HOWELL — Voters elected Mary Rose Malley, Timothy O’Brien and Jeanne De- Pompo to the Howell K-8 School District Board of Education on Election Day.
According to results posted on Monmouth County’s website, Malley, a newcomer, received 2,620 votes. O’Brien and DePompo, a pair of incumbents, received 2,477 and 2,351 votes, respectively.
Board member Chuck Welsh fell short in his bid for re-election with 2,297 votes.
In the final week before the election, residents Ira Thor and Cristy Mangano announced on social media that they were running as write-in candidates. There were 1,469 write-in votes cast on Nov. 3, but neither Thor nor Mangano earned a seat on the board.
School board members in New Jersey serve without compensation.
Asked to comment on her election to a three-year term, Malley, the mother of two children in the district, said, “when my children walked through the doors of their first school in this district three years ago I knew I would get involved.”
“I attended board meetings, I joined committees, and I still serve as a citizen member on three committees and this year my name was on the ballot. I am committed to this district.
“There is a lack of public discussion during the public meetings and since the current bylaws discourage interaction between board members and members of the public, the result is that the public often feels unheard. Just because the board members do not have to interact with the public doesn’t mean they shouldn’t.
“The majority of voters chose me to represent them on the board and I feel a huge responsibility to honor the trust they have placed in me. My plan is to spend the next three years doing the work and asking the tough questions, challenging this board and administration to do the very best for our children while keeping a close eye on the purse strings,” Malley said.
Following his re-election, O’Brien said, “I appreciate those who came out to support me on Election Day. I look forward to continuing to serve on the board and working and focusing on student achievement. … I am excited about what we are working on as a board and administration in terms of focusing on student achievement.
“Now that we did the reconfiguration, we are looking to maximize the benefits. It is also important to look at how we will provide an educational program for each student that maximizes their potential,” O’Brien said.
Upon being re-elected, DePompo said, “I was re-elected so yes, I’m happy, but I am sad for my fellow board member (Welsh) who did not make it, but it’s a fresh face for (Malley) and I wish her the best of luck. I still want to look at the reconfiguration … I know (administrators are) looking into the gifted and talented program and I would like to see that blossom.
“I would like to concentrate heavily on academics and getting the best education we possibly can for our students. I think my mission also is to just listen to the parents and their concerns and respond in an appropriate manner, as well as in a highly beneficial manner. … You need that community interaction, that is so important,” DePompo said.
Welsh, who served three years, said he was disappointed by the outcome of the election, but not particularly surprised.
“It was an off-year election and the people who opposed us (incumbents) were highly motivated and well-funded,” he said, adding that he may seek to return to the board in the future.
“I intend to continue my involvement with education in Howell, either through service as a citizen member of a committee, or through the educational foundation,” Welsh said.
Thor, the father of three children, said he decided to run as a write-in candidate when he saw only one challenger against three incumbents on the ballot.
“People had clearly grown to distrust the board over the last year. … I had a vested interest in seeing our schools and our community come together. Even in defeat I think we accomplished that,” Thor said. “ … With Cristy and I running as other options, we helped Mary Rose Malley in her bid to get elected because clearly we took votes away from the incumbents.”
He said he will consider putting his name on the ballot in 2016.
Mangano, the mother of five children, said there were several reasons that made her decide to run as a write-in candidate.
“Being a big family with five children we were hugely affected by the reconfiguration (of the district) as now my children are in four different schools. That doesn’t make me too happy, but at the same time they have adjusted well due to great teachers and being in great schools,” Mangano said.
“I also was not happy with the way transportation started off at the beginning of the (2015-16) school year. All schools have their glitches in the first days of school, but children being left at the wrong stops and bus drivers not knowing the routes is just unacceptable to me,” Mangano said.
Mangano said she plans to run in 2016. She congratulated Malley and said, “The connection to the public we gained was amazing and I look forward to working with them again and trying our best to make this district better than it is already.”
— Contact Jennifer Ortiz at jortiz@gmnews.com