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Brick Township Public Schools elections (2013)
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Method of election Elections What was at stake? Key deadlines Additional elections External links References |
Brick Township Public Schools |
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Two seats were up for election on the Brick Township Board of Education. Incumbents Karyn Cusanelli and John Talty defeated challengers John Barton and David Fischer on November 5, 2013.
About the district
Brick Township Public Schools serves K-12 students in the Township of Brick in Ocean County, New Jersey. The population of Ocean County was 576,565 according to the 2010 U.S. Census.[1]
Demographics
Ocean County underperformed compared to the state rates for poverty, median income and higher education achievement in 2010. The county had a poverty rate of 9.5% in the 2010 U.S. Census while the state rate was 9.4%. The 2010 U.S. Census calculated Ocean County's median income at $60,712 while the state median income was $71,180. The percentage of county residents over 25 years old with undergraduate degrees (24.5%) was below the state average (35%).[1]
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Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Method of board member selection
The Brick Township Board of Education consists of seven members who are elected at-large to three-year terms. On November 5, 2013, voters cast ballots for two seats on the board. Two seats were up for election on November 4, 2014 and three seats were on the ballot on November 3, 2015.
Candidates for the Board of Education must be 18 years old, reside within the district and submit nominating petitions to the county clerk by the filing deadline. The district moved board elections from the third Tuesday of April to the first Tuesday of November after a 2012 state law provided greater flexibility for local election officials.[3]
Elections
2013
Candidates
- John Barton
- Graduate, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
- Teacher, Jackson Township School District
- Karyn Cusanelli
- Incumbent
- Graduate, Monmouth University
- Associate, Right Coast Marketing
- David Fischer
- Graduate, Montclair State University
- Substitute teacher, Freehold Regional High School District
- John Talty
- Incumbent
- Retired lab technician
Results
| Brick Township Public Schools, At-large, Three-year term, November 5, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Karyn Cusanelli Incumbent |
32% | 7,566 | |
| Nonpartisan | John Talty Incumbent |
24.6% | 5,813 | |
| Nonpartisan | David Fischer | 21.5% | 5,078 | |
| Nonpartisan | John Barton | 21.5% | 5,076 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.3% | 76 | |
| Total Votes | 23,609 | |||
| Source: Ocean County Clerk, "Official Results," November 14, 2013 | ||||
Campaign finance
No contributions or expenditures were reported during the election, according to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.[4]
Past elections
2011
| Brick Township Public Schools, Full terms, April 27, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Sharon Kight |
22.4% | 6,410 | |
| Nonpartisan | Lawrence K. Reid |
18.1% | 5,177 | |
| Nonpartisan | Vicky Leone | 15.5% | 4,434 | |
| Nonpartisan | Konstantine Goulas | 13.1% | 3,752 | |
| Nonpartisan | Robert Merola | 13.1% | 3,750 | |
| Nonpartisan | John Barton | 8.9% | 2,540 | |
| Nonpartisan | David Fischer | 8.5% | 2,430 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.5% | 149 | |
| Total Votes | 28,642 | |||
| Source: Ocean County Clerk | ||||
| Brick Township Public Schools, One-year term, April 27, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Susan Suter |
65.4% | 8,708 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jack Zawacki | 34% | 4,528 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.6% | 79 | |
| Total Votes | 13,315 | |||
| Source: Ocean County Clerk | ||||
What was at stake?
Mold outbreak at Drum Point
In August 2013, a mold outbreak was found at Drum Point Elementary School. Superintendent Walter Uszenski noted that the district spent $200,000 on clean-up services since the inspection with district insurance covering $25,000. Reports indicated that the mold outbreak occurred due to the school's lack of central cooling and high humidity throughout the building during the summer break.[5][6]
Assistant superintendent staffing dispute
David Fischer alleged that Superintendent Uszenski was negligent after two candidates were hired to replace an outgoing assistant superintendent. In a discussion on the local Patch website, Fischer also said that the assistant superintendent was transferred to another position. The former candidate said that these personnel moves cost the district $220,000 in salaries and benefits. Uszenski responded, stating that the district needed an additional academic officer for special services as well as an interim assistant superintendent.[7]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Bricks Township Board of Education election in 2013:[8]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| June 4, 2013 | Last day for filing nominating petitions in school board elections |
| June 10, 2013 | Last day to challenge nominating petitions in school board elections |
| August 12, 2013 | County clerk draws ballot positions for candidates |
| September 6, 2013 | Last day for candidates to withdraw from general election ballot |
| November 5, 2013 | General election |
| December 3, 2013 | Certification of election results by Board of State Canvassers |
Additional elections on the ballot
The Brick Township Board of Education elections shared the ballot with local, county and state elections. The Brick Township ballot included races for Mayor and seats on the Town Council. There were elections for Ocean County Clerk, Sheriff, Surrogate and Freeholder. Residents of Brick Township also submitted ballots for Governor along with seats in the New Jersey State Assembly and New Jersey State Senate.[9] The November 5 ballot included proposed constitutional amendments that would establish cost of living adjustments for the state minimum wage and use gaming profits for veterans' organizations.[10]
See also
- New Jersey
- Brick Township Public Schools, New Jersey
- Ocean County, New Jersey ballot measures
- Financial policies, education standards at stake in November school board elections
- School board election wrap-up: Incumbents re-elected overwhelmingly in November 5 elections
- School board elections review: Voters opt for experience over new blood in nation's largest school districts
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 2010 U.S. Census, "Quick Facts: Ocean County," accessed October 21, 2013
- ↑ Ocean County Clerk, "Election Services," accessed October 21, 2013
- ↑ NJ.com, "Scores of N.J. school districts moving elections from April to November," February 26, 2012
- ↑ New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, "Standard Search," accessed December 27, 2013
- ↑ Asbury Park Press, "Brick mulls closing school," October 31, 2013
- ↑ Patch, "Brick Spent More Than $500,000 To Correct Schools' Mold Problem," November 15, 2013
- ↑ Patch, "Superintendent Responds to Allegations About Assistant Superintendent," October 31, 2013
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "2013 General Election Timeline," accessed October 21, 2013
- ↑ Ocean County Clerk, "Archived Information," accessed October 22, 2013
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "2013 Election Information," accessed October 21, 2013
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