After a referendum was passed in November, the East Newark Board of Education will be holding an election on Tuesday, but the catch is a grand total of zero candidates will be on the ballot.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
As Mayor Dina Grilo, Councilwoman-at-Large Jeanne Zincavage, and Councilman-at-Large Kenneth Sheehan were re-elected in unopposed races on November 7th, there was also a ballot question asking voters if the BOE should move to an elected board.
The question was approved by a margin of about 58 percent to 42 percent, with 78 people voting yes and 57 people voting no. Despite that outcome, not a single person has decided to put their name on the ballot for Tuesday’s trip to the polls.
“If you are unhappy with the current school situation, as I am. The frivolous spending on an annex the school can’t use; the excessive spending on lawyers’ fees; settlements; and the expense of a school board election costing taxpayers over $5,000 with no one on the ballot. Then please speak up!” Grilo wrote on Facebook on Monday.
“March 12th is a school election, no one is on the ballot, yet the school wants to move forward, why? So, they can write in their own candidates and continue the lack of oversight? As a taxpayer and concerned resident, you must demand answers from the Board President and Vice President who are not transparent with trustees or residents. Put the children first!”
In the same post, Grilo praised the district receiving over $7 million in state aid, but also expressed concerns about teachers leaving/being fired, low student test scores, and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Rosaura Bagolie earning about $250,000 annually.
BOE President Clara Fernandes, indicating she was speaking as a private citizen, responded to the post, claiming that Grilo presented many inaccuracies and misleading statements before addressing the issues with the BOE election.
“State law requires the holding of a special election to increase the Board’s membership since the Board changed its classification from a Type I district, under the Mayor’s control, to a Type II district in which the residents of the community have authority over the Board’s membership,” she replied.
She continued that as a result of becoming a Type II District, the BOE is in the process of issuing a bond to receive monies to renovate their school, as well as stating that Bagolie has done a great job and makes less than what Grilo suggested.
Grilo responded at length, indicating that the BOE had the ability to hold off on the election and choose not to, despite no candidates.
“No one applied to be candidates for the March election to fill the 2 seats. The county asked if you wanted to move forward, it was not required to host and spend money,” she wrote.
“Interesting that there is no information produced by the BOE to get people out to apply. A simple pop up and posting on the school website. Yet there were several meetings and push to make it a Type II.”
She further stated that Bagolie makes $240,832 a year and that the bond has nothing to do with being a Type II District, noting that the borough received a bond to fix the school’s bathroom and facade, but the BOE instead decided to try and use that for a new school.
Given the circumstances, East Newark voters have the ability to elect two new BOE trustees via a write-in campaign on Tuesday.
The referendum to move from an appointed board to an elected board was attempted back in 2021, but the Superior Court of New Jersey Appellate Division shot that down.
Bagolie and Fernandes did not return emails seeking comment on Tuesday, while Grilo could not immediately be reached on her cell phone Wednesday morning.
What a waste of public time and resources
This is why NJ taxes are so high