Montclair was one of the few remaining New Jersey municipalities where mayors choose members of the local board of education — not the public.
A proposal to change the board’s makeup in Montclair had gone to the ballot five times since the 1960s and each time, voters opted to keep an appointed board. The argument against it was that an elected form of governance is overly political, expensive for candidates, and risks the board being hijacked by single-issue candidates and their voting blocks.
Now constituents in Montclair must elect two school board members and increase the school board from seven to nine members. The two board members elected in Tuesday’s special election will be elected to one-year and nine-month terms in office. There are nine candidates vying for the two seats. “I think this is going to be a more inclusive system, so I’m just excited about the future,” Gonzalez told NJ Advance Media.
The new classification also slightly adjusts the term length served by current board members. Under the old system, President Latifah Jannah, Vice President Priscilla Church, and Mfreke Inyang — who is completing the remainder of Davis’ term — would have had their terms expire in May. However, under the new system these board members will serve through the end of the year, until a reorganization meeting in January 2023.