Palatella,
Hughes to seek reelection in the face of declining
SAT, HSPA Scores!
Frato,
Mazzolla to run aggressive campaign to oust incumbents!
NORTH
ARLINGTON - A former municipal employee and niece
of a former councilman have filed petitions for
another term on the North Arlington Board of Education
in the face of some of the worst standardized test
scores in the district's history.
Scott
Hughes, who formerly was employed as a $60,000 a year
Crime Analyst with the borough is the board's Vice-president.
He is currently employed with the Wood Ridge school
district and is a vocal opponent of Mayor Russ
Pitman and the Democratic Party.
Karen
Palatella is the niece of a former councilman and
daughter of a former longtime Recreation Commissioner.
Palatella currently serves as the board's president.
Palatella made headlines when she first sought a seat
on the board when she ran with her brother as a ticket.
The two were elected in 1999.
According
to test scores released by the state Department of
Education, North Arlington posted a lowly 906
out of a possible 1,600 in the Scholastic Aptitude
Test (SAT). Only Garfield, Englewood and Lodi posted
lower, overall scores on this college entrance
examination. According to state reports, less than
50% of graduating seniors attend a four-year college
or university.
The
Board of Education is a five-member body with trustees
serving a three-year term for no pay. All five
members are supporters of former North Arlington Mayor
Leonard R. Kaiser and the Republican Party.
Mazzolla,
a former Republican was a candidate in 2004 until
dropping out before the official ballot placement.
A former employee of the district for decades,
Mazzolla is teaming up with Recreation Commissioner
Fred Frato to oust the incumbents. He is currently
employed as a teacher with the Newark Board of Education.
A longtime volunteer, coach and Recreation Department
employee, Mazzolla currently serves the borough as
Youth Director.
The
Board of Education accounts for nearly 60% of all
municipal spending. Roughly 75% of the school budget
is dedicated to salaries and benefits. Teachers in
New Jersey are the highest paid in the nation
and Bergen County has the highest paid teachers in
the state of New Jersey according to published reports
compiled by the National Education Association (NEA).
The
school election is scheduled for Tuesday, April 19th.
The polls will be open from 2:00 pm till 9:00 pm.
To register to vote, please visit the Borough Clerk's
office located on the second floor of Borough Hall
Monday through Friday between 9 am & 4 pm.
