Campaign 2008 Board of Education:

ROOSTER IN THE HEN HOUSE?

Retired NA schools superintendent challenges two incumbents and autism support group leader in race for the Board of Education!

NORTH ARLINGTON - Anthony "Tony" Blanco, a lifetime bureaucrat of the North Arlington school district who served as both principal of NAHS as well as Superintendent of Schools has filed for a seat for the Board of Education.

Blanco, who retired from the district in 1991 has been a longtime member of the Library Board of Trustees and is making his first bid for public office. A registered Republican and supporter of the Kaiser political organization for decades, Mr. Blanco will try to unseat one of the two incumbents in Karen Palatella and Fred Frato.

The fourth candidate in the race is Debbie Wertalik, who has distinguished herself in fighting the learning disability of autism. Wertalik is the president of Special Angels, a group of concerned parents seeking to assist those youngsters effected by the disorder.

Wertalik, who over the last several years has led Special Angels into a important charitable and civic organization can be found online at www.puttingthepiecestogether.org

"I have known Debbie for about two years and have found her to be incredibly dedicated to this important cause," said Councilman Al Granell, who's wife is a current trustee to the school district.

While school board races are officially non-partisan, it seems as though Democrats & Republicans alike make their feelings known as to who they prefer.

"Most school board races are decided by the size of the school budget tax increase. It is the one election where voters can have a say in municipal spending. Traditionally, school budgets are defeated if an organized effort to rally voters is made in opposition," said one local insider familiar with school board races here in the borough.

Two other developing issues is the cost of special education as well as the proposal to have students wear school uniforms in grades K-6.

"Blanco's candidacy is a bit of a surprise. His long record of supporting school tax increases while making little progress in student proficiency especially in the area of formalized testing during his tenure does little to assist an affirmative vote for passage," said one former school trustee when asked to comment on Blanco's candidacy.

Mayor Peter Massa, himself a former school trustee and board president served with Blanco at the time of his retirement. Mayor Massa was part of the board that hired Blanco's successor, William Mancuso.

It was Massa who with Mancuso passed the only major capital improvement referendum in the district's history which transformed the Wilson elementary school into the North Arlington Middle School.

"If you're worried about high taxes and spending, Tony Blanco isn't a good choice. Blanco's inability to muster the passage of school budgets during his tenure as superintendent of schools is a case study in how not to build support for public education," said one political insider.

Incumbent Karen Palatella was first elected to the school board with her brother Kevin Kazenmayer in 1999. She was subsequently re-elected in 2002 and again in 2005. Mr. Frato was elected by a mere four votes just three years ago when he edged out former NA school teacher Nick Mazzolla, also active with the North Arlington Recreation Commission.

The last time a former district employee sought a seat on the board of education was retired high school history teacher Anthony Calabrese who ran in 1990 and was subsequently defeated for re-election in 1993.