BoE Challengers Say They Will Fight Board's 'Political' Influences

The two challengers in this year’s board of education race support each other’s candidacies and may team up on a common ticket.

Ralph Vellon and Eric Schwartz are seeking to unseat incumbents Joseph Longo and the board’s current president, William Freda, in the BoE election April 27. All the candidates filed their petitions Tuesday.

Both the challengers say they would work to make the board more responsive to the public and to remove what they described as “political” considerations in decision-making.

Vellon, 54, is the administrator-director of nursing at the North Jersey Surgery Center in Englewood Cliffs, and has twice run unsuccessfully for the board, in 2008 and again last year.  

Vellon said that as much as he wants to get a seat on the board, what’s just as important for him is to ensure that there is a competitive race.

“We have to stay involved. If nobody were opposing the incumbents it would just be a cakewalk for them,” said Vellon. “Winning would be great but competing and being in it is what’s most important for me.”  

His wife, Carmen, is president of the School 5 PTA.

The father of four -- two adult children and two other children, aged 7 and 10, who attend School 5 -- said that right now, some jobs with the district are dispensed based on “nepotism” and “political forces,” something he would change if he were elected.

“It’s contrary to the philosophy of what the board of education is supposed to be,” said Vellon. “It’s supposed to be an ethical, high-integrity environment.”

Vellon also said his opponents, Freda and Longo, are too closely aligned with Richard Yanuzzi, who holds volunteer positions with the Belleville Athletic Advisory Council, a group associated with the schools, and the board of the Belleville Public Library. Yanuzzi has long been a fixture in Belleville Republican politics, and has also been involved in elections for school board, the municipal government and Essex County executive.

“There’s one political boss, Richard Yanuzzi, and Joe Longo and William Freda are too closely influenced by this political boss …. everyone knows about it but it is difficult to overcome.”

Vellon, however, also said that if he were elected to the board, he would reach out to Yanuzzi for the sake of taking partisanship out of board decision-making. Vellon admits that his past attempts to work with Yanuzzi cost him support with some in town.

“One of my goals is unification, bringing everyone together,” Vellon said. “We need to hear what everyone’s goals are for the community... we want to try and work together.”

Although he disagrees with their approach, however, Vellon said he has no personal grievance against Freda or Longo.

“I have no animosity towards Joe or Bill. There should be a collegial atmosphere.”

Schwartz, a lifelong Belleville resident and a former member of the board who lost in his bid for re-election last year, echoed Vellon’s concerns about the way jobs in the district are handed out.

He recalled how, early in his stint on the board, he “learned a valuable lesson” from the former superintendent of schools, Edward Kliszus.  Schwartz, a single father of four whose children are or will be attending Belleville public schools, said a friend asked him for a job with the district. 

“Dr. Kliszus said, say if you give this position to the number three or four person on the list. Would you want that person teaching your kids, or the number one person?” Schwartz said. “I want that person who is number one teaching my kids.”

The 38-year-old, who has worked as a corrections officer for 10 years, the last three in Essex County, also alleges that district jobs are still being given out on the basis of personal relationships, not on qualifications.

“[Money] should not be wasted. It should be spent on the kids,” Schwartz said.

Meanwhile, he said, the district’s qualified teachers and other employees are becoming discouraged in the face of proposed cutbacks. Speaking generally, Schwartz said he is opposed to reducing classroom personnel.

“There needs to be a change. Morale is so bad right now,” said Schwartz. “They are getting rid of positions that are very important. There should be cuts but you don’t touch teachers.”

Schwartz, who as a corrections officer belongs to a public-sector union, expressed solidarity with teachers opposed to Gov. Chris Christie’s proposed reforms, which include scaling back teacher benefits.  

“What Christie’s doing is ridiculous. I’m in a union and he’s attacking our union just like he’s attacking their union. Teachers deal with 30, 32 children, 32 different personalities, every day,” he said.     

Schwartz blamed his failure to win re-election partly on rumors that he skipped  board meetings. Schwartz contends,however, that those meetings were  deliberately timed so that they would conflict with his work schedule.

He said that if he gets on the board this time, he will fight to make changes for the better.

“I am coming back and I am coming back strong. I want to come back and do the right thing.”  

Ralph Vellon’s campaign Web site is www.ralphvellon.com.