Perth Amboy Public Schools elections (2013)
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Perth Amboy Public Schools |
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Three seats were up for election on the Perth Amboy Board of Education. Nine candidates sought election to the board on November 5, 2013. Israel Varela, Anthony Bermudez and Samuel Lebreault defeated six challengers to win three at-large seats.
About the district
- See also: Perth Amboy Public Schools, New Jersey
Perth Amboy is located along the Raritan River in Middlesex County, New Jersey. The population of Perth Amboy was 50,814 according to the 2010 U.S. Census.[1]
Demographics
Perth Amboy lagged behind the state poverty rate based on the 2010 U.S. Census. The city had a poverty rate of 19.9% in the 2010 U.S. Census while the state rate was 9.4%. The 2010 U.S. Census calculated Perth Amboy's median income at $45,369 while the state median income was $71,180. The percentage of city residents over 25 years old with undergraduate degrees (15%) 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 Perth Amboy Board of Education consists of nine members elected at-large to three-year terms. There was no primary election and the general election was held on November 5, 2013. Three seats are up for election each year.
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
- Anthony Bermudez
- Officer, Middlesex County Sheriff's Office
- Veteran, U.S. Army
- Mark Carvajal
- Incumbent
- Member, Perth Amboy Democratic Committee
- Junior Iglesia
- Third-grade teacher
- Damaris Isales
- Samuel Lebreault
- Graduate, New Jersey Institute of Technology
- Engineer, Metropolitan Transportation Authority
- Anton J. Massopust
- Incumbent
- Graduate, Villanova University
- Retired teacher
- Reyes Ortega
- Business owner
- President, Perth Amboy Merchants Association
- Benjamin L. Salerno
- Detective, Perth Amboy Police Department
- Israel Varela
- Incumbent
- Owner, Unitech Autobody
Election results
| Perth Amboy Board of Education, At-large General election, 3-year term, 2013, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Israel Varela Incumbent |
17.1% | 1,741 | |
| Nonpartisan | Anthony Bermudez |
16.4% | 1,666 | |
| Nonpartisan | Samuel Lebreault |
15.3% | 1,559 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mark Carvajal Incumbent | 11.4% | 1,161 | |
| Nonpartisan | Anton J. Massopust Incumbent | 10.7% | 1,090 | |
| Nonpartisan | Reyes Ortega | 10.4% | 1,061 | |
| Nonpartisan | Benjamin L. Salerno | 10.1% | 1,026 | |
| Nonpartisan | Junior Iglesia | 4.6% | 472 | |
| Nonpartisan | Damaris Isales | 3.9% | 392 | |
| Total Votes | 10,168 | |||
| Source: Middlesex County, "Election Results," November 12, 2013</ref> | ||||
Campaign finance
Candidates received a total of $10,586.09 and spent a total of $1,205.00 during the election, according to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.[4]
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Bermudez | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Mark Carvajal | $10,581.09 | $1,205.00 | $9,376.09 |
| Junior Iglesia | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Damaris Isales | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Samuel Lebreault | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Anton J. Massopust | $5.00 | $5.00 | $0.00 |
| Reyes Ortega | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Benjamin L. Salerno | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Israel Varela | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Past elections
2012
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | William Ortiz |
15.8% | 2,237 | |
| Nonpartisan | Kenneth J. Puccio |
12.6% | 1,785 | |
| Nonpartisan | Obdulia Gonzalez |
12.1% | 1,722 | |
| Nonpartisan | Nina Perkins Nieves | 9.5% | 1,347 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jeanette Gonzalez | 8.9% | 1,263 | |
| Nonpartisan | Junior Iglesia | 8.8% | 1,255 | |
| Nonpartisan | Reyes Ortega | 8.5% | 1,208 | |
| Nonpartisan | Samuel Lebreault | 8.5% | 1,205 | |
| Nonpartisan | Benjamin L. Salerno | 7.7% | 1,092 | |
| Nonpartisan | Maria Rojas | 7.6% | 1,077 | |
| Total Votes | 14,191 | |||
| Source: City of Perth Amboy | ||||
What was at stake?
Incumbents Mark Carvajal, Anton J. Massopust and Israel Varela sought re-election to the board. They were challenged by six other candidates for three available seats.
Issues
Tense relationship with superintendent
The Board of Education and Superintendent Janine Caffrey developed a contentious relationship from 2010 to 2013. Caffrey was removed by board votes in April and October 2012 but remained in office due to the intervention of the New Jersey Education Commissioner. These suspensions occurred because of allegations that Caffrey circumvented the board when implementing counseling programs and manipulated contracts to avoid bidding procedures.[5] The board voted in October 2013 to remove Caffrey and seek an interim superintendent to serve through June 2014. Board member William Ortiz noted after the vote that the district was seeking someone with "emotional IQ with people" to replace Caffrey.[6] Judge Kimberly Moss rejected Caffrey's appeal for reinstatement on November 7.[7]
Caffrey countered that board members Obdulia Gonzalez, Milady Tejada, and Israel Varela were deflecting attention from state ethics investigations. The Office of Administrative Law held hearings on October 16, 2013, into accusations of ethics violations by the three board members. Gonzalez, Tejada, and Varela were accused of colluding with local unions to increase pressure for Caffrey's removal and paying reporters to write inaccurate stories about the superintendent. The second allegation stemmed from local reports that Caffrey spent time in a mental health hospital in 2009.[6]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Perth Amboy 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 Perth Amboy Board of Education elections shared the ballot with state elections. Residents of Perth Amboy cast ballots 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
- Perth Amboy Public Schools, New Jersey
- Middlesex 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: Perth Amboy," accessed October 21, 2013
- ↑ City of Perth Amboy, "General Election Results," 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
- ↑ NJ.com, "Perth Amboy school board puts superintendent on paid leave," April 25, 2013
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 NJ.com, "Perth Amboy superintendent may be out for good; continues to collect $177,500 salary," October 3, 2013
- ↑ MyCentralJersey.com, "Judge rules Perth Amboy schools chief will not be returning to work soon," November 8, 2013
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "2013 General Election Timeline," accessed October 21, 2013
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "2013 Election Information," accessed October 21, 2013
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