Election 2022: Central Regional School Board Candidates Tuminaro, Pavone-Wilson, Dohn

BERKELEY, NJ — Next month, Berkeley residents will head to the polls to vote for local and state officials. Patch has asked candidates to answer profiles on their campaigns.

Editor's Note: Patch sent out emails to all candidates to the email addresses listed for their campaign provided to the office of the clerk. The responses received will be published between now and the Nov. 8 general election. These responses will be published edited only for style. Candidates who would like to participate but did not receive one (for whatever reason) can contact veronica.flesher@patch.com.

1. What is your employment history:

Louis Tuminaro - NJ Turnpike Authority - 24 years, Equipment Trainer/Supervisor

Denise Pavone-Wilson - Lacey School District - 14 years, Paraprofessional; Seaside Heights School District - 10 years, Principal's Secretary

George Dohn - Berkeley Township - 27 years, Police Officer; Retired August 1, 2022

2. School Board Experience:

Louis Tuminaro - Berkeley Township Board of Education Member for 9-years; Central Regional School Board Member for 6 years; Served as President and Vice-President and on various Board Committees

Denise Pavone Wilson - Berkeley Township Board of Education Member for 6 years; Served as Vice-President; Central Regional Board of Education Member for 21 years, Served as President and Vice-President and on various Board Committees

George Dohn - Central Regional Board of Education Member for 6 years, Served on various Board Committees.

3. Civic Groups and Organizations:

Louis Tuminaro - Berkeley Township Zoning Board

Denise Pavone-Wilson - Former Bayville School Parent/Teacher Association President and Vice-President; Former Central Regional Football Club President

George Dohn - Deputy Coordinator with the Berkeley Office of Emergency Management, Pinewald Pioneer Volunteer Fire Company Chief, Life Member of the Berkeley Township Emergency Response Team (Hazmat), Member of the Knights of Columbus #8603, Former S.O.A President, Former PBA President

4. Biggest issues facing your district and how you plan on addressing them:

Student Academics: Over the last 2+ years during the COVID-19 pandemic that prompted forced school lockdowns, our students have suffered academically and socially. It has been our objective to get student learning back on track. The Board has implemented academic and social solutions to address our students' issues. We have introduced double periods (80 minutes) of English and Mathematics in the high school. We have hired several new Social Emotional Learning counselors to work directly with students suffering emotionally.

School Safety - With all of the recent school tragedies across the nation, it is vital to make our school district safe for students. The Board recently hired two new school security officers in addition to the township police officers that are already employed during school hours. These highly qualified security officers will analyze the workings of the school campus and establish procedures that will thoroughly tighten security for the district. In addition, the Board approved the installation of safety glass on doors and windows, security cameras, and magnetic entry key cards for staff.

Healthcare Costs: Healthcare costs have increased 15% and prescription coverage has increased 7%, totalling 22% in one year. The Board is considering ways to stabilize these increased costs such as an in-district healthcare facility and partnerships with other local school districts similar to what Toms River, Brick, and Long Branch School Districts have done. Such in-house medical facilities and partnerships help to substantially control healthcare costs and additionally save taxpayers money.

5. Is there anything new that you would like to do in your district?

As long-time Central Regional Board of Education members, we have continually brought forth innovative ideas to help fund the District without burdening the taxpayers. This year, we are considering the creation of an endowment fund similar to that of Princeton University where the endowments are invested and gains are used to fund the needs of the school district. This could potentially help to make the district more self-sufficient and less reliant on taxpayer monies. Additionally, a successful endowment fund could help to lower taxes for the 5 sending townships of the district in the future.

The Board recognizes the importance of post-secondary education for our seniors but realizes that costs of colleges/universities are increasing for students and their families. An endowment fund could help to also fund scholarships to help students' finances for these institutions. Central Regional awards scholarships annually to students but we hope to grow this funding source this year.

Several years ago, the Board created the Humanities Academy, a partnership with Georgian Court University, where students can earn up to 30 college credits prior to high school graduation. The Board has created the JROTC program for students that are interested in military service. In addition, the Digital Media Academy is an opportunity for students to earn college credits for those students looking to pursue careers in photography, graphic design, media publication, TV production or marketing. We are considering the creation of additional academies that may concentrate on vocational academics.