Brick School Board Election Results For 2020

This article was updated at 8:50 p.m.

BRICK, NJ — The polls have closed in New Jersey and the votes are being counted in the 2020 General Election.

In Brick, there are two seats up for election on the Brick Township Board of Education, and five candidates are vying for those unpaid positions.

Micah Bender and Melissa Parker are running under the Transparency and Community slogan. Michael Blandina is running under the Brick First slogan. Melissa Lozada is running under the Time for Change slogan, and Jessica Clayton, the lone incumbent, is seeking a second term under the Fight for Funding slogan.

Unofficial tallies posted by the Ocean County Board of Elections show Parker leading with 11,109, Blandina with 10,507, Clayton with 10,377, Bender with 9,917 and Lozada with 8,079.

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The biggest issue facing the district is the ongoing cuts to state funding under S2. The law passed in 2018 mandates aid cuts for school districts that are deemed to be receiving too much aid and, not paying their fair share of property taxes, under a formula that the state Department of Education continues to refuse to release. Brick is one of several districts that have sued the education department seeking release of that formula.

S2 also requires districts that are under adequacy — meaning they are not spending what the state says is the minimum per pupil for a "thorough and efficient" education.

"Our district is currently operating well below what the state considers to be an adequate budget and yet they give us no path to secure the funding we need," Clayton said. "They must do justice for all the districts in the state running below adequacy and give all children the education they deserve."

Bender contends the district has been making cuts that are not well thought-out. "I intend to look very closely at our budget to find ways of saving money that doesn't include raising taxes, cutting jobs, and closing schools," he said.

Blandina said he wants to look for alternative sources of funding to fill in some of the gaps while the district continues to fight for adequate funding. "I will work with anybody to help us get a fairer share of state aid, that Brick Township deserves," he said.

Parker said she intends to keep fighting to see that the S2 formula is released, and to make sure legislators know it has resulted in" devastating funding cuts and what the effects are on not only our students but our community as well."

The continuing efforts to return students to the schools — the district is planning to have its youngest students receive in-person instruction four days a week beginning Nov. 16, with the older students following by the end of the month — in the coronavirus pandemic is a concern that all the candidates were monitoring closely.

The pandemic will continue to have far-reaching effects, including on the budget process for the 2021-22 school year — a budget that the board will be looking at closely both before and after the election winners are sworn into their seats in January.

For full coverage of the 2020 election in New Jersey, go here: New Jersey Elections 2020

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