PASCACK VALLEY—School board elections here, generally viewed as non-partisan affairs, appeared to draw more voter interest Nov. 8 as local and regional school boards deal with issues such as state-mandated curricula, including revised sex education standards.
This year’s school board races featured keen interest and more candidates, with two incumbents on the K-12 Westwood Regional School District — covering Westwood and the Township of Washington — being ousted.
Three seats were up on the Westwood Regional School District Board: one in Washington Township and two in Westwood. In both races, it appears the incumbent candidate lost.
In Washington Township, incumbent trustee Joseph McCallister lost to challenger Douglas Cusato 1,703 to 1,419 votes, or about 54% to 45%. McCallister had voted with the 5-4 majority in August to implement the health curriculum, which included new health and wellness literacy topics required by the state.
In Westwood, defender Michele Sembler appeared to lose to board newcomers Laura Cooper and Jason Garcia. Garcia had 1,885 votes; Cooper had 1,754 votes, and Sembler polled 1,649 votes.
Sembler voted against the health curriculum updates at the August meeting when the split board voted to implement the curriculum.
In the Pascack Valley Regional High School District, two open seats were uncontested in this year’s school board election. The Pascack Valley Regional High School District includes Pascack Valley High School in Hillsdale, serving River Vale and Hillsdale, and Pascack Hills High School in Montvale, serving Montvale and Woodcliff Lake.
Running uncontested for one open seat representing River Vale was James L. Stankus, who drew 1,899 votes. In Woodcliff Lake, Elizabeth Calderone ran uncontested and drew 1,443 votes.
Local school boards: Five candidates for two Park Ridge seats
In a five-way contest for two Park Ridge BOE seats, incumbent John Pierotti Jr. and running mate Joseph Bucco grabbed 1,281 and 1,120 votes, or 26.5% and 23.1%, respectively to win.
Trailing the apparent winners: Leann Frank, 845 votes; Erin Kate Comeau, 810 votes; and Liza Falato-Lau with 771 votes.
Emerson
A contested race for Emerson school board had four candidates vying for two seats. Amy Mara’s 1,149 votes and Keith W. Smith’s 1,099 votes topped the ballot, while Willliam Graulich pulled in 1,017 votes and Joseph Polvere had 826 votes.
Hillsdale
In Hillsdale, two board incumbents ran unopposed. Salvatore Sileo, BOE vice president, ran uncontested for a full, three-year term, and Kevin Donatello, for a two-year unexpired term. Sileo and Donatello drew 2,048 and 2,112 votes, respectively.
This summer the Hillsdale BOE voted unanimously to move forward with an $82.5 million school bond referendum on March 14, 2023 to replace the century-old George G. White Middle School.
The district awaits final details on state aid, although preliminary taxpayer costs are estimated at $1,300 annually for an average homeowner.
Montvale
In Montvale, two school board candidates ran unopposed for two seats. Candidates Alisha R. Foley and Anita Bagdat tallied 1,694 and 1,077 votes, respectively.
River Vale
In River Vale, three candidates, including two incumbents, challenged for two open BOE seats. Incumbent Virginia “Ginny” Senande tallied 1,792 votes, newcomer Louan Austin grabbed 1,553 votes and incumbent Deborah Rothenberg finished third with 1,382 votes.
Woodcliff Lake
In Woodcliff Lake, three candidates, including two incumbents, also vied for two open seats. The two winning candidates were incumbent Debra Starr, 1,103 votes, and Andrew S. EIsler, 956 votes, polling 37.5% and 32.5%, respectively.
The other incumbent, Robert Wolpov, finished third with 878 votes, or about 30%.
While public interest is focused more on regional and local school boards, which account for 60% or more of local property taxes, only three Pascack Valley school boards provide a livestream, or YouTube broadcast, of school board meetings.
Those providing a livestream include Westwood Regional and Pascack Valley Regional High School districts, and the River Vale school board.
