Clifton Public Schools elections (2013)
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Three seats on the Clifton Public Schools school board were up for general election on November 5, 2013. Gary Passenti, Rosemary Pino and Wayne Demikoff defeated Laura De Benedetto to win three at-large seats.
About the district
- See also: Clifton Public Schools, New Jersey
Clifton Public Schools is located in Passaic County, New Jersey. The county seat of Passaic County is Paterson. According to the 2010 US Census, Passaic County is home to 501,224 residents.[1]
Demographics
Passaic County underperformed compared to the state's median household income in the 2010 U.S. Census. The median household income in Passaic County was $56,299 compared to $71,180 for the state of New Jersey. The poverty rate in Passaic County was 15.3% compared to 9.4% for the entire state. The US Census also found that 25.4% of Passaic County residents aged 25 years and older attained a bachelor's degree compared to 35.0% in New Jersey.[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 Clifton school board consists of nine members elected to three-year terms at-large by the district as a whole. There was no primary election and the general election was held on November 5, 2013. Three seats were on the ballot in 2013.[3][4]
The filing deadline for school board candidates to get on the ballot in the 2013 general election was June 4.[5]
Elections
2013
Candidates
At-large
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Election results
| Clifton Public Schools, At-large General Election, 3-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Gary Passenti Incumbent |
27.8% | 6,032 | |
| Nonpartisan | Rosemary Pino |
27.6% | 5,974 | |
| Nonpartisan | Wayne Demikoff Incumbent |
22.2% | 4,806 | |
| Nonpartisan | Laura De Benedetto | 22% | 4,775 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.4% | 80 | |
| Total Votes | 21,667 | |||
| Source: Passaic County, New Jersey, "Summary Report," November 15, 2013 | ||||
Endorsements
No endorsements were made in this election.
Campaign finance
No contributions or expenditures were reported during the election, according to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.[6]
Past elections
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2012
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What was at stake?
There were three seats on the school board up for election on November 5, 2013. Incumbents Gary Passenti and Wayne Demikoff filed for re-election and competed with challengers Laura De Benedetto and Rosemary Pino in the at-large race. Fellow incumbent Mary Kowal did not file for re-election.
Issues
Transportation policy debate
A district policy requiring students who live within two and a half miles of their school building not to ride the bus has received criticism from local parents. District administration instituted the busing policy as a cost-saving measure, which was recently upheld by the school board due to budgetary concerns.[7] Local grandmother and student guardian Barbara Tate has denounced the policy as poor prioritization, arguing, "Children's welfare should come before anything on their budget, and if it costs them money then they will have to work it in."[8] Incumbent Wayne Demikoff defended the policy, but fellow incumbent Gary Passenti stated that board members need to review additional financial data before making a final decision on whether or not to maintain it. Both Laura De Benedetto and Rosemary Pino expressed sympathy for students and parents affected by the policy, with Pino suggesting that alternative funding through methods such as subscription busing could be a feasible solution.[7]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Clifton Public Schools election in 2013:[5]
| 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 the 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
This election shared the ballot with local and state elections, including the race for Governor along with seats in the New Jersey State Assembly and New Jersey State Senate. 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.[9]
See also
- New Jersey
- Clifton Public Schools, New Jersey
- List of school board elections in 2013
- Passaic County, New Jersey ballot measures
- Local ballot measures, New Jersey
- 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 United States Census Bureau, "Passaic County, New Jersey," accessed October 27, 2013
- ↑ State of New Jersey Department of State, "Statewide Voter Registration Summary," accessed October 27, 2013
- ↑ Clifton Public Schools, "Board of Education," accessed October 27, 2013
- ↑ Clifton Public Schools, "List of Local School Board Candidates for the General Election - November 5, 2013," accessed October 27, 2013
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 State of New Jersey Department of State, "2013 General Election Timeline," accessed October 27, 2013
- ↑ New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, "Standard Search," accessed December 20, 2013
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Terence McGinley, Clifton Journal, "Four vie for three Clifton school board seats," October 25, 2013
- ↑ Terence McGinley, Clifton Journal, "Clifton parents ask District to review school transportation policy," September 27, 2013
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "2013 Election Information," accessed October 21, 2013
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