Write-in rounds out race for school board

BY SETH MANDEL
Staff Writer

JAMESBURG - Only two people filed for three available seats on the Board of Education, but a third candidate has announced he will run as a write-in.

Incumbents James Eldridge and Anne Toth are seeking new three-year terms, while resident Darren Larsen said this week he will campaign as a write-in.

The situation is a familiar one for the Jamesburg school board, as too few candidates have filed to run in two of the past three years. Last year, it was Karen Zimmerman who stepped in as a write-in to fill the remaining available seat.

"One way of looking at it is that the townspeople are satisfied with what the board is doing," board President Don Peterson said of the lack of candidates filing in time for the February deadline. "The way things are working right now, they may not feel that there is a need to get involved, so there's a little bit of apathy."

Peterson, now serving his third term on the board, said that often residents only become involved when they are upset about something in the district. He noted that there are exceptions, as some area towns seem to have strong participation regardless of the public's approval for the board.

Eldridge is quite familiar with the present circumstances.

Three years ago, he won a spot as a write-in when there was a deficiency of candidates. At the time, the board was facing a budget crisis, and was forced to cut staff and programs, so he had started to attend its meetings.

"You get a lot of people that will complain about things, and I was always brought up that if you're going to complain about it, be prepared to get involved in it," Eldridge said. "Do something about it, or at least try and help."

By the time Eldridge's interest in the board was sparked, he had missed the date to file for candidacy. He didn't let that deter him, and as a union construction worker by trade, has for the past three years offered his expertise as the board's facilities chairman.

Eldridge is also president of the Jamesburg Baseball Association, and he and his wife, Lisa, have two sons, James, 8, and Shawne, 5.

Eldridge said he understands the sacrifices it takes to make the commitment to the school board, and why it can be difficult for residents to balance the responsibilities in addition to family and employment concerns.

"For me, it's a juggling act, and for a lot of folks, it's the same thing," Eldridge said, adding that residents can still get involved without necessarily running for the board.

"In our town, I would really love to see more people come out to our Board of Education meetings, to see what goes on, to see the process, to see where their dollars and cents are being spent," he said.

Larsen, a 10-year borough resident, said he decided to seek election as a write-in so he can continue the service of board member Sherry Theinert, who is not seeking re-election.

"I have always considered Ms. Theinert a conscientious and dedicated member of the school board," he said. "I would like to personally thank her for her service to the community."

With Theinert stepping aside, he said, "it becomes even more important that someone step up and continue to support the community in this capacity."

Larsen, who has five children - the youngest is in second grade - is a past vice president of the Jamesburg Area Chamber of Commerce, former webmaster for the borough and current webmaster for the Jamesburg Public Library. He has also run for the Borough Council as a Republican candidate.

"I have given a lot of thought to running for the school board," he said, "and I am ready to dedicate as much time as necessary to continue the progress that has been bogged down by unfunded state mandates. There is so much to be done, but I have the utmost respect for each and every member of the board. It would be an honor to be considered among them."

Eldridge also noted that school boards like Jamesburg's often struggle to fund state educational mandates while trying to keep taxes down, a difficult task for a town that is mostly built-out with very few new sources of tax revenue coming in.

"Every dime that this board spends, none of it is wasteful. It's for the education of our kids," Eldridge said. "That's

why I'm seeking re-election. I still think I've got some things to offer. I don't have a set agenda. I'm trying to maintain a solid school budget that's going to keep providing the best education for the kids."

Peterson said he is happy with the direction of the board, but disappointed in the direction state officials are going with regard to education. The state, as of last week, had given no indication regarding aid to individual districts, making matters more difficult for financially strapped districts like Jamesburg.

"We have to make decisions that affect the welfare of every child in our town," Peterson said. "And to me, that's just kind of irresponsible for the state to do that, but they continue to do it year after year."

Unfortunately, Peterson said, the district's programs may always be underfunded, because the borough just does not have the expanding tax ratable base of larger municipalities.

"We have to go through each budget cycle hoping that we can maintain the programs that we have," Peterson said. "We are just looking to stay above water."

Eldridge agreed, saying that for the next three years, he hopes the district can move forward and get the most for their money, while at the same time maintaining reasonable property taxes.

"When we spend $25,000, that's a penny increase on somebody's tax," Eldridge said. "When a town like South Brunswick, or any of these larger towns, spends $25,000, it's just a drop in the bucket for them."

One of Eldridge's goals is to bring back programs or positions that were cut in recent years.

Peterson said that if the district receives the same amount of aid as last year, the school board will be able to keep all the current programs. If they are awarded more state aid, it would help to cover some of the costs related to programs that the state mandates, as well as increases in salaries, insurance and energy costs.

Toth could not be reached for comment for this story.