Two local BOE presidents opt not to seek re-election
By Joanne Degnan, Managing Editor
Tuesday afternoon was the filing deadline to run for 16 available Board of Education seats in Upper Freehold, Millstone, Plumsted and Robbinsville. Tuesday evening the news from the county clerks wasn’t who was running, but who wasn’t.
Lisa Herzer, the president of the Upper Freehold Regional Board of Education, and Kevin McGovern, the president of the Millstone Board of Education, have both decided not to seek re-election. Their current terms expire Dec. 31.
”Having served for five tumultuous years, I feel the board and the district are now in very capable hands and that we have a very bright future ahead,” Mr. McGovern said Tuesday night when asked why he hadn’t filed a nominating petition to run for another three-year term.
”I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished over the past two years,” Mr. McGovern said, “but I now feel ready to devote more of my time to my two favorite students my own two kids.”
Mrs. Herzer, who has served on the Upper Freehold Regional Board of Education for seven years, also confirmed Tuesday night that she was not seeking another full three-year term.
”I really just knew it was time,” Mrs. Herzer said. “I have given a lot of time to this position. In all of those years I have only missed two or three board meetings and have served on many board committees.”
In the Upper Freehold Regional School District, there are four Upper Freehold seats available on the Nov. 6 general election ballot. Three of the seats are for full, three-year terms and one is for a one-year unexpired term. (No Allentown seats are on the ballot this year).
According to the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office, no one filed to run for the one-year unexpired term. That race will be decided by write-in votes on Nov. 6.
The candidates who filed for the three full-term seats are: incumbent Howard Krieger, of Bunker Hill Drive; incumbent Rick Smith of Trotter Way; and newcomer Peter Katz, of Revere Court.
In the Millstone School District, there are three full-term seats available this year and three candidates who filed to run. They are: incumbent Amy Jacobson, of Agress Road; incumbent Patrick Whalen, of Timmons Hill Drive; and Neil Schloss of Robins Road. Mr. Schloss ran unsuccessfully in the 2011 school election.
In the Plumsted School District, there are four seats on the ballot: three are for full three-year terms and one is for a one-year unexpired term. According to the Ocean County Clerk’s office, the incumbent Plumsted school board members who now hold these seats were the only ones who filed petitions to run.
The three Plumsted candidates running for the three full-term seats are: Chris Probasco, of Ivins Drive; Barbara Wig, of Bobbi’s Terrace; and Jon Hague of Bobbi’s Terrace. Leslie Septor, who was appointed to the Board of Education earlier this year to fill a vacancy, is running unopposed for the one-year unexpired term.
In the Robbinsville School District, more than half the seats on the Board of Education are on the ballot this year, including three seats for full three-year terms; one seat for a two-year unexpired term; and one seat for a one-year unexpired term.
According to the Mercer County Clerk’s Office, four people filed to run for the three available full-term seats. In this contested race the candidates are: incumbent Vincent Costanza, of Union Street; incumbent Flo Gange, of Hibiscus Lane; incumbent Faith Silvestrov, of Walters Road; and challenger Shaina Ciaccio of Walden Circle.
The clerk’s office said two people filed to run for one seat for a two-year unexpired term: incumbent Keith Kochberg, of Union Street; and Matthew O’Grady, of Hillside Drive, who was appointed to the board last week to fill a vacancy effective July 1.
According to the Mercer County Clerk’s Office, no one filed a petition to run for the one-year unexpired term of board member Rich Kasper, who has resigned effective June 30.
Superintendent Steve Mayer said there had been a mistake and that Mr. O’Grady had told him he had advised the clerk he will amend his petition this week to run for the one-year seat, instead of challenging Mr. Kochberg for the two-year seat. Mr. O’Grady could not be reached for comment.