OLD BRIDGE – Two incumbents and a former board member will fill the three, three-year terms that were available on the Board of Education in the election on Nov. 3.
According to results certified by the Middlesex County Clerk’s Office on Nov. 20, incumbent Matthew Anthony Sulikowski received the most votes with 14,915, incumbent Jill DeCaro received 11,793 votes, and former board member Frank Weber received 11,403 vote to win the three available seats.
Newcomer Allison T. Vass received 9,830 votes and incumbent Lisa Lent received 8,971 votes.
There were 345 write-in votes.
DeCaro will begin her second term in January.
“I’m committed to continuing the hard work of navigating through this pandemic by making data-driven decisions, keeping in mind our special needs students and the challenges they face in the virtual world, in addition to the social emotional learning needs of all our students,” she said. “One of the categories in our five-year strategic plan is ‘The Whole Child.’ I believe that is the most important aspect of education and is the springboard for everything else. It is our responsibility as Board of Education (BOE) members to take into consideration the diverse community and remember that each student has unique needs.”
DeCaro said she will also continue to work with the board and administration to meet the challenges faced by the continued reduction in state aid, finding innovative ways to meet the needs of our students.
“Finally, I would like to continue to pursue an initiative called ‘Sustainable Jersey for Schools’ that we started prior to this pandemic, which will fall right in line with our Energy Savings Improvement Program to help us continue to be environmentally conscious as well as fiscally responsible,” she said.
Sulikowski has served on the BOE for 12 years. During the election, he said he was running for re-election “because I believe the experience and training I have received in my professional life as a schoolteacher aids me in making informed and sound decisions for the benefit of the children of Old Bridge as well as for the community.”
Weber has previously served on the BOE for 18 years. During the election, Weber had expressed his concerns of the closing of Cheesequake School, the re-opening hybrid plan, and district spending.