JACKSON — Nine candidates are running for three three-year terms on the sevenmember Jackson Board of Education. The school election will be held on April 21.

The candidates are Nicholas Antonoff, Sal Duscio, Matthew Genovese, Marvin Krakower, John Morvay, Tracey Murnane, Theresa Schiazza, Martin Spielman and Barbara Vigliotti.

Krakower, Spielman and Morvay are current members of the board.

There are approximately 9,800 students in the Jackson K-12 School District.

Vigliotti said she is running as an individual.

Duscio has indicated that he is running with Antonoff as a team.

Krakower, Spielman and Schiazza are running for the board as a team, and Morvay, Genovese and Murnane are running together under the banner Taxpayers for Education.

The candidates will be listed individually on the ballot and residents may vote for any one, two or three candidates.

All of the candidates were asked the same three questions:

• What do you believe makes you a qualified candidate for a seat on the board?

• What do you consider to be the most pressing issues the school district faces at this time and what would you do as a board member to help resolve these issues?

• Do you have any relatives who work for this school district?

The candidates are listed alphabetically.

Antonoff, 75 has been a Jackson resident for 10 years. He is retired with more than 30 years of experience in aerospace as a corporate director in systems engineering and in business development. Antonoff has no children attending school in the district.

Antonoff said he is a registered voter and a taxpayer in Jackson and that qualifies him to run for the board.

"I also have been intensively involved with the school board budget games since 2004," he said. "In the process, I probably have become objectively more familiar with the New Jersey Department of Education policy manipulation than most incumbents."

He said he does not advocate for any special interest group, just for accountability and transparency to all taxpayers/investors in what he calls the Jackson education enterprise.

Antonoff said more resources should be allocated to help improve students' SAT scores.

"Do not try to entice them to pay attention with various costly video game-type 'teaching aids,' " he said. "We cannot afford the 'nanny-state approach' to education any more than GM corporation can afford the job bank, [and also] cut the 5 percent 'oink' fat in the bloated budget."

Antonoff said he has no relatives who work in the district school system.

Duscio, 80, said he has lived in his home since 1970 and has owned property in Jackson since 1950. He is a watch and clock repairman by trade and has no children attending schools in the district.

Duscio is a perennial candidate for the board and said he will keep running until he wins a seat on the panel. He said he has stayed abreast of issues facing the district.

"I want to be involved with the decisionmaking process to improve the progress of our students. I want economy and accountability in the school system," he said.

He said the most pressing issue in the Jackson school system is the grades that students are receiving.

"These grades must improve," he said. "There has been some improvement in the grades, but there is much more to be desired. The system plays around with numbers to look good, but the truth is that too many students need remedial lessons in order to enter higher education institutions."

He said administrators must hire better qualified teachers and pay them a decent salary. This should improve the system, he said.

Duscio said he has no relatives who work in the school district.

Genovese, 38, has lived in Jackson for 32 years. He is employed as a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Riviera Realty. He has four children attending district schools.

Genovese said he is running for the board because as a parent of four children in the district he has a vested interest in making sure that all of the children in Jackson are getting the best possible education.

"I have been aware of how the board has been performing and I wasn't satisfied it was doing the best it could. I believe that with my experience in management and finance and my involvement in the community, I can make a difference," he said.

Genovese said the board has failed to create a budget that has been passed by voters for eight years.

"We need to focus our attention on putting the money where it matters most, in the classroom [and] not in the administration's offices," he said. "I would also strive to improve scores on standardized tests."

Genovese said he does not want to leave any students behind, but he also does not want to hold the brightest students back.

"To that end, I would establish 'academy' programs for small classes dedicated to math, science or literacy," he said. "This way, our high achievers will continue to be pushed and encouraged to go even further."

Genovese said he does not have any relatives working in the district.

Krakower, 61, has lived in Jackson for 25 years. He is the executive director of a house of worship. His adult children are graduates of Jackson schools.

Krakower said that during the past six years as a board member, he has helped to guide the school district through difficult times. He said the education received by the students of Jackson has never been better.

"As a board member, I will continue to act as a strong and conscientious advocate so that each student in Jackson has the best chance for the success they deserve," he said. "The proof is in my performance. There is no guesswork. The students and taxpayers have benefited from my hard work and dedication and I would be privileged to continue my work on the board."

Krakower said there are two very important issues facing the district.

"The first is to minimize the impact the population growth has had on the taxpayers of Jackson," he said. "I am proud, along with my fellow board members, to say that this year's budget was a near-zero tax increase."

Krakower said he is also dedicated to achieving excellence for all students in the township.

"Our mainstream and special-needs children must achieve at a higher level to succeed in our great country," he said. "I truly believe the rigor in the high schools must continue."

Krakower said he has no family members who work in the school district.

Morvay, 59, has been a resident of Jackson for 20 years. He is currently employed as a reading specialist. He has no children in the district.

Morvay said he believes he is a qualified candidate for a seat on the board because he is open-minded and attentive to the concerns of the public.

"As a board member I'm not afraid to take a stand on issues that affect the children of our district and the pocketbook of the taxpayers," he said. "I'm a voice and advocate for education and will not succumb to the motto 'business as usual.' I firmly believe that politics doesn't belong in school board matters and I will continue to adhere to ethical standards."

