This year, voters in Jersey City, Bayonne, Hoboken, and Secaucus made some important choices.
In some places, people wanted change, while in others, they stuck with leaders they knew and trusted.
Let’s take a look at who won, how it happened, and what it means for the future of these schools.
- Schneider, Rezabala, and Ioffe lead Jersey City’s school board election, challenging union-backed Education Matters.
- Secaucus sees Lyons, Geller, and Howard elected during a critical time for the district.
- Bayonne and Hoboken stick with familiar faces as incumbents win all contested seats.
Jersey City: A Shift in Power
Tuesday night’s Jersey City school board election brought some surprises.
Matthew Schneider, Tia Rezabala, and Natalia Ioffe, running on the For Stronger Schools slate, appeared set for victory.
With 55% of the votes counted, Ioffe, the incumbent, had a strong third-place lead, which left her closest rival, Melany Cruz Burgos of the Education Matters slate, trailing by 724 votes.
What made this interesting is that Schneider and Rezabala had the support of Ward E Councilman James Solomon and City Council President Joyce Watterman.
Their slate directly challenged the long-standing dominance of the Education Matters group, which is backed by the Jersey City Education Association (JCEA).
Despite Ioffe’s win, the other Education Matters candidates struggled.
Melany Cruz Burgos couldn’t close the gap, and Ahmed Kheir finished fifth.
This is a big deal because the Education Matters team had high-profile endorsements from leaders like County Executive Craig Guy, Councilman Daniel Rivera, and Hudson County District 2 Board of Commissioners member Bill O’Dea.
For Jersey City, this signals a major change.
The union-supported team has strongly influenced the board for years, but this election suggests voters may be looking for something new.
Bayonne and Hoboken Stick to the Plan
While Jersey City voters decided it was time for change, Bayonne and Hoboken chose to stick with what they know and trust.
In both cities, voters showed confidence in their current leadership by re-electing incumbents.
In Bayonne, the Together We Can slate scored a clear win.
Incumbents Melissa Godesky-Rodriguez, Pamela Sclafane, and Jodi Casais, who also serves as board president, claimed victory by taking all three contested seats in the four-person race.
Clearly, Bayonne voters feel these leaders are doing a good job and want them to continue shaping the district’s future.
Hoboken followed a similar path, as they kept their leadership team intact.
The Building Futures Together slate dominated the race and swept all three seats in another four-candidate contest.
Malani Cademartori, Ailene McGuirk, and Thomas Kluepfel earned voters’ trust once again and will return to the board to continue their work.
Secaucus: Local Endorsements Seal the Deal
Over in Secaucus, things were much more competitive.
Seven candidates battled it out for three open school board seats, but in the end, endorsements from trusted local leaders seemed to make all the difference.
Former Jersey City school board president Gerry Lyons and running mate Tatiana Geller led the Excellence in Education slate to victory.
They were joined by incumbent Melissa Howard, who secured her seat after being appointed earlier this year.
Here’s the vote count (with 92% of precincts reporting):
- Gerry Lyons (Excellence in Education): 2,233 votes
- Tatiana Geller (Excellence in Education): 2,197 votes
- Melissa Howard (Advocate for Education): 2,081 votes
Trailing behind were:
- Valerie Giraldo (Community Winning Resolutions): 1,432 votes
- Audry Yule (Community Winning Resolutions): 1,255 votes
- Monica Berckes (A Winning District): 1,195 votes
- Jamie Fisher (The Peoples’ Voice): 1,007 votes
Even though mail-in ballots still need to be counted, the results clearly show Mayor Mike Gonnelli’s endorsement helped Lyons, Geller, and Howard secure their wins.
Secaucus is at a turning point.
The school district will search for a new superintendent soon and is preparing to revisit elementary school redistricting in 2025.
This new board has a lot on its plate and will need to hit the ground running.
What’s Next for Hudson County Schools?
This year’s school board elections tell an interesting story about what voters want in Hudson County.
In Jersey City, it’s evident that voters are hungry for change.
Schneider, Rezabala, and Ioffe’s success marks a shift away from the stronghold of the JCEA-backed Education Matters slate.
Meanwhile, Bayonne and Hoboken chose stability.
Their voters said they trust their current school board leaders to keep doing a good job.
Secaucus was a different story. It was a hard-fought race that ended in victory for Lyons, Geller, and Howard.
With major decisions like hiring a superintendent on the horizon, their leadership will be tested quickly.
Ultimately, these elections are the future of education in Hudson County.
Whether it’s fresh faces or familiar ones, the people have spoken, and it’s time for these boards to get to work.
