Dintino, Johnson, Reese Elected To Gloucester Twp. School Board

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — The results are now official in the Gloucester Township K-8 Public School District Board of Education elections.

Board member Mary Ann Johnson and Board President Mary Jo Dintino have been re-elected to the board, and longtime board member Ellen Reese will make her return to the district’s governing body following the Nov. 3 elections.

Johnson was the leading vote-getter with 11,951 votes, followed by Dintino will 11,145 and Reese with 10,948 votes. They won the three open seats.

Jose Fontanez was fourth with 10,387 votes, followed by former board member Linda Gilch with 9,494 votes. Eleanor “Patti” Senner finished with 8,220 votes, followed by Joanne Rossell with 7,790 votes.

Joyce Ellis, Kaitlyn Hutchison and Kevin Bucceroni ran unopposed for three open seats on the Black Horse Pike Regional Board of Education. Ellis garnered the most votes with 21,065, followed by Hutchison with 21,013 and Bucceroni with 20,944.

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The count was finalized over the weekend, nearly three weeks after an election that was conducted primarily through vote-by-mail ballots.

Turnout in Camden County was 68.65 percent, meaning 273,555 of the county’s 398,475 registered voters made their voices heard in this year’s historic elections.

In Gloucester Township, turnout was 71.54 percent, meaning 36,538 of the township’s 51,072 registered voters cast their ballots.

Countywide, 2,105 votes were rejected, including 1,372 provisional ballots and 733 vote-by-mail ballots that were rejected. In Gloucester Township, 230 total ballots were rejected, including 159 provisional ballots and 71 vote-by-mail ballots.

Dintino, Senner and Fontanez ran as one ticket, with an eye toward improving student achievement.

"The district has invested wisely in modern curriculums for math and literacy resulting in test scores that have steadily improved over each of the last five years," they said. "By continuing to invest in our students and staff and providing them the necessary tools to succeed we will continue to build on the above average test scores that have been realized."

Johnson prides herself on her independence, and said she is proud of the things she has accomplished during her time on the board, which has lasted nearly six years.

"There is still more that needs to be done," said Johnson, noting Pay to Play specifically. "I will vote my conscience to employ companies that are the best for the district rather than just ones that donate to political parties."

In addition to her time with the Board of Education, Reese was a Commissioner in Gloucester Township Fire District No. 3 and currently serves as that board's secretary. She is also concerned about seeing the schools get through the pandemic.

"As a Board of Education member, I would budget conservative. Academically teachers are doing a great job coupled with parental support," Reese said. "However, I am concerned that the quick March exit to all remote, combinations of hybrid and remote currently doesn't work as well for all students and may cause an achievement gap. As a Board of Education member, I would ensure teachers are given all the tools/professional development they need to continue to challenge each student. I would support enrichment opportunities for all students."