By DON STINE
Seeking out and endorsing viable candidates for the Neptune Board of Education elections April 21 is the focus of an independent group of residents in Neptune.
“This movement is a search and screening committee to find people who have a distinct interest in running for the school board,” said former Board of Education member Michael Fornino.
Fornino said the ad hoc committee, which is apolitical, will look at the qualifications of hopeful candidates.
“We don’t want to get a bunch of people who shouldn’t be running in the first place. We want to determine who is best for our school system,” he said.
Fornino said school board members are essentially managers overseeing a $77 million budget.
“That’s a sizeable amount of money, for sure, and what this committee is seeking is candidates who understand what the Board of Education is all about and have a sense of what can be accomplished,” he said.
Fornino said the search for candidates has nothing to do with politics.
“We don’t care about political affiliation but are looking for people who can make a difference. Some board members don’t have a clue when they come aboard,” he said.
Three, three-year terms are up for grabs in this April’s school board election. The deadline for candidates to file is March 4.
The independent committee is comprised of Fornino, former Deputy Mayor Michael S. Golub, Shark River Elementary School PTA president Jennifer Latshaw and about seven others.
“It might grow, we don’t know,” he said.
Fornino said the committee is not looking to put together a ticket but merely screening applicants for qualifications.
“I think by screening various candidates we hope to come up with the best of the best and then we will throw our support behind them. But it’s up to them to campaign and get elected,” he said.
Fornino said the committee has already had some people express interest in being a candidate.
Latshaw said the committee is made up of concerned residents from all parts of Neptune.
“All we know is we have a passion to make the community a better place and have school board members be an asset to our children and their learning,” she said.
Latshaw said there are wonderful people on the school board who are working very diligently to affect change.
“Now is the time to challenge others and get more great people in there to affect change in our school system,” she said.
She said the search committee consists of qualified and professional people with the objective to help somebody make the decision that they are qualified to run.
“We are designed to educate and train them through this process and help them be comfortable in their decision to move forward in a campaign. If you have an interest please contact us. We want to eliminate that fear factor through education and getting people involved,” she said.
Read more about your town by picking up The Coaster at your local newsstand or subscribe today.
Published every Thursday.
