Candidate Forum Planned For Long Valley School Board: 2024 Election

LONG VALLEY, NJ — As election season heats up, candidates for the Washington Township Schools Board of Education are set to convene and discuss key community issues.

Once again this year, the Old Farmers Road School PTO will host a public forum on October 15 for all candidates running for the Washington Township Board of Education in the 2024 school election.

The elementary school's PTO recently announced details of the forum, which will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. at Valley View Chapel, which is located at 115 East Mill Road.

This year, five people have filed petitions seeking election to the Washington Township Board of Education, according to the Morris County Clerk's office.

Here is the list of candidates:

• Mike Cattano, "Protect Our Children."
• Kevin McGrath, "Protect Our Children."
• Kelly Weinert, "Protect Our Children."
• Melanie Bratton, "Focused On Education."
• Robert A. Waskis Jr., "Improving Educational Outcomes."

Current board members Cindy Ruggiero and Carmine Capogrosso, whose terms both expire this December, did not file for re-election.

Candidates running for the West Morris Central Regional High School District have also been invited to briefly introduce themselves and discuss their platforms before the Q&A session begins, officials said.

This forum presents an opportunity for the community to learn more about each candidate and their motivations for running. Attendees will have the chance to ask important questions and gain insight into what each candidate truly represents, a spokesperson for the Old Farmers Road School PTO said.

The local school board makes critical community decisions, such as hiring administrators and handling property tax money. Until 2012, all school boards held elections in April, when a state law was passed allowing districts to switch to the November general election.