By KATHY CHANG
Staff Writer
WOODBRIDGE — Two incumbents and one newcomer, who were running on the McCormac Team, grabbed the three, three-year seats that were available on the Board of Education in the election Nov. 8.
Incumbent Joseph Velez, who was appointed in January to fill Brian Small’s remaining term, garnered the most votes with 14,100; incumbent Jonathan Triebwasser, who will serve his third term, received 12,776 votes; and newcomer Akshar “A.J.” Sidana received 11,971 votes for the third spot.
Thomas E. Maras received 9,936 votes; Rupal Patel received 6,110 votes; and Mubashir Ahmad received 5,325 votes in their losing bids for their first terms on the board.
Velez, who will serve his first elected term, had said during the campaign that he would work on realizing district-wide full-day kindergarten and is committed to a world-class education at a price that the community can afford.
Sidana, who will serve his first term on the board, said he is an advocate for creating a positive, more conducive and well-equipped environment for every student to flourish to their full potential.
For years, Triebwasser, who will serve his third term on the board, said the school district received a lot of bad press, which has since turned around with a new superintendent and administration.
“We made a major commitment to turn around and focus on cost containment,” he said.
And that focus will continue. Triebwasser said with collaborations and partnerships with the municipality, the board has been able to allocate funds into the classroom offering students a top-notch education and providing resources to administration and teachers.
“I think we are the only district in the state with this kind of shared-service collaboration with a municipality,” he said.