Three to vie for two U.F. seats on regional board
Bressi, Murphy decide not to seek re-election
BY JANE MEGGITT
Staff Writer

Joseph Calvitti

ALLENTOWN - Voters will choose two of three candidates on April 17 to fill the open seats on the Upper Freehold Regional Board of Education.

Current Upper Freehold board members Jeanette Bressi and Stephen Murphy decided not to run for re-election to the board. Ken Caitano, 40, Joseph Calvitti, 43, and Patricia Hogan all filed to run for the open seats.

Those who win the Upper Freehold seats will serve three-year terms.

Caitano, who works as a regulator on the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, is married with two children. He has a master of business administration degree from St. John's University in Queens, N.Y., and a bachelor of science degree from St. Francis College in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Caitano feels that the three most important issues facing the district are the need to improve test scores, the need for short- and long-term planning for the schools, and the need for a full-time superintendent of schools.

He does not support the proposed $13.2 million middle school referendum, which will also be on the April 17 ballot.

Patricia Hogan

"I cannot support this referendum, as I do not have enough good information to make a prudent decision," he said.

For the short term, Caitano believes talks should commence about regionalization at the K-12 level. He believes the current high school and middle school should be converted to a K-8 campus, which he said would allow for 100 percent growth. He would also like to see a regionalized high school built with Millstone Township and other local communities if regionalization at the K-12 level is viable, he said.

"Before a referendum is passed, we must make certain we are building the right type of school(s)," he said. "I strongly question whether a demographic study has been re-performed since 2003."

Caitano said the public does not know the true cost of land acquisition at Breza Road or the cost of remediation there, if any.

"The $13 million does not contain contingency moneys in excess of the state-required 5 percent and is predicated upon an on-time completion," he said. "There are just too many open variables."

Caitano said that if needed, the school district could go to another referendum this year, which would not materially change the delivery date for the school building, according to Caitano.

"In the Department of Environmental Protection's own words, they will have an answer on [the Wastewater Management Plan amendment for] Ellisdale Road as early as Aug. 19, 2007, and as late as October 2007," he said.

Caitano said another alternative the school district has is to build a middle school with the infrastructure specifications of a high school.

"Then, when needed, convert the middle school into a high school," he said.

Since the Breza Road site is already zoned with a commercial overlay, Caitano said it may be impractical or even unsafe to put a school there, depending on what kind of development would go around the site.

Calvitti, an engineering manager at Fiber Optic Subsystems, is married with two children. He has a master of science degree in physics education from Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, a master of science degree in applied physics/optics from Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pa., and a bachelor of science degree in physics with a minor in business administration and computer science.

Calvitti decided to run for election to help find short- and long-term solutions to the overcrowding at the elementary and middle school.

"I hope to provide an independent but respectful position without alienating the taxpayer," he said.

In his view, other important issues facing the school district include curriculum improvements and providing budget information to voters.

Calvitti said he is undecided about the new referendum, pending the overall strategy for dealing with limited facilities and curriculum improvement for grades K-12. He feels the district should utilize mobile structures for the next few years to ease overcrowding.

Calvitti said he would also ask the state for help, since developers do not pay a school impact fee. He said there should be a buy-in of the middle school parents and all taxpayers on a proposed solution.

"Critical to the future success of Upper Freehold Regional School District is hiring a new superintendent who has the experience to manage a school district with a significant growth rate," Calvitti said.

He continued, "Critical to building new schools on time and within budget is employing engineering firms and architects that can provide an accurate projects plan."

Hogan, who works as a real estate sales associate for Gloria Nilson/GMAC Real Estate, is married with two children. She has a bachelor of science degree from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

A six-year township resident, Hogan has served as president of the Heritage Green Homeowners Association for the past three years. She has also been a head coach for Pop Warner for the past four years and was recently asked by a board member of that organization to serve on its athletic committee.

Hogan said she decided to run for the Board of Education because she would like to contribute to the community on a larger scale.

"I think we have an amazing group of committed, hardworking individuals currently serving our town(s)," she said. "I would like to further support these men and women by participating directly and lending a voice as a parent and a concerned citizen of Upper Freehold. I am dedicated to the future of our community and our children."

In Hogan's view, the two most important issues facing the current school board are the new middle school's location and funding. She says the third most important issue would be to find a superintendent who can bring a progressive vision to the district's schools.

For Hogan, the proposed referendum is not a middle school location issue.

"These moneys are required to build the middle school under the current timelines," she said.

As for overcrowding in the school district, Hogan said neighboring communities have dealt with similar situations successfully with the use of modular classrooms.

"These buildings are heated [and] air-conditioned and are proven to be conducive to a productive learning environment," she said. "If placed strategically on the campus, I think that they will provide an effective short-term solution."