After serving for eight years as a member of the Weehawken Board of Education, Trustee Alberto Cabrera will not run for reelection this April 21. Cabrera submitted his letter of resignation to Board President Richard Barsa on Feb. 25, saying that his son’s decision to attend a private high school prompted his decision.
“My son has decided to attend St. Peter’s Prep,” Cabrera wrote, “and I feel a board member should be someone who has a child in the school system.”
He added, “I would like to thank my colleagues for their friendship throughout the years. I would also like to thank the mayor and the Weehawken residents for entrusting me with their children’s education.”
The Weehawken Board of Education is made up of nine elected members who serve three year terms. Every year, three seats are up for election.
This year, Board President Richard Barsa, who has served for 19 years, is running for his seventh term. Fellow trustee Joseph Rutigliano is also up for reelection this year.
They will not no opposition, because only one other person has filed documents to run in the election for the three seats. So candidate Paul Salandra will simply fill Cabrera’s open seat.
“This is the first elected position that [Salandra] is running for,” said Barsa. “He has been very involved with the Little League baseball [program] and town recreation.”
Active in the community
An active parent with Parent Teachers Organizations, Salandra and his family moved to Weehawken from Jersey City two and a half years ago. His wife of 12 years, Filomena, is a teacher in the Jersey City School District and was also a longtime resident of the township. When the time came to move, Weehawken was one of the first places they looked.
“We were both impressed by the school district, which was one of the reasons we moved to Weehawken,” said Salandra, 39. “One of the things I really enjoyed is the way the teachers are [with the students]. They accept the [students] as a family member. I see a big family environment in the school system.”
Salandra’s two sons Alfonso, 9, and Giuseppe, 6, attend Theodore Roosevelt School and Daniel Webster School, and he has been very involved with the schools’ community activities. He volunteered his time and helped with the annual Breakfast with Santa last December at Webster School.
“I believe in the school system and the district, and I want to make an impact and help in making the decisions.” – Paul Salandra
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After Cabrera issued his resignation, Barsa approached Salandra about running for the position based of his active involvement.
“I was approached by Richard Barsa and he asked me if I was interested in running,” said Salandra. “I believe in the school system and the district, and I want to make an impact and help in making the decisions, and [offer] assistance to parents and the children.”
Jessica Rosero may be reached at editorial@hudsonreporter.com