Woodbridge Township School District elections (2014)
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Four seats on the Woodbridge Township Board of Education were up for general election on November 4, 2014. The candidate filing deadline was July 28, 2014.
Three of the seats up for election were for regular three-year terms. Incumbents Frank Della Pietro III and Brian Molnar faced Marie Anderson and Robert Graser in the general election. Pietro and Molnar won re-election, and Anderson was elected as a newcomer. The third incumbent whose seat was up for election, Monica Michelle Smith, did not file to run.[1]
The fourth seat up for election was a one-year term to complete the unexpired term created by Judy Leidner's resignation from the board. Leidner resigned in 2014 to allow her son to apply for a position in the school district. The district's rules on nepotism would have made the hiring process for him more difficult as long as his mother held the board position. The remaining school board members selected Eileen Zullo to fill the seat until the election could be held. Zullos won the one-year term unopposed.[1][2]
About the district
Woodbridge Township School District is located in Middlesex County, New Jersey. The county seat of Middlesex County is New Brunswick. In 2013, Middlesex County was home to approximately 828,919 residents, according to estimates by the United States Census Bureau.[3] In 2011-2012 school year, Woodbridge Township School District was the ninth-largest school district by enrollment in New Jersey and served 13,109 students.
Demographics
In 2012, Middlesex County had a higher percentage of residents with a bachelor's degree compared to the state overall. The United States Census Bureau reported that 39.8 percent of residents aged 25 and older in the county had earned a bachelor's degree, compared with 35.4 percent for New Jersey. The median household income in Middlesex County was $79,442, higher than the state median of $71,637. The poverty rate in the county was 8.0 percent, compared to 9.9 percent for New Jersey as a whole.[3]
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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.
Voter and candidate information
As of the 2014 election, the Woodbridge Township Board of Education consisted of nine nonpartisan members who were elected at-large to three-year terms. Candidates for the Board of Education must be 18 years old and have resided within the district for at least one year before their election or appointment. There are no term limits.
Candidates were required to submit nominating petitions with 10 signatures to the county clerk by the filing deadline on July 28, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. Voters had to register by October 14, 2014, to vote in the election.[5][6]
Elections
2014
Candidates
At-large
Three-year terms
- Brian Molnar
- Incumbent, first elected in 2005
- Frank Della Pietro III
- Incumbent, first elected in 2011
- Marie Anderson
- Robert Graser
- B.A. in biology and anthropology, Rutgers University
- Ph.D. in immunology, University of Miami
One-year term
- Eileen Zullo
- Incumbent, appointed July 2014
- Graduate, Woodbridge High School
- Bachelor's degree in education, Trenton State College
- Retired teacher
Election results
Three-year terms
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Marie Anderson |
29.5% | 6,858 | |
| Nonpartisan | Frank Della Pietro III Incumbent |
28.6% | 6,638 | |
| Nonpartisan | Brian Molnar Incumbent |
22.5% | 5,237 | |
| Nonpartisan | Robert Graser | 19.3% | 4,492 | |
| Total Votes | 23,225 | |||
| Source: Mercer County, New Jersey "Official Results," accessedJune 11, 2015 | ||||
One-year term
Eileen Zullo was elected to a one-year term without opposition on November 4, 2014.
Campaign finance
No contributions or expenditures were reported during the election as of October 20, 2014, according to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.[7]
Candidates were not required to declare their contributions unless they exceeded $4,500.00. The last campaign finance report before the election was due on October 24, 2014, and the final report was due on November 24, 2014.
Past elections
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What was at stake?
Issues in the election
Nepotism policy
Incumbent Judy Leidner resigned after 14 years on the board to allow her son to apply for a position in the school district. This was necessitated by a new state policy seeking greater accountability of school boards' hiring practices.[8] At the time the board was revising the policy, Leidner and Brian Molnar objected to the language, saying that it would unfairly discriminate against qualified candidates due to family relations. The new policy prevented the superintendent of schools from recommending any relative of a board member or the superintendent for district positions. However, the language also provided several exceptions, which board attorney Jonathan Busch assured the board would ensure the most qualified person would be hired.[9]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Woodbridge Township School District election in 2014.[5][6]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| July 28, 2014 | Petition filing deadline for candidates |
| October 6, 2014 | Campaign finance reports due |
| October 14, 2014 | Voter registration deadline |
| October 24, 2014 | Campaign finance reports due |
| October 28, 2014 | Mail-in ballot application period ended |
| November 4, 2014 | Election Day |
| November 24, 2014 | Campaign finance reports due |
Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: New Jersey elections, 2014
This election shared the ballot with the general elections for the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, two statewide ballot measures, county offices, and municipal offices.
See also
- New Jersey
- Woodbridge Township School District, New Jersey
- New Jersey school board elections, 2014
- List of school board elections in 2014
- School board elections, 2014
- Middlesex County, New Jersey ballot measures
- Local ballot measures, New Jersey
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Margaret Koenig, "E-mail correspondence with Claudia P. Jackson, Middlesex County Clerk's Office," September 8, 2014
- ↑ Woodbridge Sentinel, "Retired Woodbridge teacher appointed to board," July 31, 2014
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 United States Census Bureau, "Middlesex County, New Jersey," accessed September 9, 2014
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "NJ Election Information and Results Archive," accessed September 8, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 New Jersey School Boards Association, "NOVEMBER ELECTIONS: IMPORTANT DATES," accessed September 8, 2014
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 New Jersey Department of State, "2014 General Election Timeline," accessed September 8, 2014
- ↑ New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, "View a Candidate or Election Related Committee Report," accessed October 20, 2014
- ↑ Woodbridge Sentinel, "Retired Woodbridge teacher appointed to board," July 31, 2014
- ↑ Woodbridge Patch, "Revised BOE Nepotism Policy Raises Concerns Among Board Members," July 25, 2011
