Meet Jay Slade, Running For Re-Election On Old Bridge School Board

OLD BRIDGE, NJ — Six people are running for three seats on the Old Bridge school board. Patch asked all six candidates the same set of questions.

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

My name is Jay Slade and I am living in Old Bridge for 20 years. I am 57 years young, attended Brooklyn College and a financial advisor by trade.

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

I have two daughters that currently attend Salk Middle School.

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

(He is currently on the Old Bridge school board.) I am running for re-election under Ballot # 3. I would like my last three years to be my resume for what my future would look like if re-elected, and that’s conducting myself rationally — not radical. I make my decisions based on facts with no outside influences that supports ALL students.

My proudest moments over the last three years was being part of the board that “Saved Old Bridge” by preserving the school district’s elective courses, sports and extracurricular classes by voting to increase the local school tax levy. This was due to extreme state aid cuts. In addition, I was a part of negotiating a 5-year contract with our OBEA prior to the school year, giving our teachers a clear vision for the near future.

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

The board needs to stop catering to personal agendas that constantly rears its ugly head. We need to focus on the education fundamentals that our students need to prepare them for entering into society. We need to stop catering to distractions that take us off course.

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

Looking ahead, the biggest challenges Old Bridge faces will be managing our budget with the convoluted state formula. We are at constant risk of being underfunded, which can always impact the robust education experience that makes us Old Bridge proud. I plan to continue to advocate pressuring Trenton on supporting our large district and will always be budget conscious with our taxpayers' dollars.

Who's running for Old Bridge school board in 2024; voters will be asked to choose three:

• Brooke Richards-Patterson — Transparent, Intentional, Accountable
• Jay Slade - Rational, Not Radical - current Old Bridge school board member, seeks re-election
• Kiran Venkatesan - Transforming Education Together
• Carl Von Stetten - More Student Opportunity
• Mireille Cameau-Wicks - Ensuring Education Integrity
• Richard J. Dunn - Old Bridge Education

• Salvatore DiPrima - Kids First (He dropped out of the race.)
• Kyler Dineen - Old Bridge Alum (He dropped out of the race.)

Who else got back to us:

Meet Brooke Richards-Patterson, Running For Old Bridge School Board

Meet Kiran Venkatesan, Running For Old Bridge School Board

The election will be Nov. 5, but you can vote early in person at the Old Bridge Public Library from Oct. 26 - Nov. 3. Hours will be Monday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. and Sunday, 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary. There is also mail-in voting.