Michael Gromek: Scotch Plains School Board Candidate

SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ — The Scotch Plains School Board has six candidates vying for three seats in the upcoming election on Nov. 2.

Michael Gromek, who is running under the slogan "Achievement, Community, Tradition", is one of the candidates running.

The other candidates include:

• David Levine
• Karen Kulikowski - incumbent
• Tonya Y. Williams - incumbent
• Debora Brody - incumbent
• Timothy J. Mehl, Jr. - running under the slogan "For Our Kids"

All of the candidates are running for the three, three-year seats on the board.

Are you running for office in Scotch Plains? Contact Alexis Tarrazi at alexis.tarrazi@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Scotch Plains-Fanwood Patch.

Michael Gromek

Name: Michael Gromek

Age: 41

Town of residence: Scotch Plains

Position sought: Scotch Plains Board of Education

Family: Married with two daughters in our school system (7 and 10 years old)

Education: Grew up in Linden, attended high school at Union Catholic Regional High School, Bachelor's Degree from Kean University, Masters Degree from Seton Hall University

Occupation: Police Officer, currently holding the rank of Lieutenant

Previous or current elected appointed office: None in a public election / Local PBA (#340) President for 10 years (election within the Local)

Why are you seeking to run for school board? To assist the Board with my background in dealing with the public, safety oriented approaches and have the opportunity to serve our community.

What is your stance on masks in schools? I am a proponent of referring to the individuals who possess the expertise to make educated decisions in this arena. In this case, who better than a local pediatrician like Dr. David Levine? Taking a scientific approach to the safest means is obviously paramount for our children. Our youth need to be around others in the educational setting in order to properly socialize, grow and mature. As we learn to navigate this pandemic as a community, I believe we will come up with ways to unmask our children and hopefully return to as much normalcy as possible.

Should schools offer a virtual option? I believe a virtual option should be offered, but with appropriate reason. COVID itself should not be enough reason alone.

What other issues do you feel must be tackled in the school district? Transparency is key to building trust with the community we serve. I have extensive experience in safety and dealing with labor unions, as I myself belong to one and have for the last 17 years. I believe bussing students should be revisited as well as expanding the options for lunch. Safety measures within our schools are constantly evolving and must be kept up to date.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates? I bring over 17 years of public safety experience, professional standards knowledge, public information officer experience as well as policy formation, development and implementation.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign? John Mehl reached out to me along with Dr. David Levine when we learned we were all interested in bringing fresh ideas and experiences to the Board. Mr. Mehl is a communications specialist which in turn would be a huge asset to our Board since correspondence has been lacking. He is responsible for bringing three fathers from very different professions and backgrounds together. Dr. Levine contributes a wealth of knowledge in regard to the medical/scientific side of the novel challenges we are faced with throughout this pandemic. We are all parents with a vested interest in the advancements and success of our school system.