Bayonne Board of Education Trustee Ava Finnerty, who was elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2018, passed away over the holiday weekend after a long bout with cancer, friends and acquaintances told HCV.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Finnerty’s election in 2015 was the first time Bayonne voters selected school board trustees in over three decades after a referendum to get rid of the appointed board was approved at the polls the prior year.
In 2018, Finnerty won a closely contested affair, defeating former School Business Administrator Leo Smith by less than a 100 votes after a recount.
She was also a retired English teacher who called it a career in 2014 after about 42 years as an educator, the majority of which were spent in Bayonne.
Superintendent of Schools John Niesz recognized Finnerty’s contributions to the district on Twitter this evening.
“It is with heavy hearts that we inform you that Trustee Ava Finnerty passed away. After a long career at the district, she went on to become a dedicated & respected member of the BOE. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated with a comment from Superintendent of Schools John Niesz.
