Ramapo Indian Hills Regional BOE Candidate Profile: Thomas Bogdansky

WYCKOFF, NJ — Candidates are set for the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional School District Board of Education race on the Nov. 8 ballot.

In anticipation, Patch sent questionnaires to each of the four candidates vying for two open seats from Wyckoff on the Board of Education, asking them to share facts about themselves and why voters should choose them to represent the school district serving students from Wyckoff, Oakland and Franklin Lakes.

Thomas Bogdansky is bracketed together with another newcomer Doreen Mariani, running under the slogan "Integrity, Accountability, Transparency." The duo is facing another slate of newcomers for the seats being vacated by President John Carolan and trust Robert Fortunato.

Here are Bogdansky's responses:

Name:

Tom Bogdansky

Age:

58

Town of residence:

Wyckoff

Position sought:

Ramapo-Indian Hills BOE

Family:

My wife, Mae, along with our 2 oldest children have gone through the Wyckoff school system, K-12. Our daughter, 27, is a physician, our son, 24, is a Data Analyst, and our youngest daughter is currently a 6th grader at Eisenhower Middle School.

Education:

William Paterson University - Dual BS in Communication & Business

Occupation:

Senior Director, Client Relations at Freeman

Why are you running for this office?

Community involvement and volunteering is something we’ve instilled in our children from the start. Because of my hectic travel schedule, my wife has been the champion of service. She is a 45-year Wyckoff resident who served as Sicomac School PTO President and Treasurer, a trustee on the Wyckoff Education Foundation, is currently on the Wyckoff Planning Board, Wyckoff Environmental Commission, and proudly a Wyckoff volunteer EMT. Thankfully, my job has recently afforded me the opportunity to finally get involved, follow her footsteps & give back. I am a passionate and dedicated parent with traditional values who wants to preserve academic excellence, improve accountability, transparency, integrity and ensure all our children receive the highest quality education. My running mate and I are sincere and promise to put the safety, welfare and wellbeing, and the education of our students FIRST. Our goal is to get back to the fundamentals of learning and raise the caliber of learning in order to raise test scores and prepare our children for success.

What do you feel is the most important issue facing constituents, and what do you intend to do to repair or resolve it?

I want the board to rebuild a connection with the constituents in the FLOW district. The two-way line of communication and transparency has been lost which has caused divide in our community, confusion, misinformation, mayhem, low morale, and skepticism.

The culture of our country is changing and we see political ideology seeping into our schools from the state, shifting focus away from fundamental skills like math, reading, science, and English. Family, culture and faith-based values are being compromised by extreme comprehensive sexual education, controversial topics, and political ideology that don’t belong in a school setting nor is required by the state. Combined with the aftermath of the pandemic and declining performance, parents are concerned and want answers, transparency, and accountability from the board and they are not getting it. Instead, rumors, hearsay and speculation circulate through social media causing more divide and uncertainty. I want to rebuild trust and confidence by communicating, providing facts, resources or whatever necessary to be transparent as a board and rebuild confidence and trust.

What differentiates you from other candidates?

I believe my most positive trait is that I listen and have compassion. My dad always told me God gave you two ears to listen and one mouth to speak. Consultation with stakeholders is healthy and vital, will bring a wealth of knowledge, fresh ideas, and will keep our community diverse. I want everyone to know that their voice matters and I promise to advocate for parents, students, and teachers without bias. I promise to collaborate and make a good-faith effort to meet the interests of all stakeholders. A united board and community will reflect positively in our children and their education.

What other issues or ideas do you feel deserve attention?

The tax burden we face in the FLOW district is a continuing challenge. Over 71% of our property tax in Wyckoff goes toward our local and regional schools. At year end, projected costs frequently fall hundreds of thousands of dollars below actual which inflates the surplus. The current board holds 2.9 million in surplus yet a tax increase of 3.5% was approved, almost double the historic 2% cap. Enrollment has dropped as private and home-schooling rates rise, increasing the burden of private education costs in addition to increasing school taxes. We have to practice due diligence when evaluating, developing, and adopting the school budget in order to protect home values and control the tax burden. The challenge is to practice caution, consider the long-term effects of an underfunded or inflated budget, and find solutions to make living in Wyckoff affordable without compromising the high-quality education that we are known for and that families covet.

What accomplishments in your past demonstrates that you are the best candidate for this
job?

Listening and understanding issues, negotiating and findings solutions are strengths that have made me successful personally and professionally. For the past 35 years, I’ve mastered negotiating contracts, analyzing & crafting sensible budgets, identifying potential risks and formulating alternative solutions. I have had the opportunity to spend 10 years on the Board of Advisors for the Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce, bridging a working relationship between local & state government agencies and local businesses. My experience will be an asset when listening to all stakeholders, finding solutions, negotiating contracts, and developing a budget that provides the resources and tools needed to deliver the highest quality education for ALL students.

Do you want to tell voters anything else about you or your positions?

Contrary to other candidates, we will not take part in spreading lies or mis-leading stakeholders in hopes of gaining votes. My partner and I will run with integrity and will focus on sharing our message because we want each vote to represent faith and trust in us. Among the misinformation, is the threat of losing state aid if you vote for candidates such as us. Candidates who want to keep comprehensive sex education suitable for a classroom setting and who also want to set boundaries on how far beyond that state minimum we’ll go. The NJ Department of Education makes it clear that they do NOT mandate curriculum and material, that it is left to the local education agencies as long as the state objectives are met. The NJDOE also states instructional materials to be “medically-accurate” and “selected through meaningful and ongoing consultation with the school community, including parents”. We do not risk losing any funding, please educate yourself by visiting: https://www.nj.gov/education/qsac/manual/index.shtml.

Visit us at www.tomanddoreen4rihboe.com and Facebook/Instagram tomanddoreen4rihboe. VOTE Tom Bogdansky & Doreen Mariani, COLUMNS 1 & 2. It’s YOUR VOICE, YOUR CHOICE, OUR CHILDREN.