Schools

Three Forums Set For Chester School Board Candidates

Nine residents looking to occupy four seats on two separate school boards this November.

With a heavily contested race to occupy four school board seats representing the Chesters in the November election, local organization Citizens for Better Schools (CBS) is giving candidates a forum to prove themselves before the polls open.

On October 2, 23 and 28, six candidates for the Chester School District Board of Education, along with three candidates for the West Morris Regional Board of Education, will answer questions and give statements as to why voters should put trust in them.

Held in the Larison Room of the Chester Library for all three dates at 7:30 p.m., the forum will be facilitated by Chester Borough Councilwoman Janet Hoven, according to a press release from CBS.

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Vying for three, three-year seats on the Chester School District board are Carey Curry, Judy Irwin, Amy Collins, Heather Ronco, Kerry Wright and Nathan Treff. Up for grabs on the West Morris Regional High School District Board of Education is the Chester Township seat, with Bruce Sullivan, Russ Cembrinski and Gary Lakritz seeking votes.

Lakritz lost to current regional board member Marcia Asdal in 2011. The seat’s incumbent and current board president James Johnston chose not to run for re-election.

Find out what's happening in Mendham-Chesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In 2011, Sullivan was part of a three-person group seeking to oust Johnston from the board in a failed recall effort.

The forums will include questions from Hoven to the candidates, which have been pre-submitted by the parents and voters of the Chesters, the release said. If time allows, audience members will be allowed to ask questions directly to the candidates.

Those looking to pre-submit their queries can send them to Charlene Arrington at cmarring@comcast.net.

The election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 5.


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