Meet Long Branch BOE Vice President Joseph Ferraina, Seeks Re-Election

LONG BRANCH, NJ — The Long Branch school board election will be Nov. 5.

This year, eight people are running for Long Branch Board of Education, and voters will be asked to choose four. Patch asked all eight candidates the same set of questions, and this week we will be publishing the candidates who got back to us.

Current Long Branch school board member Joseph Ferraina is allied with Long Branch school board president Violeta Peters, board member Ray Garland and newcomer Dominic Sama.

Editor's note: When Ferraina was superintendent of the Long Branch school district, he was sued by his former secretary for allegedly keeping her as a "sex slave" and the trysts happened in his office on school property. He kept a bar and a shower in his superintendent's office, the Asbury Park Press reported. The Long Branch school district settled with the woman in a $600,000 settlement, funded by New Jersey taxpayers.

Choose three for a three-year term:

• Julio A. Rivas
• Michael Zimmermann
• Jon R. Zimmerman
• Violeta Peters - current Board president, seeks re-election
• Raymond Garland
• Joseph M. Ferraina - current Board vice president, seeks re-election

There is also a one-year term, voters will be asked to choose one:

• Dominic Sama, Moving Forward Together
• Jason DeSantis

Provide a brief bio on yourself. Age, education, occupation.

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1950. Immigrated in 1963, and proceeded to be educated in the United States with the masters, plus 30. I am retired and proudly giving back to the community.

Do you have children in the district or formerly in the district?

Yes. I have two grandchildren presently attending the Long Branch public schools.

What experience do you have that would make you a good BOE member?

I am a lifelong educational advocate. I was a teacher, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent and Superintendent of Schools.

For current school board members, what is some of the work you're proudest of that the Board has done?

I am proudest that I was able to work with the rest of the board not to increase the property tax rate in Long Branch. I’ve also been a very strong advocate for all principals and administrators to work on-site and not remotely. And I look forward to reducing costs.

Where do you think the Board needs to improve? This is for both current BOE members and those not on the Board.

We need to be responsible to the children, taxpayers and educators.

Looking ahead, what are some of the biggest challenges facing your school district in the next 2 -5 years, and how do you plan to confront them?

Budget, student achievement and accountability.