Challengers Pull Ahead of Incumbents in West Essex Board of Education Election – TAPinto.net

NORTH CALDWELL, NJ — At the conclusion of a very tight race for the two open seats on the West Essex Regional Board of Education, representing North Caldwell, challengers Jill Marcus and Jann Skelton ultimately pulled ahead of incumbents Judith Amorim-Dias and Anthony Prinzo, according to the unofficial election results provided by the Essex County Clerk’s Office.

The reported results, which will not be considered official until all mail-in ballots are counted and the final tally is certified by the state, indicate that Marcus and Skelton received 28.7 percent and 27.78 percent of the total votes, respectively. Prinzo and Amorim-Dias received 21.93 percent and 21.55 percent, respectively, in comparison.

“We are honored to have earned the support of North Caldwell residents and will proactively work to improve the District,” Marcus and Skelton said in a joint statement. “We look forward to working collaboratively with the West Essex Regional School Board to represent the issues of concern for our community. We are committed to developing a culture of openness, transparency, and inclusion around key board decisions. We are dedicated to improving the quality of education within our District to ensure that every child is able to reach their unique potential.”

Also elected to the regional school board on Tuesday were Borough of Roseland representatives Deborah Sacco-Calderone, who pulled ahead of opponent Neal Goldstein to retain her current seat for another three-year term, and Frank Perrotti, who ran unopposed in this election to complete a one-year unexpired term. Click HERE to read more.

Robert Projansky, a member of the North Caldwell Board of Education, also ran unopposed to retain his seat on that local board. In a Letter to the Editor submitted to TAPinto West Essex as a resident of North Caldwell, Projansky endorsed Marcus and Skelton for West Essex Board of Education.

“North Caldwell and the entire West Essex region are at a crossroads, facing perhaps the most difficult challenges they have ever seen,” he wrote. “The construction boom in our area creates extraordinary stress on our schools that will require a focus on forward-looking, strategic thinking, community engagement and student achievement.”

He went on to cite several specific examples of why each of these candidates deserves the position.

“Jann and Jill’s attention to these matters is evidence of their singular focus on creating an inclusive environment in which all students, no matter what their level, are best positioned to achieve their greatest potential,” his letter concluded. “I believe that they are uniquely qualified to achieve this goal and therefore endorse them. For those who are unconvinced, I encourage you to spend a few minutes with Jann and Jill, as I suspect that will be all it takes for you to reach the same conclusion I did.”

Read his full letter by clicking HERE.

More information on this election will be shared as it becomes available.