Four seats on the Robbinsville Board of Education are up for grabs this month. Four candidates—Noushin Kanani Asadpour and incumbents Sharon DeVito, Scott Veisz and Richard J. Young—vie for three 3-year terms on the board. Vito Galluccio and Lisa Temple are running to fill a 1-year unexpired term created when Faith Silvestrov resigned. Galluccio has been filling another seat on the board since September; the vacancy arose from Matt O’Grady’s resignation in August.
Below are brief biographies of the candidates and their answers to four questions posed by the Advance. Candidates had one week to write and return their responses.
Noushin Kanani Asadpour, 50, is a lead medical technologist and project manager. She holds a bachelor’s in science, a master’s in public administration and Lean Six Sigma green belt certification. She has never held elected office.
Sharon DeVito, 64, has served on the the Robbinsville Board of Education since 2008. She is a founding and current member of the Robbinsville Education Foundation.
Vito Galluccio, 41, has served on the Robbinsville Board of Education since September and the township planning board since 2012. He is a senior municipal credit analyst, and holds his master’s of public administration from Rutgers University. He previously was co-chair of the Robbinsville Economic Development Advisory Committee. Galluccio volunteers as a soccer coach for the Robbinsville Soccer Association and German American Club.
Lisa Temple, 38, is a member of the Sharon Elementary School PTA executive committee and a former vice president at JPMorgan Asset Management. Currently, Temple is a stay-at-home mom to two children attending Sharon School. She received her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Villanova University [major in finance, minor in Spanish]. She has not held elected office. Temple is co-chair for the Sharon PTA’s Scholastic Book Fair and Edu-Kits, and volunteers with Mercer County Dress for Success as a career center counselor.
Scott Veisz, 49, is a member of the Robbinsville Board of Education. A director of enterprise risk management and corporate governance, Veisz has a bachelor’s in mathematics and computer science, and a master’s in engineering-management of technology. He is a former member of the Robbinsville Little League Board of Directors, and a longtime coach of softball and baseball in the township, including the 2014 Little League Softball World Series championship team. He is a member of the township recreation committee.
Richard J. Young, 51, has served on the Robbinsville Board of Education since 2015. Young is a former member of the Robbinsville Township planning board, and co-chair of the Robbinsville Economic Development Advisory Committee. He works in corporate communications and media relations for Verizon. Young earned his bachelor’s degree from The College of New Jersey. He is a coach for the township recreational basketball and baseball programs.
The Robbinsville Advance posed the same four questions to each candidate via email. The questions and the candidates’ response to each are below:
Schools are near capacity despite a recent expansion to Sharon and Pond Road schools. Should the district consider further construction? What is the best way, in your opinion, to deal with school crowding?
Noushin Kanani Asadpour: Robbinsville is a growing community, and it seems the building and construction of new houses/condos/apartments will never stop. I don’t believe that Robbinsville should build more schools. I believe BOE must work very closely with the township zoning and planning board to keep a handle on it. BOE must be active and voice their concern and find a productive solution.
Sharon DeVito: BOE contracted a space utilization audit to determine space is used to the maximum. Building capacity, curriculum, and projected enrollment determine space needs. This audit report will use real time enrollment numbers. There is no best way to deal with overcrowding, it depends on the need. Building, trailers, specials on carts, and sharing space were used. The DOE is again offering 40 percent funding for projects that meet their criteria. This is a conversation that must happen with our stakeholders.
Vito Galluccio: Our enrollment growth is a reflection of our success. At the same time, it’s creating some of our biggest challenges. There is no investment more worthwhile than our children but we need to be confident we’re using our existing space efficiently. If the pending efficiency study shows that current facilities are inadequate, we should provide our students with the best facilities that taxpayers can afford.
Lisa Temple: Robbinsville has seen steady growth. Before making a decision on how to handle growth, questions need to be answered. Is building space being used efficiently? What future growth is expected? If the district builds, how will it be paid for? How will staff and utility expenses be paid for? Evaluating these answers allows for an educated decision to be made.
Scott Veisz: Preserving open space resonates with many in Robbinsville, that alone will help slow student growth. At the moment there is little appetite to expand our schools which would lead to higher school taxes. We have smart people that are working to optimize and maximize our school capacity in creative ways. A continuous improvement approach will enable us to be more efficient while still balancing what’s best for our children.
Richard J. Young: Our great schools are the result of a collaborative effort of our community’s support of smart investments in assets, programs and staff. We’re now finalizing a building utilization study which will identify existing areas that maybe repurposed. Right now, many residents do not have an appetite to build another school and face even higher taxes. We must first determine the best ways to use our existing facilities.
The district found itself squeezed financially during the last budget cycle. How do you plan on controlling finances while also maintaining student achievement?
Noushin Kanani Asadpour: As much as our BOE has tried to control spending, I believe we must take one step back and go through every spending item on the agenda: building maintenance, salaries, administration and their productivity, eliminating the waste in all areas and forecasting future increase of students in our schools. There are new and innovative ways that we must try alongside of getting our fair share from new N.J. government in 2018.
Sharon DeVito: We have little control over the majority of the budget. We are proud of our cost avoidance of energy costs. We will continue to develop jointures, purchase supplies cooperatives, and share services with our township. We completed a project with Mayor Fried and recreation department restoring our tennis courts, a collaboration that benefited our community and put district dollars into the classroom.
