Brick School Board Race 2017: Three Candidates, And Cantillo's Not Among Them

BRICK, NJ — When the Brick Township Board of Education reorganizes in January 2018, it will be without Sharon Cantillo, who has decided not to seek a third consecutive term on the board.

Cantillo, who will be completing her second consecutive term and her third overall, addressed her decision at the end of Thursday's school board meeting, saying the unwillingness of the current board majority to put her nine years of experience to use and its highly politicized actions left her uncomfortable.

"I do not believe partisan politics belong in our school district or its budget," said Cantillo, who served from 2004-2007, then was ousted for a term when Daniel Woska was re-elected to the board in 2008. Cantillo was returned to the board in the 2011 election. "While I am honored to have served our town as a board member for 9 years, I am not comfortable being identified with such a highly political board."

Cantillo, who is one of four school board members in Brick to have achieved master board member status, awarded for attending training in various topics related to serving on the school board, expressed frustration that her experience was pushed aside. (Frank Pannucci Sr., John Talty and Michael Conti also achieved that status.)

"I am disappointed that my training and experience was not valued as I thought it should be, and this board did not utilize it as I felt it should have," she said. "It has been difficult to sit as president for eight years and be involved to the extent I was, to now, barely knowing what is going on before the public does."

Her statement (read it in full below) highlighted again the conflict that has existed on the board since the swearing-in in January 2016 of board president John Lamela, vice president Stephanie Wohlrab, and board member Victoria Pakala, who were elected along with George White (who completed an unexpired term). Before the ink was dry on their paperwork, the four proceeded to oust most of the district's outside professionals and then-interim Superintendent Richard Caldes.

The moves were criticized as being solely for political reasons, because though school boards are supposed to be nonpartisan, Lamela, Wohlrab and Pakala all have ties to the local Democratic Party. Cantillo had been a member of the local Republican Club but has said on several occasions that partisan politics played no role in her decision-making when it came to the school district.

Since Lamela became president, Cantillo said she has been effectively out of the loop on plans and proposals coming before the board because she does not serve on the committees that form the backbone of the decision-making, including finance, buildings and grounds and personnel.

"When I was board president, I allowed board members to choose which committees they would like to serve on," Cantillo said after the meeting, adding that even new board members were afforded that opportunity.

That includes John Barton, who clashed with Cantillo repeatedly during his first year on the board, frequently expressing frustration at board meetings that he was not given more responsibilities early on. Barton is seeking re-election to his second term in November.

Two other candidates, Jessica Clayton and Maria E. Foster, also are contending for the two available terms.

Clayton is a certified teacher who taught in bilingual public preschool programs in New Brunswick and Trenton for six years before opening a state-licensed home daycare in Brick, according to her campaign's Facebook page. She lists herself as affiliated with the Green Party of New Jersey.

Foster is the director of government and community affairs for the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 711 of New Jersey.

In the wake of Lamela, Wohlrab and Pakala seizing control of the board — strengthened last year by the election of Daisy Haffner and Melita Gagliardi, who filled the seats previously held by White and Karyn Cusanelli — Cantillo has been for the most part quiet, occasionally speaking out on issues of concern, but other times simply making her opinion felt via a "no" vote. She has not typically clashed with fellow members publicly, though Lamela, in responding briefly to her statement, noted that they had disagreed on the best direction for the district.

"This is a full-time job for me," Cantillo said after the meeting, noting that she had devoted many hours to researching and understanding the various aspects of the district before making decisions. She said she has recently returned to working full-time, and that played a role in her decision as well.

Here is Cantillo's full statement:

"It is with a heavy heart that I made the decision not to run for another term on the BOE. I would like to thank the citizens of Brick for allowing me to serve on this Board of Education for the past 9 years. I am proud of Brick and what has been accomplished in that time.

I don’t think any newly elected board member can anticipate what it entails to sit behind this dais until you actually have to, and experience the totality of the decisions you will have to make until you have made them and either felt the success or the despair they may or may not have created in someone else’s’ life.

I along with only two other board members that I had the privilege to serve with, achieved the level of master board member, Frank Pannucci Sr, and John Talty.

I am disappointed that my training and experience was not valued as I thought it should be, and this board did not utilize it as I felt it should have. I did not have the opportunity to serve the students of Brick the way I would have liked to, or did in the past for almost 9 years. It has been difficult to sit as president for eight years and be involved to the extent I was, to now, barely knowing what is going on before the public does.

My focus and priority have always been the students of our district and the quality of their education. My vision for the future of this district are obviously very different than those of my fellow board members. I do not believe partisan politics belong in our school district or its budget. While I am honored to have served our town as a board member for 9 years, I am not comfortable being identified with such a highly political board and therefore, look forward to volunteering my time and expertise to our wonderful school district as a private citizen.

Again, I thank the citizens of Brick for allowing me to serve for these past nine years. It has been a very fulfilling experience, and one I will cherish."

Editor's note: This article was updated to reflect there are for Brick board members who have achieved master board member status.

Photo via Brick Township Schools