Walter Curioni Long Valley School Board Candidate

LONG VALLEY, NJ — The Washington Township Schools Board of Education has a contested election this fall, with five candidates who filed to run for three available, three-year seats.

Walter Curioni is one those candidates who put his hat into the ring.

The other candidates on the ballot include:

• José Lourenço
• Cynthia Field Ruggiero
• Robert A. Waskis Jr.
• Carmine Capogrosso

Editor's Note: Are you a candidate on the ballot? Patch sent out emails to all candidates to the email addresses listed for their campaign provided to the office of the clerk. The responses received will be published between now and the General Election. Candidates who would like to participate but did not receive one (for whatever reason) may contact jennifer.miller@patch.com.

Name: Walter Curioni

Town of residence: Washington Township

Position sought: School Board Trustee

Family: Married to Nicole Curioni; three children, Ava (age 7), Jordan (age 5), and Justin (six months).

Education: I earned my B.A. in Literature from Ramapo College, an M.A. in Special Education, and my administrative certificates.

Occupation: Director of Special Education, Randolph Township Board of Education

Previous or current elected appointed office: Seeking office for the Washington Township K-8 Board.

Why are you seeking to run for school board? We are at a precipice in public education. Washington Township lost 18.16% in state aid or $1,145,457 this year. The challenges and opportunities faced today in public education are unlike those ever experienced. We need leaders with the experience and skillset to address these challenges to ensure that our learners of today are provided with the same amazing opportunities that we are accustomed to in this fantastic town.

What is your stance on masks in schools? Executive Orders 251 and 253 mandate masks.

Should schools offer a virtual option? Our teachers are rock stars. It is impossible to excel in a hybrid model wherein teachers are tasked to instruct those in front of them and at home simultaneously. Students need to be in school!
For those required to quarantine, there is a virtual option. I support this option.

What other issues do you feel must be tackled in the school district? There are several time sensitive issues. First, and most important, is the mental health of our students. Washington Township is unique in that they do not have an in-district clinical program. When students are in crisis, families are in crisis; when families are in crisis, students are in crisis. This is priority number one. Washington Township has seen its state aid decimated. We need to create revenue pathways that can sustain these cuts. More than seventy-two percent of our tax dollars are dedicated to public education. We need to ensure that our schools are efficiently and effectively managed. Our math scores have suffered over the past three years. We need to empower our great teachers to utilize the diagnostic instruments in place such as the NWEA MAP Scores to identify gaps in the curriculum.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates? I am blessed to spend my days working with students, mentoring teachers, and building innovative programs. During my tenure in Randolph, our department has been recognized for our 18-21 Transition House, RISE program (partnership with P.G. Chambers) and the OASIS program (general education classroom for students with anxiety and depression). As we continue to lose state funding, the district has doubled our tuition revenue each year and will collect approximately one million in tuition this year. We have a model in place to triple our tuition revenue in the next five years. I will bring this vision to the Washington Township Board of Education.

We kept our schools open last year in a safe and effective manner. My opponents failed to produce a Reopening Plan and to date have failed to disclose what metric was applied last school year that prevented our schools from opening.

My opponent signed a political letter to Murphy stating that he was opposed to the mask mandate and recently told the Patch NJ that he strongly supports masks as a mitigation instrument. Trustees ought to be truthful and principled in their positions and not make political calculations based on the day. Boards must be apolitical; the focus must always be on supporting staff, students, and families.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign? I am humbled to run with two amazing running mates. Cindy Field-Ruggiero is a successful businesswoman who has innate leadership qualities. She brought the International Baccalaureate program to West Morris Central while on the Board and spearheaded new extracurriculars and offerings. Rob Waskis is an Ivy League educated compliance expert who brings a unique lens to most issues. His thoroughness and detail-oriented perspective is exactly what we need at this time on the Board.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.