Belleville's Youngest-Ever BOE Member: 'My Age DOES Matter'

BELLEVILLE, NJ — A lot can be done with just “a message, a mission and a movement,” according to Belleville school board member, Frank Velez.

Earlier in January, the 19-year-old was sworn in to his post on the Belleville Board of Education. Velez, who triumphed in the 2020 general election, did so with flying colors, getting the most votes, 4,313, of any candidate. Read More: Youngest School Board Member In Belleville History Sworn In

With his victory, Velez became the youngest person ever elected to the board in the town’s history. It’s a double-edged sword, the Belleville High School graduate recently told Patch.

“Overall, my age does matter,” Velez said, pointing out that he’s not far removed from the core population that board members are elected to serve – the students of Belleville.

But when it comes to intelligence or judgement, it’s “insignificant,” Velez added, blasting the notion that he isn’t as qualified as his peers, some of whom are more than twice his age.

Patch asked Velez to offer some advice for other politically active teens who are considering a run for local office. Here’s what he said:

“To any teenager or young person considering to run for office, I would say to first examine your situation: where are you going to college? Are you going to college? Do you think you have the time available to best serve the community? Are you really passionate about causes in which you advocate? After you have asked yourself all those questions and believe you are able to serve, make sure you have a message, a mission and a movement behind you. You cannot run on nothing, pick something you know needs fixing or improvement but has just been thrown to the wayside, then, develop solutions to fix such issues. After that, call everyone you know and tell them that you are running; you cannot win as a one-person army – you need a crew. Once all of that is settled, speak your truths to as many people as possible in the best way possible and you should be on the right path to win.”

“However, take it from me that if you don't win the first time, there's always another,” he said, referring to his unsuccessful run for the Belleville Township Council in the May 2020 nonpartisan election.

• See related article: Teen Loses Belleville Election, But Says 'Best Days Still Ahead'

Velez shared some of his goals for the next three years.

SPECIAL EDUCATION – “I will see to it that our special education program continues to blossom.”

ADVANCED PLACEMENT – “I will expand advanced placement courses so that our kids have a more well-rounded education, making them more competitive in the college admissions process.”

ALL POPULATIONS – “I will see to it that every service we provide as a district is at its highest level of quality for all of our serviced populations.”

MISISON STATEMENT – “Lastly, by the time I leave the board, I want to see a Belleville Public School District that is ten-fold better than the one I graduated from in 2019 by every measure: academically, athletically and morally, so that we can truly live up to our mission statement of Belleville being a place where ‘Learners become leaders.’”

Velez has since gotten a chance to walk the walk when it comes to his duties on the school board.

He offered a recap of the Jan. 25 meeting on social media, including his own votes on the issues, which happened to align with the other board members (see video here).

A local community member soon posed a question to Velez: “So is this extra classroom space in response to COVID, or is it more permanent – and – does it imply the hiring of extra teachers?”

Velez’s reply?

“There has been a great demand for more classroom space for some time now. This will allot eight more classrooms district-wide for the kids, instead of being used as office space for administrative officials. The lease is temporary, and will be in effect for the next five years. Many teachers have been crammed into sharing rooms with each other for many years, and this will give some the opportunity to have their own rooms.”

Watch a video of the Jan. 25 board meeting here.

Velez isn't the only young candidate to see recent Election Day success in Essex County. In nearby Millburn, Jamie Serruto was sworn in last January to a post on the Millburn Board of Education at the age of 18.

"When I was sworn in last night, I felt part of the team," Serruto said. "I wasn't looked at differently; I wasn't spoken to differently. I feel very empowered."

• See related article: Youngest Elected Official In NJ Begins Term In Millburn
• See related article: Most Inspirational Essex County Teachers, Students Of 2020

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