Two seek Allentown seats on regional board
Referendum and overcrowding top issues in school district
BY JANE MEGGITT
Staff Writer

Two candidates are seeking election to the two open Allentown seats on the Upper Freehold Regional Board of Education.

Douglas Anthony, 41, has registered to seek the one three-year term Allentown seat, and Elizabeth Trent, 52, registered to take on the one-year left in an unexpired seat. Voters will cast ballots for the candidates in the April 17 Board of Education election. A second question on the ballot will ask voters to approve an additional $13.2 million for the new middle school project.

Anthony, who works as a business agent, is married with two children. He was appointed to the board last year to fill Kathryn Wolden's unexpired term. The short term he has served on the board has been challenging and rewarding, he said.

"I feel as though I can be a viable member by striving to understand the issues facing our board and then working toward consensus as a body," he said.

Anthony feels that building the middle school as expeditiously and feasibly as possible is the most important issue facing the school district. Other important issues to him include finding a superintendent that best meets the school system's needs and continually reviewing ways to enhance the school district's curriculum programs.

After listening to district professionals and collaborating with fellow board members, Anthony said he fully supports the new middle school referendum.

When asked about alleviating overcrowding, he said the task force addressing the issue has found many possible solutions.

"In my opinion, the utilization of modular learning centers are the most plausible of all the potential solutions," he said.

Trent, an English teacher at South Brunswick High School in Middlesex County, is married with two children. She has a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Kentucky, Lexington.

Trent has served on the board since 2003.

"I have been an educator for over 29 years and believe that every board of education needs someone who knows, firsthand, some of the challenges schools face every day. It is a matter of perspective," she said.

In her view, planning for the children's educational future is always the No. 1 priority.

"We need to select a superintendent who has the knowledge and desire to move our schools from good to great," she said. "And we need to build a school that the students and community members can be proud of and deserve."

When asked about the proposed referendum, Trent said that schools are expensive, but they are one of the best investments a community can make.

"Just look at how long our current elementary school has served us," she said.

Trent said that various state agencies and many residents in the community did not look favorably on the Ellisdale Road site for the new middle school. To Trent, that site is no longer a viable option.

"Unfortunately, prices have gone up," she said, "and I am sure they will continue to go up, so we need to act now in favor of building a new middle school for our kids."

To ease overcrowding, Trent said that starting next year, the school district needs to phase in the use of trailers until the new school is built.

"The board and the administration have been investigating options and costs to solve the problem in the most cost-efficient way," she said. "I have worked in schools that have used trailers and if configured wisely, they can become an extension of the building and a workable temporary solution."

Trent asked voters to consider more than just monetary figures when voting for or against the referendum.

"Set aside all of the politics, set aside all of the bickering, set aside all of the divisiveness, and cast a vote for the children of this community," she said. "Not only will the tax impact be greater if we wait, [but] the educational impact will be devastating."

She added, "Please vote your conscience."