Moorestown School Board Election 2025: Claudine Morano Candidate Profile

MOORESTOWN, NJ — Moorestown has five candidates running for three positions on the Board of Education.

Patch sent questions to all candidates in the race and will publish responses as they're received. All candidate profiles will be re-shared closer to Election Day, which is Nov. 4.

• Read more: 5 Candidates Running For School Board In Moorestown; President Won't Seek Re-Election

Claudine Morano, who is running for re-election, sent Patch the following responses:

Claudine Leone Morano

• Age: 57
• Education: BS, finance and international business, Northeastern University; JD, Seton Hall School of Law
• Occupation: attorney — president/CEO of Government Affairs Counsel
• Previous elected/appointed office: Moorestown Board of Education member (2022 to present)

Why are you running for school board?

I am running for re-election to the Moorestown Board of Education because I believe I have had a positive impact on our students’ experience over the last three years on the board. I am deeply invested in our district and hope to continue supporting our students and community.

I have the skills, experience, and time to continue making an impact. I want every student to look back on their time in Moorestown Township Public Schools with pride, knowing they were challenged, supported, and prepared for the future. As a parent with two decades of experience navigating the district, I have seen firsthand what makes our schools strong and where we can improve. When I was first elected in 2022, I promised to use my advocacy skills to challenge the status quo and refocus our district on what matters most: our students. Since then, I have delivered on those promises.

We heard the community’s call during COVID for improved communications and transparency and, after I was elected to the board, created the Communications Committee to strengthen collaboration between the district, students, families, and the community. I also prioritized hiring a superintendent who leads with connection and clarity, and proudly supported the appointment of Dr. Courtney McNeely, whose leadership and communication is already restoring trust and direction.

As Policy Committee chair, I am working to make policies clearer and more accessible so students, staff and families understand not just what decisions are made, but why. I also championed the district’s new cell phone policy, removing distractions from classrooms to improve focus and learning — and respect for our teachers.

Ultimately, I have questioned every decision, asking the administration how it will positively impact our students. I know that I can continue to deliver positive change if given the opportunity to continue on the board. I hope to have your vote.

What sets you apart from the other candidates?

What sets me apart from other candidates is my real understanding of what it means to serve on a school board — and the experience to back it up. With nearly 30 years in government relations and three years on the Moorestown Board of Education, I know how to lead responsibly, ask the right questions, and make decisions that keep our district strong and focused on students.

The school board’s job is to oversee the district — not run it day-to-day. It is not our role to micromanage the professionals who we’ve entrusted with the education of our students. Our role is to hire the right superintendent, devise and adopt effective policies, approve budgets, approve (not write) curriculum, and negotiate union contracts on behalf of the community. I have been directly involved in all of these responsibilities and understand how each one impacts our students and staff.

I also know this role takes time and commitment. It is not just one public meeting a month — it is multiple weekly early-morning committee meetings, ad hoc committee work, external liaison appointments, and spending hours each week preparing, reading, and following up. In my experience, many candidates do not often realize this when they run, and it is hard to be effective without having the availability for that level of commitment.

I am a proactive board member who respects the line between governance and operations, supporting our leadership while letting administrators run the schools. When you vote, keep that in mind — experience, understanding the board’s role, and genuine commitment truly matter when it comes to serving our kids and our community.

What past accomplishments or experiences make you qualified for this position?

Professionally, I work in governmental advocacy, where collaboration, negotiation, and bringing people together around common goals are essential. Those same skills have guided my work on the Board of Education helping me listen, ask the right questions, and move people and issues forward for the good of our students. My qualifications and experience have led to the following accomplishments on the Board:

• Superintendent: I helped bring in the right leadership at the right times — first by hiring Joe Bollendorf as interim superintendent, who guided us through a challenging transition, and then hiring a permanent superintendent, Dr. Courtney McNeely, whose experience, communication skills, and visibility have already had a strong impact on our schools and community.
• Fiscal sustainability: Serving on the Finance & Operations, Curriculum, Policy, and MEA Negotiations committees has given me the perspective to see how decisions in one area affect the entire district. That experience helped us pass a budget under the state’s 2% cap while maintaining staffing and programming. We continue to focus on longterm financial sustainability in our budget and successfully negotiated a new step on the salary guide with the MEA to support that goal.
• Effective policies: As policy chair, I have focused on advocating community priorities and asking the right questions to make the policymaking process more transparent. My proudest accomplishment has been championing the cell phone policy, which balanced input from staff, students, and parents to reduce classroom distractions. We also reviewed substance abuse and discipline policies to ensure consequences are fair, consistent, and paired with supports for students to move forward successfully.

I am proud of my work over the last three years serving our community and our students. I do not have any other motivation than to make sure Moorestown has the leadership, resources, and strategic direction needed for our district, students, and staff to be successful.

If elected, what will be your top priorities during your elected term?

My number one priority is providing the support Dr. Courtney McNeely needs to be successful as our superintendent. Historically, Moorestown has struggled with superintendent turnover, and it is incumbent on the board to provide the support she needs and have her back when we are asking her to make changes — allowing her to bring fresh eyes to the district and continue building on our legacy of educational excellence and fiscal responsibility.

In partnership with Dr. McNeely, I look forward to contributing to the development of a new strategic plan, helping the board set the vision and longterm goals for the district while ensuring that the investments from the recent referendum are spent strategically to deliver maximum benefits for our students.

We are also preparing for a challenging upcoming budget, as rising health and pharmacy costs and increasing utility expenses require careful planning to maintain staffing, programming, and resources for our students. Finalizing PILOT funds from the township is another top priority, as we will soon see students coming into the district without additional funding to support them.

If elected and I remain on the policy committee, I will be focusing on the development of responsible-use AI policies, preparing students to use AI thoughtfully while maintaining strong critical thinking skills and encouraging AI professional development for staff. We need to equip both students and staff with tools to navigate this rapidly evolving technology in an educationally sound and ethical way.

My priorities are all tied back to supporting leadership, maintaining fiscal responsibility, and preparing our students for the future.