With two incumbents declining to run for re-election to the school board, seven potential candidates have filed petitions to fill three seats.
The election will be held Tuesday, April 11. There are nine seats on the Board of Education, but only three are up for election.
It was no surprise that board member Michael Pesci, who had undergone a recent career change, decided not to seek re-election. However, the withdrawal of incumbent Board President Ed Rittberg surprised many people.
“I thought it over until about 3 p.m. on Monday, ” Rittberg said in explaining why he chose not to run. “It was a hard decision. But I felt that if I wasn’t willing to serve out the full three-year term, I shouldn’t be running.”
His and Pesci’s withdrawal leaves John Voli as the only incumbent in the race.
The candidates include former Councilman George Heflich, Sr. who said he would be issuing a public statement on his running in a couple of days. Also in the group are former Board of Education President Angelo Andriani; John Shinnick, a Hudson County Community College administrator; and Secaucus Public Library Trustee Mauro DeGennaro. The field also includes two people with less public exposure, Mark Bruschino and Kathy Huber-O’Connell.
Bruschino, a graduate of Secaucus High School, was an athlete, a soccer coach, and is an employee of the Kearny School system.
Kathy Hubert-O’Connell is the granddaughter of Secaucus’ first mayor, as well as a parent and former teacher who is active in the local schools.
If all seven candidates remain in the race, this could be the most hotly contested Board of Education election in years, especially with only one incumbent. Selections for positions on the ballot are scheduled to take place on Monday, March 3 at 3 p.m. in the board office.
Shinnick, the only other candidate available for contact before press time, said his interest in the school district partly came from the fact that he has two daughters in the schools. While Shinnick has not previously run for public office, he has served as president of the Secaucus Board of Health and currently serves as a member of the Secaucus Youth Alliance.
“Secaucus has a great school system, and this is a unique community in which people here step up to the plate when things need to get done,” Shinnick said. “This seems like the right time for me to run.”
Two board veterans leave for different reasons
Pesci, who has served on the board for six years, was among the key players in helping to upgrade the school’s technology – as a board member and a member of the school district’s technology committee. Along with Rittberg and the rest of the board, he helped get approval for two bond issues that have resulted in upgrades to both elementary schools as well as the middle school/high school complex.
Pesci, a lifelong resident of Secaucus, came to the board with the belief that parents should get involved with the school district, and since he had a child in the system, he said he felt he was giving back to the community. Before becoming a board member, Pesci was also active in the school district’s PTA. The changing economy and his own need to alter his career path made his running this year unlikely.
“You have to think of your own family first,” said Mayor Dennis Elwell in commenting on Pesci. “He was a good board member, and he along with the rest of the board worked well with us in the town to help create opportunities for our school kids.”
Rittberg, who also served six years on the board, said in reviewing the reasons for his leaving, one consideration was the tremendous amount of work and hours required.
“It was a matter of whether or not I was willing to commit for another three years,” he said. “Finally I decided if I had to question it, I was not willing.”
Rittberg said he did not view any of the massive accomplishments over the last six years as his doing, but as a team effort.
“While there are some other projects being talked about, especially the recreation center with the town, most of the construction that we were involved in is just finishing up or will be completed for the most part by the end of next summer,” he said. “I also feel that six years on the board is about right. Most people who serve on the board spend about six to nine years here and move on. But I’m very grateful to the public who supported us. If we didn’t have their support, we would not have accomplished 75 percent of what we did.”
He said that if anything, he’ll miss the opportunity to have input into the community, although he said this board was very productive in setting up a new educational system for the kids. He said he’ll continue to be involved in the Secaucus Youth Alliance, which is working with the town to find funds to construct the recreation center.
“That will give us an additional gymnasium at the high school,” he said.
Rittberg feels he is leaving the board in good hands, saying, “There are a lot of talented people on the board and its committees. I have enjoyed working with this board. But it is good to have change and for new people to get involved.”
Rittberg was one of the more popular board members, partly because of the numerous roles he played in the school district over the years. Before retiring as principal of the Middle School in 1995 (a position he had held since 1988), he served as teacher, coach and athletic director.