Manchester Township School Board Election 2023: Timothy Poss

MANCHESTER, NJ — Election Day 2023 is near, and Manchester Township voters will be going to the polls to cast their ballots for candidates at the local, county and state levels.

The three, three-year terms on the Manchester Township Board of Education are the only contested races in Manchester, and there are six candidates seeking the three seats. School board seats are volunteer positions and are supposed to be nonpartisan entities.

Patch sent a questionnaire to all of the candidates seeking their responses. Here are the replies from Timothy Poss.

Your Name: Timothy Poss

Age (as of Election Day): 36

Campaign Website: Putting Kids First — Manchester Township

Family: Wife Heather Poss, 34, daughter Callie, 6, and son Timothy Jr., 9. Both children attend Whiting Elementary School.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? This includes any relatives who work in the government you're running for. No.

Education: Fairleigh Dickinson University, bachelor's degree in history/criminal justice (Student Athlete — Football); Seton Hall, master's degree in human resources training, leadership, and development; FBI LEADA Leadership Training.

Occupation: Police sergeant, Pemberton Borough Police Department (supervisor for more than 7 years, police officer for more than 11 years. Local business owners (property maintenance/ lawn care and landscaping); volunteer time in our community.

Previous or current elected or appointed office: Appointed to the board of education in August 2023. Serves on the Manchester Township Planning Board since 2021. Serves on the Manchester Little League board since 2018.

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am seeking to be elected to office in Manchester Township because I want to preserve the schools here that have educated my family. I am the oldest of 5 siblings who graduated from the Manchester Township School District. My heart is here in Manchester Township and I continue to give back by being involved in our community. My children attend Whiting Elementary School and I want to see every child in our community provided a great education.

What do you see as the role of the Board of Education?

I believe the role of the Board of Education is to ensure that the schools allow each child to receive the best education they can be provided. Putting Kids First is not only our slogan but it is what I believe is most important to our children in our community. The board needs to support the educators by helping to provide them all necessary training so they can be the best educators for our children.

The Manchester Township Schools are predicted to see an increase in enrollment over the next 5 years. What steps do you think the district should take to prepare for that?

The feasibility study from September 2023 explained that the numbers should not rise drastically for public school enrollment over the next 5 years. Each year this must be looked at to see if a trend is starting to rise in enrollment or lower enrollment. The district needs to inquire yearly about the amount of building permits that are approved in our municipality to assess the possible increase in enrollment due to the increase in households with children in town.

What do you believe is the most important issue for students and families in the Manchester Township Schools?

During my short time on the board, I asked immediately to look into hiring an attendance officer to limit the amount of people who were falsifying their addresses to gain services from the Manchester Township School District. I had heard this from many residents and with the board's support we approved an investigative service to investigate these matters and save the district large sums of money as this continues to be a trend due to our free Pre-K Program. We must also preserve Whiting Elementary School and not allow it to ever become an early learning center.