Are These the Final Winners of the Orange School Board Election? – TAPinto.net

ORANGE, NJ – When the polls closed in Orange on Tuesday, Nov. 3rd, over twelve-thousand people participated in the Board of Education election. This is a historical election; after years of political debate and legal challenges, Orange will for have successfully secured a board entirely elected by residents, instead of appointed by the Mayor.

Since our first report, the count was updated by the Essex County Clerk’s office today at 5 PM. The election will not be certified until later this month due to COVID-19 delays and campaign rules. The Clerk’s office will not count final provisional ballots until next week. So far, the winners still appear to be Turner, Crockett and Tarver. Until official news is received, this is a spotlight on the top three candidates who were in the lead when we first broke the story, who are still in the lead now. 

ELECTION RESULTS FOR THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, THREE SEATS OPEN, 3-YEAR TERM

#1

In first place so far is Fatimah Turner. Turner is a 15-year resident of Orange who has raising three daughters in the township, one of whom is still in elementary school, one who is a college freshman, and the oldest who graduated with a Master’s degree. Turner is a social worker and a doctrinal candidate at Montclair State University. Pursuing her doctorate, her focus is in family science and human development. Turner also has a master’s degree in educational leadership.

# 2 

In second place is Samantha Crockett. Crockett moved to Orange in 2017, when she became a homeowner. Upon arrival, Samantha became active in the community and is the vice president of Seven Oaks Society. For over a decade, Crocket has been a teacher and founded a school in Newark where she was the principal. Samantha currently works for KIPP New Jersey, running the career and internship programming for high school and college alumni.

# 3 

Tyrone Tarver has lived in Orange for over 30 years. He is a computer programmer by trade. Tarver has been involved in the township in many capacities. In 2016, Tarver served on the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee, and was the main person who pushed for Orange to be an elected school board by founding the “Committee for an Elected Orange School Board”. His two children have been through the Orange School system by way of STEM Academy. Tarver’s wife, Mrs. Germaine Blanton Tarver, M.Ed. whose family has lived in Orange for over 100 years, is an educator and an administrator who graduated in the Orange High School class of 1985.

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