The five-member Verona Board of Education oversees a district with six schools, more than 2,000 students and a $32 million operating budget. With a major referendum behind it, the BOE will focus next year on updating its strategic plan and its goals for the next five years.
BOE members are elected for a three-year term and there will be one seat up for election on Tuesday, November 7. Lisa Freschi is running for re-election, and she is being challenged by Connor McCann, a 2015 graduate of Verona High School.
Freschi, the BOE’s current vice president, is a 19-year Verona resident who had three children graduate from Verona public schools. She was an active member of School Community Association (SCA) for 16 years, holding leadership positions at the elementary, middle school and high school. She was a strategic plan team member for 2008-2013 and 2013-2018 and curriculum council member. She earned New Board Member certification from the New Jersey School Boards Association during her first term after attending multiple training sessions and professional development workshops. Freschi worked in Verona schools as a paraprofessional for seven years and is currently employed with Dale Carnegie Training, a corporate professional development organization.
McCann is now a junior at Montclair State University. He is a lifelong Verona resident, who says he has “the utmost pride in this town. I am an ardent supporter of public service and volunteerism in Verona, which is evident through my experiences coaching youth sports and being an active member of the volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad.” He is also a part-time municipal employee.
MyVeronaNJ.com asked both candidates for their views on four key issues for the future of public school education in Verona. Click on each question to view their answers:
QUESTIONS
- Verona has completed all the work funded by its 2014 referendum. What should our next big capital projects be and how will you address them?
- Verona’s public school budget is over $30 million with limited wiggle room from year to year because of the cap. How will you determine if a budget presented to you is the best budget for Verona?
- What has the Verona public school district done well over the last five years? What have we done poorly?
- Is the Verona BOE transparent enough? If not, what information needs to be more widely available or better explained?
On election day, polls will be open from 6:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. If you need to check whether you are registered to vote or where your polling place is in Verona, check the New Jersey Division of Elections’ website.