While she keeps the seat warm for the next candidate elected to serve a three-year term on the Mt. Olive Board of Education, Jen Aquino will make the students her priority and use the next few months as a learning experience.
Aquino of Hackettstown was sworn in during a special BOE meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 29, to fill a vacated seat on the school board. She replaces Dr. Asunta Beardsley, BOE member whose term was expiring this year; she resigned on Sept. 1 and vacated her seat on Sept. 15 since she was moving outside the district to Allamuchy.
As the first applicant nominated for the position, Aquino received six nods of approval from BOE members. The other two candidates included: Former BOE Member Brian Schaechter, who is rerunning for the BOE this November; and longtime resident and mother of six Jeannie O’Neill.
A resident for 13 years, Aquino is happy to be selected.
“I was and still am elated for being selected to Mt. Olive’s Board of Education,” says Aquino. “I don’t take this role lightly and know there will be a lot of work ahead, but I do love a challenge.”
Not estranged from education, Aquino works currently as a teacher evaluator in the Morris School District.
“I bring my educational training and professional experience, enthusiasm and communication skills to this Board of Education,” she says. “I look forward to working with each one of them.
“Previously, I’ve been a teacher, supervisor and principal,” says Aquino, who is also a mother of a fourth grader in the district.
“I feel the time is right now that my daughter is a little older, and it allows me to contribute to my community while collaborating with the other board members to bring the best Mt. Olive has to offer,” says Aquino.
Similar to a student who has an internship before deciding on a career, Aquino gets to see firsthand what it takes to be a BOE member.
“I have always had interest, but this will allow me to better understand the role of a board member and decide if we are a good fit!” says Aquino.
Since Aquino has filled in a BOE seat that would have been vacated at the end of this year, she will hold the seat for three months, until the Jan. 2021 reorganization meeting.
She will be replaced by one of the seven candidates running in the next month’s General Election vying for three, three-year terms on the BOE.
During her time on the BOE, Aquino does have some goals in mind.
“My goals will always be to keep our students a priority and help in any way I can,” says Aquino.
Her main concern: “I would like to get all of our students back to school in a safe environment.”
When asked what she likes most about Mt. Olive School District, Aquino says: “That’s easy…I love the people that work there.”
One of her district involvements is SHSP (Sandshore Home and School Partnership).
“It’s our version of PTA,” she explains. “I am also a member of Sandshore’s School Safety and Climate Team.
“I am honored to fill this role and a proud parent of this district,” concludes Aquino.
BOE Interviews Candidates
Each board member asked the three applicants the same question at the special BOE meeting.
Picked randomly, Schaechter went first, followed by Aquino and then O’Neill.
Following the interviews, the public was invited to comment, but there were none from those in attendance, which was limited to 25 due to N.J.’s executive orders. The meeting was livestreamed for others to watch.
The BOE then went into confidential/closed session to discuss the candidates’ qualifications. When they returned, BOE members nominated two of the three candidates. The first applicant to receive five votes wins the seat.
BOE Member Dr. Antoine Gayles was the first to nominate a candidate, nominating Aquino for the spot. BOE member Anthony Strillaci followed by nominating Schaechter.
Aquino received six votes of approval by the BOE members with Strillaci voting no. Since she only needed five votes, she won the seat before the BOE could even vote for Schaechter.
BOE President Anthony Giordano did not comment as to the reasoning why the BOE selected Aquino. He did say that Schaechter is running in November and suggested to O’Neill to “put your hat in the ring in the next coming cycles.”
BOE Member Liz Ouimet specifies during the meeting her reasoning in selecting Aquino: “Considering all the qualification of every candidate,” she says she chose Aquino.
These are the questions BOE members asked during the interviews with some of the applicant’s comments.
BOE Member William Robinson asks: “What kind of commitment, and time and energy do you think a board member needs to devote to be an effective board of education member?
Schaechter responds: “It’s easy for me to answer that one because I was a board member for six years. It’s not a one-hour week job. It’s almost full time; commitment is great. There’s committee work; board of education meeting. It is quite extensive. This is not an easy job at all.”
Responds Aquino: “I think it’s all the time. You are going to get phone calls. email; people reaching out when you are not in a meeting. I imagine it will be quite a bit of time that you need to give to the school board and I’m prepared to do that.”
Ouimet’s question: “How would you handle a concern or complaint about the district that was brought to your attention by a parent, community member, teacher, administrator or other special interest group?”
Responds Aquino: “I don’t know what the protocol is. I need to be schooled and read what the rules are.”
Schaechter says he would go the board president and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Zywicki with any issues.
Gayles asks: “What kind of relationship should a board of education have with its community, with its parents, and families?”
O’neill says it is important to have an “open relationship,” be in touch and out in the community.”
Strillaci questions: “What do you feel are the three most important responsibilities of a board member?”
Schaechter says a BOE member should be a good listener, fair and a good setter of policy, “and you need to have a level head.”
Responds Aquino: “You need to take your job serious; you need to be a team player.”
Answers O’Neill: To decide on the immediate concerns are of the district, communicate with staff and families and to make sure everyone’s needs are met.
BOE Member John Kehmna asks: “If you can change one thing in our district what would it be and why?”
Schaechter, who serves on the Mt. Olive Planning Board, says that while he is pleased with Zywicki’s increased communication with the community, he would provide more of an understanding “with the public exactly how our tax dollars are being spent.”
Stumped by that questions, Aquino responds “I had nothing short of a spectacular experience at Sandshore. There’s nothing I can think of at the moment.”
O’Neill, who has had children in the district since 1999, says she would make sure the district provided more “deaf accessibility,” such as Parent University. Anything that is livestream is difficult.
“For someone who’s deaf like me,” she says she needs to “Wait for someone to translate it.” She suggests more closed caption options.
In the last two questions, Giordano asks: “What involvement have you had with BOE and the district;” and newest BOE Member Nolan Stephens requests the candidates to “Please describe your volunteer activities current and past?”