Colts Neck Board Of Education Election 2026: Vincent Rugnetta

COLTS NECK, NJ — Incumbent Vincent Rugnetta is running for re-election to the Board of Education in the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Rugnetta is running for one of three open full-term seats on the board alongside running mates Angela Mansour and Alice Dean Finney under the "Colts Kids First" campaign.

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In November, the three will face off against Alicia Raia-Hawrylak, Thomas Colella and Camila Fernandez-Cohen, who are running under the "Act for Excellence" campaign, as well as David Hauss, Michal Mateusz Kalisz and Alainah Robillard, who are running under the "Education First" campaign.

Ahead of the election, Patch posed several questions to Rugnetta about his campaign platform, experience and what sets him apart from other candidates running. His replies are below.

Editor's Note: The following article contains information about one of the candidates running for the Colts Neck Board of Education in 2026. Responses are written as received by Patch and only edited for style.

Patch has contacted all other candidates in this race with the same questions and will post replies as they are received.

Are you running for election in Colts Neck? Contact Sara Winick at sara.winick@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Patch.

Vincent Rugnetta

Age: 40
Town of Residence: Colts Neck
Education: Rutgers University BA with a major in Criminal Justice and a minor in Sociology
Occupation: Senior Temporary Disability Insurance Examiner for the NJ Department of Labor & Workforce Development

What drove you to seek public office?

I am running for re-election to the Colts Neck School Board first and foremost for my children, to make sure they continue to receive the best education possible.

That starts with the top down from administration to teachers. I want to continue to make sure our district has the best individuals working to provide the best results for all children that attend our schools.

Secondly, I want to make sure our district continues to put parental rights at the forefront of our priorities. Making sure every parent has a voice in their children's education has always been the main goal throughout my term. Parents deserve to know and have an influence in how their child is adapting, performing, and progressing.

What sets you apart from the other candidates?

I am the only candidate running who has served on the Colts Neck Board of Education. I understand how school boards run and what it takes to make them successful.

During my three-year tenure on the board so far, I have learned how school board budgets work. I have seen firsthand the bureaucracy in school administration.

Working in government, I have witnessed how wasteful spending affects budgets. Along with my colleagues on the board, we have found where to cut spending, cut through the red tape, and work to better allocate funds and resources.

What are past accomplishments or experiences that make you qualified for this position?

One of my first acts on the board was voting to live stream our meetings. This began the era of transparency for the Colts Neck Board of Education. At the time, I was the communications committee chair and helped oversee the technical progress of the transition.

Another accomplishment I am proud of during my tenure on the board was implementing the change of our board to a committee of a whole so the public could see firsthand what ideas the board was discussing in terms of policy, curriculum, buildings & grounds, finance, communications, transportation, and negotiations. These discussions could now be seen by all through our YouTube live streams that are available to access 24/7.

I proudly voted for our Freedom To Read Act resolution in 2024, which made known to Trenton our stance on inappropriate material being distributed in schools, and in tandem with the work of parental rights advocates, before the law was passed, it was adjusted to put the process in the hands of parents and school boards. Therefore, I am extremely proud to be an advocate for parental rights.

During my time on the board, we have made sure that Policy 5756 remains abolished so parents and guardians are always aware and have a say in their child's scholastic lives. We also continued to make sure parents have an opt-out in terms of all sensitive healthcare curriculum. A momentous policy we passed last year was the Parental Bill of Rights, which put in one place all policies pertaining to the education, health, and general well-being of their children within our schools.

During my tenure as vice president, I even reached across the aisle and was the deciding vote on the expansion of SEL with the addition of a new counselor/teacher in our district, but made sure parents still had the opportunity to opt out. I am extremely proud that during all three years on the board, we passed budgets that included a 0% tax increase. We did this while making sure our reserves were set for the future, especially with more housing developments being constructed in Colts Neck regarding the future influx of students.

We also cut spending by renegotiating and pursuing new contracts and revising our employees' health care, while making sure no vital coverage was lost. The board also oversaw the reallocation of funds from different sources that had been overbudgeted in the past to make sure resources were being spent wisely. We have also overseen major facilities updates that will be utilized by students and faculty for decades to come.

As an admirer of U.S. history, I am pleased our board brought back the annual Washington, D.C. class trip, which has not taken place in many years. I am also humbled that we have added age-appropriate lessons and books about 9/11 to our curriculum. As someone who is passionate about American civics, I was honored to welcome our US Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, to our schools last December to celebrate the History Rocks! Initiative to celebrate our country's 250th anniversary.

Most recently, I brought forth to the board a proactive resolution detailing our stance against several pieces of legislation aimed at families of homeschooled students.

If re-elected, what will be your top priorities in your new role?

I would continue to advocate that parents become more involved in their children's education, especially when it comes to health class and SEL.

I believe parents should do their due diligence before their children partake in what progressive politicians in Trenton think is best. The Colts Neck School District makes sure parents have online access to their children's syllabus. Ultimately, it is up to parents to decide if that curriculum aligns with their religious views and family values.

I would suggest the implementation of more kid-friendly history, economics, and civics books to add to our libraries and curriculum to set our students up for the future by never forgetting what has made our country great.

I would also advocate that our state opt into the Education Freedom Tax Credit so our residents can receive an income tax credit for cash contributions made to approved nonprofit scholarship granting organizations.

Name one thing about Colts Neck that always makes you smile.