4 From Wyckoff Running For Ramapo-Indian Hills School Board Seats

WYCKOFF, NJ —Four township residents are running for three-year terms on the Ramapo-Indian Hills Board of Education.

John Carolan and Robert Fortunato have filed to run in the Nov. 5 general election as the Excellence in Education team. Fran Nelson is also running.

Fortunto and Carolan have experience in public service.

Previously, Carolan was a Wyckoff Board of Education trustee and was a Wyckoff Township committeeman. He served on the board's finance, policy, and facilities committees. He was the committee's liaison to the board of education. He is a marketing director with Pfizer and a member of St. Elizabeth's Church.

"Being a school board trustee is an important responsibility. We are fortunate in our township to have an outstanding kindergarten through eighth grade and high school system that receives excellent support from all taxpayers," stated Carolan. "As a board member, it is incumbent on those officials to be excellent stewards in delivering award-winning education and efficiently using tax dollars to achieve this objective. Rob and I both understand this and are willing to put in the hard work necessary to keep the Ramapo-Indian Hills High School system one of the best in New Jersey and the country."

Fortunto is chairman of the Planning Board and is a member of the Wyckoff Environmental Commission. He is a licensed attorney and manages several commercial properties in the area. He has coaches several youth sports teams for 10 years and is a volunteer swim officials at the Wyckoff YMCA.

"I look forward to serving the community and helping to maintain the high quality of education in both public high schools. Many people may not realize that the annual budget for the Ramapo-Indian Hills school district is in excess of $55 million," Fotunato said. "It is extremely important that qualified, experienced individuals serve on the board to ensure that these funds are spent responsibly and wisely. John and I also believe it is very important to keep an open line of communication with the parents and staff."

Carolan and Fortunato will host a meet and greet in early September. There are four representatives from Wyckoff serving on the board. One of them, Eric David Becker, is president of the board.

Nelson has lived in Wyckoff for 22 years with her husband and two children. She has a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania. She has worked as a senior scientist for Wyeth Research and has been awarded more than a dozen patients.

Nelson has taught at Villanova and William Paterson universities, and fifth through 12th grades throughout New Jersey.

Nelson has worked with the nonprofit Students 2 Science, a nonprofit that helps students pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics fields.

She has designed and implemented hands-on science programs for elementary- through high school-aged students.

"We need to be open to new and novel ideas in education so that all students are at the forefront and are prepared with 21st century skills in order to jump into their next phase of life," Nelson said in a statement. "We are fortunate to have the resources to be one of the best districts in the state. I believe we need to harness those resources into a mission that will ensure the decisions made by the Board of Education raise the bar so that Ramapo and Indian Hills high schools are trendsetters. Our students and taxpayers deserve the very best. Join me to aim higher and together we can best serve our students."

Marc Schaeffer, a 26-year Wyckoff resident, is also running for a seat.

Schaeffer has a doctorate in higher education from Columbia University's Teachers College.

"The theme of my candidacy will be putting students first," Schaeffer said. "By this I mean that I will evaluate every decision through the lens of whether that particular allocation of precious public tax dollars is the best possible choice to enhance student success."

For more than 15 years, Schaeffer was chief of staff to the president and Board of Trustees of William Paterson University, experience that make him "intimately familiar with the role and functions of a public board. He was also assistant vice president of academic affairs at William Paterson.

"I believe that it would serve all constituencies, students, teachers, administration, and the public, best interests to add a member with academic and professional expertise in education to complement the business and legal expertise of the current Board members," Schaeffer said.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com