Election 2022: Lacey Board Of Education Candidate Jack Conaty

LACEY, NJ — Next month, Lacey 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.

Name Jack Conaty

Age 42

Education High School (LTHS ‘98) & Vocational School (OCVTS) Diplomas

Occupation Verizon Maintenance Technician (24 years)

Family I am married to my wife Krystal for the past 18 years with 2 children, Owen (LTHS) &
Quinn (Mill Pond)

Previous public office experience I am currently the Fire Chief of Lanoka Harbor Vol. Co for
the past 2.5 years, and a member for the past 26. While it may not be considered a “public
office”, I deal with the Township on an almost daily basis as a department head and have
learned so much regarding public office from this.

Why are you running for this position?

As an alumni of Lacey Township High School (1998) and a parent of 2 children (and many
nieces and nephews) currently in the District, I care deeply about seeing the District operate at
its best. There is a lot of uncertainty in the coming years and I want to be a part of the solution.

What separates you from the other candidates?

I am home grown! I moved to town when I was 4 years old and started my education at
Lanoka Harbor Elementary School. I then proceeded on to graduate from Lacey Township High
School.

I have been a volunteer in this town for almost 3 decades in many different aspects. None of
which have I seeked anything in return besides seeing improvement. I am able to listen to all
sides and fight for all that are involved. That is exactly what I hope to continue when elected.

What do you think is the most pressing issue in the school district and how do you intend to address it?

One of the most pressing issues is the district finances. State funding is unfortunately
scheduled to be cut another 2 million dollars next year, on top of the past cuts. This greatly
trickles down and affects every department in the district. Ultimately, it affects the students and
this can’t happen. We need to find ways to generate revenue for the district to help offset some
of the cuts

What is your stance on the sexual education curriculum that Gov. Murphy put forth earlier this year?

I am totally against it. The Governor and the Department of Education shouldn’t be able to
push their agendas onto any district the way that they have been. I know this is a huge hot
button issue with a lot of parents, but MY opinion is that the bulk of the fight is with Trenton, not
the local Board of Education that is being put between a rock and a hard place.

What other issues do you feel must be tackled in your school district that have not been discussed already and how would you tackle these?

The ridiculous mandates from Trenton are some of the biggest challenges facing the District.
Whether it be a one-size-fits-all COVID mandate or new education standards that are out of
touch with the desires of so many parents for fear of children being taught topics that are either
not age-appropriate or should be left to parents. We need to be proactive in petitioning
lawmakers to reverse or minimize the impact these mandates have on the District

Is there anything else you would like voters to know?

I have been a resident of Lacey Township for the past 37 years, and have always found
myself volunteering to help better the town that I love and chose to raise my family in. Whether it
be for the fire department or as a recreational sports coach for my children’s teams. I’ve had the
opportunity to meet so many amazing people in this town.

While I may not have all of the answers all of the time, 2 things I will promise is to work tirelessly
for all of the stakeholders and to always listen to all sides to make the best decisions.