Dear Editor:
I am not going to mince words. You need to vote for our incumbent Board Members: Matt DeVitto, Debbie Orme, and Tim Berrios; and here is why.
Experience matters! COVID remains a reality that affects our town and our schools. The school district has worked tirelessly to maintain a viable educational experience for students while maintaining a safe environment for both students and staff. It is not the right time to elect new Board Members that may require 6 to 12 months before they are able to be helpful.
Special Education! Matt, Debbie, and Tim remain committed to our students who are most at risk. They have supported several new initiatives that benefit these students. The STRIVE Program; expansion of classes for students with behavioral disabilities; and expanding access to social workers and school psychologists are only some of the enhancements they have supported.
Fiscal Responsibility! Matt, Debbie, and Tim have consistently worked to ensure that the interests of taxpayers are represented while providing high-quality educational programs to our students. They have worked hard so that the school budget tax levy has stayed at or below a 2% increase. Don’t you wish all your elected officials had this fiscal responsibility? Have you received Mayor Soriano’s water bill yet? You will not be happy!
Text Messages! Has your cell phone privacy been invaded by unsolicited text messages from John Titus, Aisha Mahmood, and Nilesh Bagdai? These Parsippany Board of Education challengers sent out hundreds of unsolicited text messages to Parsippany residents soliciting votes for themselves. This is unconscionable. Matt DeVitto, Debbie Orme, and Tim Berrios would never do this. Please nix 456!
Dark Money! Signs, postcards and ads cost thousands of dollars. Matt, Debbie, and Tim are self-funding their campaign. Every dollar spent has been provided by these hard-working Board of Education Members. Not so with the 4-5-6 ticket of John Titus, Aisha Mahmood, and Nilesh Bagdai. They have accepted thousands of dollars from out of town sources. John Titus and Aisha Mahmood both received $1,000 each from the progressive Political Action Committee, Millennials for NJ. Why would out of town sources pour thousands of dollars into a board of education election? I have no answers.
Please re-elect the hard-working team of Matt DeVitto, Debbie Orme, and Tim Berrios. Honesty, integrity, and experience are more important now than ever.
Sincerely,
Andy Choffo
I am writing this letter as a private citizen and not in my capacity as a Board of Education Member.
