Gagliardi, Haffner Reelected To Brick School Board

BRICK, NJ — Incumbents Melita Gagliardi and Daisy Haffner appear to have won new terms on the Brick Township Board of Education.

Unofficial tallies show Gagliardi with 3,900 votes and Haffner with 3,853, a lead of 332 votes over Joseph Aulisi Jr., the third-highest vote-getter out of the six candidates.

Gagliardi, a teacher in the Jackson school district, and Haffner, an office manager for a moving company, will begin their second terms as the district faces increasing financial pressures due to cuts in state aid mandated under S2.

The board also is in the midst of searching for a new superintendent to replace Gerard Dalton, who left at the end of the 2018-19 school year after one year.

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Here are the unofficial vote totals.

BOARD OF EDUCATION — two, three-year terms

Joseph Aulisi Jr. — 3,521
John Barton — 3,465
x-Melita Gagliardi — 3,900
x-Daisy Haffner — 3,853
Rob Canfield — 2,588
Cassidy Busa — 1,805

Gagliardi and Haffner are the incumbents. Aulisi is a football coach and involved in the town's Brick United initiative. Barton, who teaches in another district, is a former board member. Canfield has run for the school board previously and Busa joined him in the effort this year. Both are new to politics.

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