Morvay said that as a current member of the board, he believes the most pressing issues the district faces are rising energy costs, technology and facilities. He said rising energy costs have dealt a blow to the budget and increased the line item in that area.

"I have and will continue to request that a plan of action be put into place to reduce these costs and save money in this area," Morvay said. "Technology cuts by the finance committee keep putting us behind the eight ball in this area. We need to seek alternate funding such as grants to upgrade our technology to meet the demands of an ever-changing society or seek alternative funding. [Regarding] facilities, we need to develop a five-year plan that will assess what capital improvements are needed to keep our existing facilities up to par. The finance committee has been cutting the capital improvement line item and again projects that were designated each year were eventually cut, causing further delay."

Morvay said it is important for the public to know the school district has a nepotism policy in place that prohibits board members' immediate family, friends and relatives from being hired by the district.

"I want the public to know that both my sons are on the substitute teacher list, which according to our board attorney is allowable," he said. "My son, Daniel, has substituted [in the past] in the district when he was home from college, usually during winter break and when he's done in May. (My son) Michael hasn't yet, because of his college schedule, but he is on the list."

Murnane, 41, has lived in Jackson for 16 years. Murnane works as a publisher vendor manager and has a son who attends the Goetz Middle School and a daughter who attends the Johnson School.

She said her decision to be a candidate for the board was based upon her concern as a parent who wants to see the school district provide the highest quality education available with the tax dollars entrusted to the district.

"The 17 years of business management and oversight experience I have with Barnes and Noble will be applied to the analysis of the budget and administrative functionality to maximize our resources to the greatest efficiency," said Murnane.

She said that for the past six years a budget has not been passed and there are concerns that the quality of education is decreasing. She said the focus needs to be placed on channeling funds back into the curriculum and moving students and the school district into higher proficiency ratings.

"The academy program idea will allow students excelling in these subjects to continue to accelerate further in advanced proficiency classes while building enthusiasm in those students who are not yet at an advanced proficiency level," said Murnane.

Murnane said she has no relatives who work in the district.

Schiazza, 40, has lived in Jackson for seven years. She is a homemaker and a volunteer PTO president. Schiazza has two children in the school district. She said she believes the board needs an individual who has an understanding of the school system through hands-on experience.

"I am an active volunteer in our community and currently hold the position of PTO president at the Holman School," said Schiazza. "I enjoy working with the children and parents in our schools and would go to great lengths to ensure we continue providing our students with the latest tools, technology and support possible."

She said she is a member of the Citizens Budget Committee and has experienced the stages of putting together a responsible budget for the school district.

Schiazza said she has a marketing background and said she is confident her knowledge, creativity and interpersonal skills will be a positive addition to the school board.

She said she believes the most significant educational problem the district is facing lies in the early development stages.

"As a result of failed budgets over the past several years, the number of paraprofessionals, reading specialists and specialty teachers has been dramatically reduced," she said. "I believe it is imperative that we restructure the kindergarten program in our district to full-day.

"Full-day kindergarten will result in positive academic and social benefits for our students," she said. "These additional hours will benefit the students in the fundamental areas of reading and mathematics, hopefully resulting in less students requiring remedial services."

Schiazza said she has no relatives working in the school district.

Spielman gave his age as being over 55. He has been a Jackson resident for more than eight years. He is a retired teacher and coach. Spielman said his 35-year career as an educator qualifies him to serve on the board.

"My six years experience on the board is invaluable, particularly in these trying economic times, to understand the district's priorities and educational needs and how to accomplish them," said Spielman. "I was instrumental in forming the Citizens Budget Committee which has helped make our budget transparent."

Spielman said he has served as the board's vice president and is proud of the panel's accomplishments in raising the academic standing of Jackson's schools in Ocean County.

"My wife, Barbara, and I founded the Jackson Educational Foundation, which has raised over $100,000 for the school district," he said. "I hosted the Jackson peer leadership middle school students weekend training at no cost to the students or to the school district at the children's camp I owned."

Spielman said that under the present economic conditions, he believes the district must provide a quality education for all students — gifted, average and special needs — while maintaining a stable tax rate.

"A well rounded education includes providing advanced placement courses for our academically gifted students, the opportunity to participate in co-curricular and extracurricular activities, sports, marching band, ROTC, theater, art and music programs along with early childhood programs," said Spielman.

He said administrators should apply for as many grants as possible in order to provide opportunities to students.

Team teaching programs will allow administrators to maintain small class sizes in the early grades, he said.

"Sharing services with the municipality and other county school districts will free funds to improve our delivery of technology," said Spielman. "The more efficiently we operate, for example, use of solar energy, the more funds can be spent on the education of our students."

Spielman said he does not have any relatives in the school district as students or as employees.

Vigliotti, 58, has lived in Jackson for 32 years. She is a graphic designer who is the head of a graphic department and a member of the Jackson Chamber of Commerce.

Vigliotti said she is a parent, taxpayer and concerned citizen who has the time and inclination to improve the school district so that all the children get the education they deserve.

Vigliotti said the answer to what is the most pressing issue the district is facing is obvious and that is to achieve more bang for the buck.

"This budget has to be micro-analyzed with cuts and restraint shown at every level in our district from the superintendent on down," Vigliotti said. "The economic realities our district faces demand nothing less. No one person can do this on their own. It must be a community effort."

Vigliotti said she does not have any relatives working for the school district.