned about ongoing state aid, mental health issues and the new broader sex education curriculum that all districts have to implement this fall.

“We want to make sure they understand what is being taught,” she said about parents. “And they can ask questions and see that pictures are not inappropriate.”

The candidate interest varies from district to district, with several communities seeing numerous candidates vying for each seat.

Among those in Ocean County are Barnegat, Berkeley and Point Pleasant, each of which have three seats up for grabs and at least two candidates running for them.

Stafford Public Schools, which serve 2,200 students from pre-K through sixth grade, has three incumbents running along with two challengers for three open seats.

Gregory Gioe, a 17-year Stafford resident, said he is running for the first time to counter a lot of the misinformation that he sees circulating among parents and residents.

“I am tired of lies and want people to know the facts,” he said. “I want transparency on the board and that can combat misinformation.”

But even as a candidate he finds attacks already have begun and claims of false information: “Since I announced, I have been getting pummeled with (people asking) am I a Democrat or Republican? Am I against masking? And do I favor critical race theory. There is lot of misinformation.”

In Monmouth County, Asbury Park, Colts Neck and Freehold Township have multiple candidates vying for each open seat.

More:Monmouth, Ocean counties losing teachers faster than most of N.J.

Holmdel may top them all with eight candidates running for three spots, but only one incumbent.

While Holmdel Board President Elizabeth Urbanski is seeking another term, fellow board members Joseph Hammer and Mike Sockol are not running again.

“It’s time to turn over the mantel to someone else,” said Hammer, a three-term board veteran. “Has it changed over the years? Sure. But it is good. The board represents everybody, and especially the parents and the kids, and we have many constituents. You have to balance all of those together, and I always welcome parents to speak. There are a lot of issues going on.”

Urbanski drew attention months ago when she was involved in a car accident in which she ran a stop sign, struck a student’s vehicle and left the scene, according to a police report.

She was later found guilty of two municipal traffic violations: disregarding a stop sign and failing to report an accident, records indicate. The related municipal court fines totaled $730, court officials said.

Long Branch, meanwhile, has seven candidates running for three open seats, but only one incumbent. Board member Avery Grant has chosen to seek another term, while incumbents Donald Covin and Michelle Critelli have declined.

In Point Pleasant, the situation is similar as board President Jacquelyn Wieland and Vice President Diane Peterson declined to seek another term, opening the way for six challengers to take their seats.

“I believe that boards need different voices, and it is good to have parents who are active volunteers on the board,” said Wieland, a mother of two recent Point Pleasant High School graduates and a two-term board veteran.

But she also agreed the challenges have gotten greater.

“There is misunderstanding and that is what makes it challenging, if people aren’t understanding what the board can do,” she said. “We have definitely seen more activity with parents coming more to meetings and reaching out. There was a higher awareness of what was going on.”

That has not deterred the half-dozen challengers who are running for the Point Pleasant board.

“I think empowering parents to have a say in their children’s education is important and bring them to the decision-making table,” said Mike Sullivan, a former teacher and assistant principal who is among the candidates. “Safety also has to be something that is important and make sure students come first.”

Fellow challenger Steve Henry cited a need for improved technology as one of his chief reasons for running.

“I am interested in ensuring our district excels at utilizing technology in education, as well as incorporating technology related subjects into the curriculum,” Henry said via email. “And of course, I feel it's important to maintain the financial wellbeing of our district as well.”

There are also seven school districts in which no one has filed to run for at least one of the open seats, sparking a chance for write-in candidates to take a shot.

Those are Eagleswood, Tuckerton, Eatontown, Highlands, Manalapan-Englishtown, Roosevelt and the Henry Hudson Regional School District.

Joe Strupp is an award-winning journalist with 30 years’ experience who covers education and several local communities for APP.com and the Asbury Park Press. He is also the author of three books, including Killing Journalism on the state of the news media, and an adjunct media professor at Rutgers University and Fairleigh Dickinson University. Reach him at jstrupp@gannettnj.com and at 732-413-3840. Follow him on Twitter at @joestrupp

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Monmouth and Ocean counties school board candidate listings, positions