Election For Wyckoff Seat On Ramapo-IndianHills Regional School Board Gets Heated

WYCKOFF, NJ — The November election for two seats on the Wyckoff Township Committee is not too controversial, since both seats are unopposed — however, the two separate school board elections may draw a little heat.

For the five-member Township Committee, Republicans Peter Melchionne (see profile below) and Scott A. Fisher are running to retain their seats. They faced no challengers in the Republican primary and still face none in the Nov. 7 general election.

In the Republican primary in June, Fisher drew 546 votes, Melchionne amassed 544, and four people wrote in a Republican nominee. There were no Democratic nominees to run in November.

It's safe to say those seats are pretty secure.

Local And Regional School Board

In the past year, the school board has been where the action is, particularly in light of what some call "culture wars" in board elections and meetings across the country.

New school board candidates, often affiliated with the Republican party, have criticized what they consider inappropriate subjects in books and in schools, while others say scrutinizing schools has crossed the line into book-banning, canceling teachers, and even threatening librarians.

Wyckoff has its own local seven-member school board. Two candidates are running unopposed for two seats on that board this year. They are Frank Barbagallo and Christopher A. Rizzo.

But the town also has four representatives on the nine-member board that governs the Ramapo-Indian Hills district, which oversees two regional high schools: Indian Hills High School and Ramapo High School.

It's the Ramapo-Indian Hills school board, which added new members after last year's election, that has become controversial this year.

Over the summer, a new board majority voted to eliminate funding for some programs for student counseling, then reversed their stance after an outcry from the community, including from the sister of a recent grad who took his own life.

The superintendent criticized the board and announced his plan to leave for another district. He also wrote an editorial calling their vote an "assault on our most vulnerable students."

The majority has also overturned the superintendent's recommendations to discipline students in Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying cases that the district had investigated.

What Do The Candidates Think?

For the one contested Wyckoff seat on the Ramapo-Indian Hills Board, incumbent Brian DeLaite is up for re-election, and Jared A. Geist is running against him.

DeLaite did not vote to eliminate funding for the counseling programs. Recently, he posted a video of his remarks at the July board meeting, saying in a statement, "Steadfast leadership can be the difference between short-sightedness and genuine progress. In this video, I delve deep into the importance of mental health support in our schools."

DeLaite also submitted a press release to Patch, while Geist did not. DeLaite's campaign said:

"Brian DeLaite is formally launching his campaign for the Ramapo Indian Hills Board of Education. Brian and his family have called Wyckoff home for over 12 years. He was appointed to the board in November 2022 and has been a volunteer recreation sports coach since 2004, most recently guiding the 2023 Wyckoff 5th grade girls travel basketball team to the playoffs.
Brian takes a fiscally conservative approach as a board member, where he is always focused on making sure that taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely and to the maximum benefit of the students. The focus, he believes, should be on PUTTING STUDENTS FIRST. If elected, Brian will continue to conduct himself on the board with integrity, transparency, and respect for differing opinions.
During his time on the board, Brian has been a steadfast supporter of the superintendent’s strategic plan, supported the field lighting and tennis court projects underway at both high schools, and also supported the recognition of Competitive Dance and Mountain Biking as sports.
Throughout the Fall, Brian will be attending various town events and organizing meet and greets with voters. He looks forward to learning about the issues in front of the school board that are important to voters. He can also be reached email: DeLaite4Wyckoff@gmail.com and looks forward to hearing from you."

Posts from two clashing Facebook groups this week have referenced these tense issues as well as the candidates for seats representing Wyckoff and Oakland.

A FLOW (Franklin Lakes, Oakland, and Wyckoff) group supporting Jared Geist has been posting about the issues, asking voters to "deflate DeLaite."

And different FLOW group, this one favoring DeLaite, screenshotted posts from statewide groups referencing in the race, and remarked on the controversies.

What do you think?

If you have statements or thoughts about the upcoming elections and issues in Wyckoff, share them with our readers. You can post on Wyckoff Patch yourself any time using these instructions. Then, email the link or a copy of the statement to Patch.

See the sample ballot here listing all of the candidates for whom you can vote in Wyckoff elections.

Early voting will begin Oct. 28. See more information on when to vote, and voting methods, below.

More Voter Information

Patch received a bio for one of the unopposed candidates for Township Committee.

Candidate Bio: Peter Melchionne

I have been a member of the Wyckoff Township Committee since 2021. While on the Township Committee I have been liaison and served on the following committees: Fire Commissioner, Environmental Commission, Personal Committee, Department of Public Works, Budget Committee, Memorial Day Parade Committee, Planning Board, Facilities Committee, Fireworks Committee, and Ambulace. One of my proudest accomplishments was to initiate the Military Tribute banner program to remember all those who have served. As a former first responder of the ER EMS, I am strong supporter of the Police, Fire, Ambulance and all First Responders. I will also continue to focus on school and public safety, improving recreational facilities, parks, pedestrian walkways and maintaining open space. As a fiscal conservative I will continue to keep Wyckoff affordable and keeping the tax rate low while improving services. I look forward to serving all of Wyckoff for another term.

Voter Instructions

• You can vote in Wyckoff elections starting on Oct. 28 and through Nov. 7.
• Learn more about voting in New Jersey here.
• Some information on voting locations in Wyckoff is here.
• Learn about three ways to vote in NJ here.
• See the voter timeline here.
  
• The list of candidates in all Bergen County races can be found here on the sample ballots for each town.