By Barbara A. Preston | Posted August 29, 2024
Six candidates are running for four seats on the Montgomery-Rocky Hill School Board. Five are vying for three open 3-year terms on the board, and one is running unopposed for one 2-year term.
Six candidates will appear on the November 5 general election ballot for the Montgomery / Rocky Hill school district board of education.
The terms Maria Spina of Rocky Hill, Patrick Todd of Skillman, and Marty Carlson of Montgomery all expire the end of this year. Carlson did not file to run for re-election (the deadline was the end of July). He did not respond to an email from The Montgomery News asking why he decided not to run for a second term on the board.
Carlson resigned from the board, effective immediately, at the August 27 school board meeting. The reason he cited was that he has relocated outside of the Montgomery / Rocky Hill school district. The board will have to appoint a replacement for Carlson at at future meeting.
Spina, who currently serves as vice-president of the school board, will seek a second term. Todd, the current school board president — also the first Black man elected to the board and to serve as president — is also seeking a second term.
Joining the Spina-Todd ticket, which has a slogan “Representing Our Community,” is newcomer Ting Wang of Montgomery.
Candidate John Sangiovanni is going for a third try to get elected to the board. He ran unsuccessfully in 2023 and 2022. His platform slogan is “Making Montgomery Thrive,” according to the Somerset County Board of Elections.
Newcomer Jaideep Mathur of Skillman is running for one of the three three-year terms on a ticket with newcomer Vanita R. Nargund, who is running unopposed for the two-year unexpired term. Their platform slogan is “Advocating for Children.”
Nargund was appointed to the board recently to fill the unexpired term of Zelda Spence Wallace. Wallace, who resigned from her seat earlier this year after she was charged with theft by her former employer (The Plainfield School District). She maintains she is innocent.
The Montgomery / Rocky Hill School District Board of Education is made up of nine seats.
The candidates will be invited to participate in a Meet-the-Candidates forum, to be scheduled for a mutually acceptable date in October. The Montgomery News will send its annual questionnaire to all candidates, and will post the candidates' answers sometime in September. ■
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