Vito Galluccio: Robbinsville schools undoubtedly deserve more aid from the state, and we must continue the fight for our fair share of it. But we cannot guarantee what happens at the state level, so prudent steps toward controlling our finances must include: budgeting realistically and responsibly, creating shared service agreements with neighboring districts and our township, and identifying alternate revenue sources that provide property tax relief.
Lisa Temple: Identifying revenue generating activities as well as opportunities to offset expenses immediately puts dollars back into the budget. This can include exploring naming rights and renting out building space. Adding solar panels to the middle and high school will offset one of the districts biggest expense, energy. The fight for fair funding needs to continue to ensure full funding of future years.
Scott Veisz: Strengthening relationships with the township and others in Robbinsville will help us partner and share costs where appropriate, thus allowing us to put the maximum funds towards the children’s academic growth while also advancing our infrastructure and school programs. Our community, parents and school staff will continue to fight for our fair share of state aid and make progress as we did this past year.
Richard J. Young: With the help of committed parents and staff, our district saw an increase in state aid this year. It addressed several critical needs. Unfortunately, this is only the beginning. We must fight for our fair share of state aid. We must also seek new revenue sources including solar projects, facility rentals and other opportunities on school-owned land. Partnerships with our town have been beneficial. We must do even more.
Do you think that pressure to perform academically is an issue for students in the school district?
Noushin Kanani Asadpour: Students in our schools do have an intrinsic sense of competition. However, I don’t think that our school district has a detrimental competitive spirit. As I have seen with my own daughters, it is apparent that doing well in their classes is something teachers encourage, and competition with themselves and their peers is going to happen regardless of intrinsic intervention.
Sharon DeVito: Yes. The pressure comes from state and federal governments for students’ performance. The government is tracking students too early and losing sight of age-appropriate developmental milestones. The mandated PARCC contributes enormously. Parents and staff must work together with eyes on students that demonstrate stress and anxiety. There is not one answer. Students are unique. Eliminating PARCC would be a great first step.
Vito Galluccio: We live in a competitive district where student academic pressure is real. We can help students cope with academic stressors by retaining our best teachers who make learning enjoyable. Robbinsville is effective at producing well-rounded students, and it is important to continue to offer a mix of extracurricular activities and sports that provide outlets and compliment our strong academics.
Lisa Temple: Academic achievement is important; however, success post high school includes more than academics. The district must have a wide offering of programs, encouraging all students to find personal success. Students with a high emotional intelligence, a global focus and community engagement are more equipped to succeed in the workplace. These principles must be integrated into the curriculum and culture of the district.
Scott Veisz: Yes, anxiety and pressure will always exists for students to perform to their potential. This is natural, but we can tackle this challenge by hiring qualified, quality teachers and staff who provide the insight, path and support to get children to their academic goals. Retention of our best teachers is very important. Stress awareness will help everyone be proactive with our children so they can find relief and support.
Richard J. Young: Academic pressure and stress are very real. It’s imperative that staff and parents work collectively to identify signs of anxiety and respond quickly when triggers arise. Our schools offer a variety of classes to meet the needs of individual students. The process is never ending and demands constant attention. Our professionals must be mindful of the needs of each student and take action when needed. There is no other option.
Why are you the best candidate for Robbinsville Board of Education?
Noushin Kanani Asadpour: A good BOE candidate listens to the community, its values and concerns. A productive candidate will answer sharp questions, brings innovative ideas, and fresh energy. I have proven that I have all those qualities attending all board meetings, sharing thoughts and ideas and asking those questions that no one wants to ask. I respect all the members and am willing to help and work with them.
Sharon DeVito: Board members are charged with making sure the schools are well run. That includes reviewing policies, personnel, finance, facilities, transportation, and the curriculum recommended by administrators. We participate in subcommittee meetings where those recommendations are discussed and sometimes tweaked. I have board member experience with extensive knowledge of school law and DOE policies.
Vito Galluccio: I have been heavily involved in our community as a coach, planning board member, and a father of two Robbinsville students. Additionally, I have over 15 years of professional experience in working with municipalities and public schools on their operations and budgets. I feel strongly that I can help navigate our budget challenges to make our great schools the best that they can be.
Lisa Temple: Having two elementary age children, I’m vested in seeing districts path of excellence continue. I’m committed to working with board members to objectively seek answers. I’m focused on making fiscally responsible decisions that maximize budget dollars while keeping the interests of all students in mind. I’m determined to identify solutions that maintain a high standard of excellence to students, teachers and taxpayers.
Scott Veisz: With 13 years of experience in the community, working with children and their parents as a recreation department and Little League board member, I’m confident I can help the BOE see things from the community’s perspective and help position everyone to be more prudent in stabilizing finances and taxes, identify inefficiencies for cost savings, advance safety and security and build stronger relationships with our township to pool resources as appropriate.
Richard J. Young: In my first year, I approved a budget with no increase in taxes. It’s understandable when residents say they can’t afford to pay more. That’s why I’m always mindful of the investments that taxpayers make in our schools. We must look for ways to balance the tax burden with the student needs. I also want to ensure that we offer great opportunities for all students and work to retain good teachers.
Vito Galluccio,
Richard J. Young,
