NORTHERN VALLEY—When we head to the polls on Tuesday Nov. 5, or take advantage of early in-person voting or possibly vote by mail — which started as of late September — registered voters in the Northern Valley will have highly contested school board races to decide.
As school costs often comprise 60% or more of local property tax bills, with towns approximately 25% and the county taxes about 10%, who sits on the school board has become more contentious over recent years.
Plus, public battles over teaching health and sex education, LGBTQ issues, book bans, teaching of so-called controversial issues, and parents’ rights candidates looking for more input and influence over educational policies and curriculum has put the school board at the center of community social and cultural upheaval.
Four open seats on the Northern Valley Regional High School board of education — one in Closter, one in Norwood and two in Old Tappan — are each being contested in the upcoming Nov. 5 general election, according to county elections officials.
However, only four of 13 Northern Valley towns feature contested local school board races.
Northern Valley Regional High School BOE seats
In Closter, Gina Gualano-Brophy, whose slogan is “Empower for Education” and Beverley D. MacKeen, are challenging for the one open seat. In Norwood, Filomena Machleder is challenging Ghanshyam C. Vaghasia.
In Old Tappan, four candidates are running for two open seats. Two candidates are running together, Michele Latour Houston and Stephen Wiklinski. Also opposing them are candidates Michael Caunedo and Melissa S. DelRosso.
Latour Houston and Wiklinski are running under the slogan, Education Not Indoctrination, and DelRosso’s slogan is Integrity, Experience, Transparency.
Contested local BOE races
In Closter, four new candidates are contesting for three open seats on the local school board. Challenging for the three seats are Marilyn Estrems, Christina Argenziano, Cathay I Lee, and Angela Segui.
In Northvale, three candidates are running for two open seats. Newcomers Kerry A Hogan, Erica L. Sposa, and Edward P. Durfee, Jr., are challenging for the open seats. Horgan and Sposa are bracketed together as running mates.
In Englewood, four candidates are running for three open seats. Incumbent Jeyson E. Flores and newcomer Toni Mayzck, are competing against a bracketed team of incumbent Sheri Banks-Watson and newcomer Elease A. Wiggins. No petitions were filed by candidate deadline for a one-year unexpired term.
In Harrington Park, three contestants, including incumbent President Stephen Lehmann, and newcomers Chi Cho and Ann Marie Stout are jockeying for two open school board seats.
Uncontested races
In Alpine, incumbent vice president Maureen Cheesman and newcomer William B. Crowe are running unopposed for two open seats.
In Cresskill, three candidates are competing for three open seats. They are board incumbents Sally Cummings, President Barbara Costa, and Daniel J. Riccardo.
In Demarest, two incumbents, Gabriella G. Brillhart and Kyusoon Lee, are running unopposed for two open three-year seats, and incumbent Julie Fein is running uncontested for a one-year unexpired term.
In Englewood Cliffs, there is no need for aggressive campaigning for three open seats. Running are incumbents George Drimones and Athena M. Lolis and a newcomer, Christine Ragasa. [This web story also corrects a typographical error in our print edition affecting Ms. Ragasa’s name and who is an incumbent. Our apologies to all concerned.]
In Haworth, only one contestant, President Charles J. Crowley, has filed for one of two open seats on the school board. Stacey Wunsch, whose term expires Dec. 31, decided not to run for re-election this November.
In Norwood, two candidates, incumbent president Heather M. Garcia and incumbent member Jennifer L. Mendoza, are running unopposed for two open seats. In Old Tappan two candidates, incumbent Stephanie L. Lucrezia, and newcomer Renee Jones, are running uncontested for the two open BOE seats.
No school board seats are on the ballot in Rockleigh.
In Tenafly, three unopposed contestants are running for three open school board seats, including incumbent Inbal Israeli Miller, and Michelle Harris, along with newcomer Lawrence V. Lewitinn. Trustee Michael Wilderman, whose term expires in 2024, did not seek re-election.
Residents should reach out to the individual school board campaigns and review candidate campaign materials. Most candidates have a social media site that provides campaign information and updates. Some campaigns distribute and mail campaign fliers to area homes.
If we receive them, Northern Valley Press may post candidate statements, candidate photos, and news at thepressgroup.net during the weeks leading up to the election.
Also, candidates and their supporters can reach readers by writing a letter to the editor. For specific concerns, residents should contact the candidates or visit their social media sites.