FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP – Two incumbents and one newcomer have been elected to three-year terms on the Freehold Township K-8 School District Board of Education.
In a race for three three-year terms on the board, candidates Jennifer Patten, Debra Costanza and Elena O’Sullivan emerged as the top vote-getters in the Nov. 5 election.
As of Nov. 5, Patten received 4,307 votes, Costanza received 4,005 votes and O’Sullivan received 3,486 votes, according to results posted online by the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office. The results are unofficial until they are certified by the county.
Patten and O’Sullivan are incumbents; Costanza is a newcomer who will join the board in January.
According to the clerk’s office, candidate and former board member Daniel DiBlasio received 2,862 votes. DiBlasio resigned from the board earlier this year, but was a candidate in the Nov. 5 election.
Costanza was a principal’s secretary in the school district for 30 years, prior to her retirement. She has been a resident of Freehold Township for over 30 years. Before moving to Freehold Township, Costanza served on the Piscataway Township School District Board of Education.
“As a former employee of the Freehold Township Board of Education, I believe I can bring a unique perspective to the board, insofar as I have been privy to the issues of the staff and community,” Costanza said prior to the election.
Costanza said areas of focus for her on the board will include school security; class sizes; and the district’s annual budget.
O’Sullivan, a board member since 2017, is a labor consultant for the Teachers Performance Unit for the New York City Department of Education, following a 33-year career as a teacher and administrator in the city.
She said she sought re-election “to continue to bring my experience in education to Freehold Township. I want to continue to be instrumental in making sure that teachers and administrations have the tools they need to make all the students productive members of society. The students are the primary focus and I have the abilities and the time to help our children grow in their thinking processes as well as aptitude.”
O’Sullivan said areas of focus for her on the board will include the effective use and implementation of technology as a teaching tool; ensuring that mid-level students – those not eligible for special services, but who need extra help – are not overlooked and enhancing existing programs accordingly; and parent advocacy.
Patten is a substitute teacher and Advancement Via Individual Determination tutor in the Freehold Regional High School District and previously worked in corporate communications. Patten is a lifelong resident of Freehold Township and she has been a member of the board since 2011.
“My four children still attend the Freehold Township school district and my husband and I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to be part of this district,” Patten said. “I have witnessed the time and energy that parents and members of the community put into helping our schools run well. I would like to continue to do my part, having been given the opportunity to gain knowledge and experience during my service.
“Having worked in (corporate communications), I realize the importance of providing information to the public and keeping those lines of communication open,” she said. “I am also a former paraprofessional in this district and have seen firsthand the hard work that goes into educating our children.”
Patten said areas of focus for her on the board will include a sustainable budget; monitoring student achievement in a consistent and deliberate manner; and formulating a strategic plan.