Warren Township School Board Election 2022: Mark Bisci

WARREN, NJ — Warren Township Board of Education general election on Nov. 8 has seven candidates running for three open seats.

Incumbent Mark Bisci is running for one of the three, three-year full-term seats on the school board. Opposing candidates include Natalie Feuchtbaum, Stephen Toor, Ned Bolcar, Eric Winch, Patricia Zohn, and Scott Otto.

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(All of the candidates were given the same questions)

Mark Bisci

Age: 57

Town of residence: Warren Township

Position sought: Board of Education member

Family: Wife and three Warren Township School District alumni

Education: BS in Accounting from Seton Hall (go Pirates) and MBA in International Finance from New York University

Occupation: Finance; manage infrastructure investments, mostly renewable energy. Retired CPA.

Previous or current elected appointed office: Current Warren Board of Education member. My answers here are solely my own and in no way represent the views of the Board.

Campaign website: N/A

Why are you seeking to run for School Board?

I am grateful to the Warren schools for providing an excellent education to my children. I’d like to continue to use my skills and experience to help our schools provide our students with the best educational experiences possible and to prepare them well to succeed in life.

How do you feel about the current sex-ed curriculum in the district?

It’s an important topic for our community and I think deserves more thoughtful consideration and input from all stakeholders. I look forward to discussing this issue further.

Would you be in favor of a later school start time for students?

Possibly, if the community supports it. Busing has been a challenge of late, and there would obviously be other schedules consider. For instance, the high school schedule, where students may benefit more from later start times.

What other issues do you feel need to be tackled in the school district?

I continue to be very impressed with how our administration and teachers have handled the challenges of the last few years. Although we’re returning to more normal times, I feel we’ve lost a lot over the Covid years. We have a lot of catching up to do, not only academically but also socially and emotionally. We should continue to focus on the safety, and social and emotional needs of our students, especially considering the increased challenges they face today. At the same time, we must continue to measure basic academic performance and improve on it, allowing us to measure our schools’ effectiveness, and make sure we’re spending our dollars most efficiently.

The ongoing residential development in our town is leading to increased enrollment and changing student needs. Different tax structures for these developments will lead to budgeting challenges as well. On the bright side, we have the physical capacity to accommodate more students. We stand to benefit from economies of scale, as well as additional and more equitable offerings when a larger student base is spread more evenly across our schools.

We’ve allocated millions of dollars to improving our facilities over the past few years, and I’m confident we’ll physically complete our referendum projects as planned. With most major projects now funded, I don’t foresee the need for as high a level of facilities investment in the future; we can focus more on safety and possibly a cafeteria. This should allow us flexibility in our budget for the challenges mentioned above, as well as to moderate tax increases, all things being equal.

What sets you apart from the other challenging candidates?

Everyone brings their own set of skills and experiences to a nine-member board. I bring financial experience and project management expertise. I prefer to and analyze issues in a detailed, data-driven, and results-oriented way.

I have almost three years’ experience on the current Board, which gives me more detailed familiarity with how our Board and district operate. This would help me contribute more effectively in a second term.

I’m a long time Warren resident, with three children that have all benefited from Warren schools for the full nine grades. The pace of change, and the increased demands placed on our schools has been substantial. I’d like to humbly volunteer my skills and experience to try and help each student reach their full potential.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign?

Whatever the issue, I believe it is important to actively solicit input from as many parties and community members as possible to arrive at the best solution. For items of concern to parents, parental input is paramount. I’m not running to make my voice heard, but rather to be sure all voices have the ability to contribute.

I like the idea of Belonging that our district has highlighted. For students, it’s a basic building block for effective learning, but can also apply more widely to our parents and families, and dovetails with community input.

Lastly, transparency (something as simple as website links) is also key to arriving at the best solution. I believe all three work together to provide a vibrant school community where the best outcomes are achieved. I’d like to help build on the accomplishments our schools have already made in these areas.

You’ll see my voting record is consistent with my views above. I hope to continue to represent you for three more years.