Landmark Montclair School Board Election Nears: What To Know

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A landmark school board election is getting closer in Montclair, and the stakes are high, officials say.

Montclair voters passed a history-making school referendum in the 2021 general election. The town was one of the last few in New Jersey where mayors appoint members of the local board of education, as opposed to voters electing them. But as a result of last November's referendum, Montclair will now make the switch to an elected school board.

Montclair will hold a special election on March 8 to choose two new members of the board. According to a statement from the League of Women Voters of the Montclair Area, the candidates include:

• Yvonne Bouknight
• Melanie Deysher
• Phaedra Dunn
• Jerold Freier
• Noah Gale
• Lauren Q. Griffin
• Holly Shaw
• George C. Simpson
• Jennette L. Williams

After that, annual contests for three seats will take place every November, beginning this year on Nov. 8, when three seats will be up for grabs.

Recently, the Essex County Clerk’s Office released a guide for Montclair voters who want to take part in the upcoming school board elections. It can be seen online here. Find your local polling place here.

Important dates to keep in mind include:

1ST SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION

• Tuesday, March 1 – Last day to request a vote by mail ballot via mail
• Monday, March 7 at 3 p.m. – Last day to apply for a vote by mail ballot in person or by authorized messenger
• Tuesday, March 9 – Election Day

2ND SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION

• Monday, July 25 at 4 p.m. – Deadline to file petitions for the Nov. 8, 2022 election
• Tuesday, Nov. 1 – Last day to apply for a vote by mail ballot via mail
• Monday, Nov. 7 at 3 p.m. – Last day to apply for a vote by mail ballot in person or by authorized messenger
• Tuesday, Nov. 8 – Election Day

According to the Essex County Clerk’s Office, here’s what local voters need to know about the upcoming elections:

"The Montclair voters have decided to make a change from a type 1 appointed school board to a type 2 elected school board. The first step in the process is for the Township of Montclair to host a Special Election on Tuesday, March 8, 2022, to elect two School Board members and increase the Township of Montclair School Board from seven members to nine members. The two School Board members being elected at the Tuesday, March 8, 2022, “Special Election” will be elected to one year and nine-month terms in office. The petitions to run for each office will be available at the Montclair Public School’s Office, 22 Valley Road, or can be downloaded at: www.montclair.k12.nj.us. The deadline for petitions to be submitted to the Montclair Public School’s Office is Monday, January 17, 2022, by 4 p.m. (10 qualified signatures are needed on the petition to qualify as a candidate)."

The clerk's office said:

"The Montclair voters have decided to move the annual School Board elections to the November General Election ballot in order to save the township approximately $70,000 a year by not having the School Board host the election every April."

After the special election in March, there will be another election in November, according to the clerk's office.

Officials explained:

"At the Tuesday, November 8, 2022, General Election, three members of the School Board will be elected for three-year terms in office. These elected School Board members will replace three of the current appointed School Board members whose terms are expiring. Petition deadline is Monday, July 25, 2022. Those petitions will be available at the Essex County Clerk’s Office at 495 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Newark, 07102, Suite 130 or at the Essex County Clerk’s website at: www.essexclerk.com."

Another election will follow in November 2023, officials said:

"There will be three more School Board members elected for three-year terms at the Tuesday, November 7, 2023, General Election. Those three members being elected at the November General Election will replace the two elected members from the March 8, 2022, special election and one appointed School Board member whose term is expiring. Petitions deadline is Monday July 31, 2022. Those petitions will be available at the Essex County Clerk’s Office at 495 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Newark, 07102, Suite 130 or at the Essex County Clerk’s website at: www.essexclerk.com."

"The terms of the remaining three appointed School Board members will be set to expire at the end of 2024 and three school board members will be elected at the November 5, 2024, General Election," the clerk's office stated.

"At that time, the Montclair Township School Board will have nine elected School Board members," the clerk's office said. "In every year following 2024, the people of the Montclair Township will elect three members to the school board for three-year terms in office."

GET TO KNOW THE CANDIDATES

Montclair Councilman Peter Yacobellis recently encouraged other local voters to “take the time to educate yourself” on the candidates and their stances.

Yacobellis offered a list of upcoming events and forums that may be useful:

• Feb. 17 (7 to 9 p.m.) - League of Women Voters / NAACP Candidates’ forum. Tomorrow night, the League of Women Voters and the Montclair chapter of the NAACP will be holding a key forum for candidates. Here’s the link for Zoom registration; it will also be streamed on TV34, YouTube and Radio Free Montclair. Questions can be submitted in advance by emailing: VoterServices@lwvmontclairarea.org.
• Feb. 27 (7:30 p.m.) - On February 27, the Montclair Clergy Association will host a Board of Education Candidate Forum. (Click here for registration.)
• Feb. 28 - Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) Candidate Forum - Stay tuned to their website for details.
• Montclair PTA Council (PTAC) Candidate Questionnaires - Here’s the link for the answers the nine candidates provided to questions from the Montclair PTA Council.

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