PARSIPPANY — Candidates for the Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Board of Education are gearing up for a debate on October 3 at 7:00 p.m. This anticipated forum is being co-organized by the League of Women Voters of the Morristown Area. The debate will be live streamed on YouTube by clicking here. You can also view the debate afterward and will be available to view on Parsippany Focus.
For this year’s election, a significant number of candidates are in the race, with 12 individuals having filed petitions for the available seats on the Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Board of Education. This information comes directly from the Morris County Clerk’s office, indicating a keen interest in the three available three-year seats.
The candidates in the running include:
- Matthew DeVitto
- Timothy P. Berrios
- Andrew Choffo
- Kendra Von Achen
- Balakrishna “Bala” Samaga
- Nilesh Bagdai
- Falgun Bakhtarwala
- Cassandra Cogan (who has opted out of the debate)
- Wendy Wright
- Nicole Dellafave
- Lily Benavides
- Deitria Smith-Snead
It’s worth noting that both Von Achen and DeVitto are current members of the school board, adding a dimension of experience to the race.
The school board plays a pivotal role in the community, overseeing critical decisions like hiring administrators and managing property tax funds. Notably, school board elections have been held in November since 2012, following a state law change. Previously, these elections were held in April.
The general election in New Jersey is set for Tuesday, November 7.
In addition to the League of Women Voters of the Morristown Area, the Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Board of Education debate is co-hosted by the Parsippany Woman’s Club and the Daily Record.
