BY ELAINE VAN DEVELDE
Staff Writer
TINTON FALLS — About seven months ago, when Michael Laffey took the reins as Board of Education president away from William Donnelly in the middle of his term, he called it nothing personal, just board business.
Now, with the board voting 5-3 at its reorganization April 26, Laffey has retained the title for a full year. Joseph DeFino was elected to serve as vice president.
After stepping aside as president in September citing work obligations that kept him from attending meetings, Donnelly made another bid for the president’s spot, but lost, by two votes, to Laffey.
Donnelly has been on the board since 1996. He is now serving his third term.
When he took over as president in September, Laffey had maintained that while he had respect for Donnelly’s skills and appreciated his contributions to the board, he could not function well as a board member, let alone president, since he was attending most meetings via telephone.
Schools Superintendent Leonard Kelpsh had said the attendance via telephone did not impede his capabilities. Some agreed. Others did not and Laffey became president.
Laffey, a Holmdel attorney, is now in the middle of his first term. While Donnelly commended him and a majority of relative newcomers on the board, he also noted that it was a plus for the board to have the benefit of some experienced members.
“Our current board is very new. From one perspective, every other member is in their first term of office,” Donnelly said. “The majority have yet to face a major challenge that affects the entire school district.”
After being voted in to serve a full year in the top board spot last week, the new president, Laffey, feels that he will now have an extended opportunity to advance his goals.
“I’m glad the board gave me the opportunity to serve a full year,” he said. “Last year I only served a partial term. So, now I can continue attaining the goals I set.”
A priority, Laffey said, is to secure alternative funding sources for schools to lift the burden of mounting education costs off taxpayers’ shoulders.
Three new board members were also sworn in.
One is a familiar face. Peter Karavites, a former board president and vice president, not only won back his seat, but also garnered the most votes in the April 19 election.
Karavites, of 784 Sycamore Ave., will fill one of two seats that were up for grabs on the board. His running mate, newcomer Steven P. Schertz, a certified public accountant of Harvard Avenue, was also sworn in to his first board term.
Steve Brunell was sworn in to the Shrewsbury seat on the board after getting one write-in vote at the election polls.