The Bayonne Board of Education has made a big change in leadership for 2025.
At their latest meeting, board members voted for Mary Jane Desmond as the new president and Sam Maggio as the new vice president, replacing Jodi Casais and Hector Gonzalez.
What led to this leadership change, and what does it mean for Bayonne’s schools?
Let’s find out.
Key Takeaways
- Mary Jane Desmond was appointed president, and Sam Maggio was appointed vice president, replacing Jodi Casais and Hector Gonzalez.
- The district is facing rapid student population growth, requiring additional space and infrastructure expansion.
- Desmond emphasized working collaboratively, ensuring structure and decorum, and keeping students as the top priority.
Mary Jane Desmond Becomes President as the Board Makes a Change
- Mary Jane Desmond was appointed president, and Sam Maggio was appointed vice president, replacing Jodi Casais and Hector Gonzalez.
- The district is facing rapid student population growth, requiring additional space and infrastructure expansion.
- Desmond emphasized working collaboratively, ensuring structure and decorum, and keeping students as the top priority.
The Bayonne Board of Education has new leadership for 2025.
At the January 7 meeting, board members elected Mary Jane Desmond president and Sam Maggio vice president.
They replaced Jodi Casais and Hector Gonzalez, who had been leading the board before.
While Casais and Gonzalez will stay on as board members, they will no longer hold top positions.
Some people were surprised by this decision, especially as Casais and Gonzalez had been handling important jobs, such as making sure schools had enough money, hiring teachers, and managing the growing number of students in the district.
Not to mention, Superintendent John Niesz thanked them for all the work they had done to help the schools.
Desmond said she had heard talk about a leadership change last year but was still a little surprised when it happened.
Even so, she made it clear she was ready to take on the job and help lead the board.
She talked about how the board members need to work together.
Some of them are new, and she has been involved in the school district for a long time.
She believes her experience and knowledge will help guide the board as they deal with some big challenges.
One of the biggest problems right now is that more students are enrolling in Bayonne schools, and there isn’t enough space for all of them.
The district is trying to fix this by taking over the former St. Andrews School and building a new school for Hudson County Schools of Technology.
A new building is also being added to the high school to help students learn trade skills, such as carpentry and mechanics.
Desmond is happy about this, but she also said that these changes won’t be enough.
The school district will need to find even more space soon so students have proper classrooms.
Even though there are challenges, Desmond believes the board will work together and focus on what is best for the students.
She pointed out that Bayonne is a close community where people know each other and care about the schools, and even when board members disagree, they all want what is best for the students and teachers.
Board Vote and Vision for the Future
The decision to pick a new president was not easy.
Board member Pamela Sclafane nominated Desmond for the job, while Hector Gonzalez nominated Jodi Casais to stay in the role.
Lisa Burke supported the nomination for Casais.
As they discussed the decision, Desmond shared her ideas for the board.
She believes that meetings need to be better organized and that board members must follow a clear structure to get things done more smoothly.
Casais said she had done a good job over the past two years and wanted to continue as president.
She talked about her involvement in attending school events and helping keep the board informed.
She hoped the board would let her continue her work for another year.
After voting, Desmond won the presidency with a 5-3(1) vote.
She was supported by herself, Lisa Burke, Sam Maggio, Pamela Sclafane, and Angela Sanniola.
Trustee Godesky-Rodriguez abstained, saying she did not have enough information to choose a side.
After that, the board chose Sam Maggio as vice president with a 6-3 vote.
Casais, Gonzalez, and Godesky-Rodriguez voted against him.
Gonzalez and Godesky-Rodriguez had also been nominated for vice president, but since Maggio won, those nominations were dropped.
New Trustees Sworn In as Board Prepares for 2025
Before voting for president and vice president, three new board members were officially sworn in.
Lisa Burke, Bechay, and Angela Sanniola had won their seats in the November election, part of the “Together We Can” campaign.
Their election was a clear win against former board member Michael Alonso, who had tried to get back on the board but lost.
With new leaders and new board members, the Bayonne Board of Education is starting 2025 with some fresh faces.
The biggest issues they will have to deal with include finding more space for students, keeping school funding on track, and making sure teachers have the support they need.
Desmond believes that even though board members don’t always agree, they all have the same goal—helping Bayonne’s schools succeed.
She hopes everyone will work together to solve problems and improve.
As the year goes on, people in Bayonne will watch closely to see what changes this new leadership team will bring to the schools.
