Bayonne Board of Education Trustees Christopher Munoz and Mikel Lawandy will be seeking re-election as 10 candidates have filed to run for a three, three-year terms on the board.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Munoz, who was elected in November 2015 – the first Bayonne BOE election in 35 years – while Lawandy was appointed to the post last fall.
“I am truly honored to have an opportunity to serve the Bayonne community during my first term. But, there is still much work that needs to be done,” Munoz told Hudson County View in a text message.
“There is positive change happening in the Bayonne Public Schools and I want to be a part of that change. I want to remain your voice on the board.”
Lawandy also expressed the notion of continuing to be a part of positive change within the district.
“One of the main reasons why I wanted to do this in the beginning was I want to build our future. I want to help the youth and build up the future of Bayonne, as well as continue fighting for the teachers and the taxpayers of the city.”
Munoz ran as an off-the-line candidate in the Democratic primary for the District 31 Assembly seat, but was no match for incumbents Nick Chiaravalloti and Angela McKnight.
Others that filed their petitions for nomination include former candidates John Cupo – who has ran unsuccessfully twice – Newark teacher Maria Valado, parent Sharma Montgomery and perennial office seeker Michael Alonso – who is also one of the Republican nominees for the LD-31 Assembly seat.
“I can straighten out the financial doings of the board: they screwed up for the past 24 month, spending more money than they took in and people only want to point fingers instead of looking at themselves,” Cupo said over the phone, who has preached fiscal responsibility in the past.
He also said that 287 school faculty members would not have been laid off to make up for an at least $6 million budget deficit he had previously been elected to the board (to date, over 200 of those employees have been rehired).
Newcomers that have not previously put their name on the ballot are Daniel Acosta, Gene Perry, Anthony D’Amico and Rev. Dorothy Patterson – the vice president of the local chapter of the NAACP.
Meanwhile, Trustee Theodore Garelick will not be seeking another term on the board.
The past year has been a tumultuous one for the Bayonne BOE, with a state appointed financial monitor recently being brought in to oversee their operations and an interim superintendent taking the reigns.
The Bayonne BOE election is on November 7th.
Cupo said “I can straighten out the financial doings of the board: they screwed up for the past 24 months, spending more money than they took in and people only want to point fingers instead of looking at themselves,†Cupo said over the phone, who has preached fiscal responsibility in the past.