New Hoboken School Board Members Take Office At Meeting

HOBOKEN, NJ — After a heated Hoboken election, two new school board members and a re-elected member will begin their terms this week.

They may have to tackle issues such as how to deal with a growing population of school-age children in Hoboken.

The Hoboken Board of Education Reorganization will take place Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023, at 7 p.m., tentatively in the Demarest School auditorium on Fourth Street.

As with past meetings, there will be no option to watch virtually, although the meeting will be recorded.

The lack of a virtual option has been among the bones of contention among those active in school issues. Re-elected member Alex De La Torre said during the campaign that he thinks meetings should be livestreamed, but that he was in the minority in this view. His ticket may bring a new approach.

Decisions For More Than 3,000 Kids

The nine-member board will have to approve a new school budget in spring, with potential added programs or cuts. They will also vote on personnel and projects.

More than 3,000 kids attend the local district public schools, including pre-K. And while students in the city's three public charter schools are in separate districts, those schools — as well as private schools — can still be affected by Hoboken school board decisions, particularly since they sometimes rent facilities or resources from the district, and occasionally share events (like all-school dances).

The board will have to confront changes in school population. A year ago, a majority of voters rejected a $241 million plan to reconfigure the district's buildings and build a new high school. Will the new board and administration present a new plan, and how will they serve the city's growing population of school-age kids?

The board meets the second Tuesday of each month. The agenda is often not posted on-line until the day before the meeting, but when it is, you can find it here.

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Read past school board meeting coverage here.