BOE Race Taking Shape With Two Announced Candidates

The deadline to file for the elections in November is not until June 5 but two residents have already thrown their hat into the ring.

Amy Fankhauser and Nancy Donio will run take one of the three spots up for grabs in the election. 

Donio is a past president of the PTA and has also been involved in the community in several other ways. In addition to serving as a former Girl Scout Leader for Troop 954 she is also a former citizen member of the board's finance committee and currently serves on the board's educational and technology committee.

She has also taught pre-school and pre-school gym and fourth grade CCD at St. Catherine of Siena Parish of Farmingdale. 

In a press release Donio said she was running to "derive the best quality education while looking to build sustainable budgets in the future."

She added that having various parts of the township coming together "will create one community ideal that best represents the residents and what their vision for the children of Howell can and should be."

Fankhauser is a former attorney for the New Jersey School Boards Association. In the town she has been a volunteer on the board's policy committee and has also been the liaison between the board and the . 

She has also served on the community relations committee at both Ardena School and and has volunteered for the Howell Soccer Club, the Pinelander's Soccer Club and the North Howell Little League.

Since she started regularly attending board meetings four years ago Fankhauser said she has learned a lot about the goals they set and the positive results they can produce. That includes "1. the restoration of children's programs, 2. new curricula to help the staff accomplish their goals for our children, and 3. a zero tax increase last year and the reduction of taxes this year."

Fankhauser said she looks forward to the opportunity to serve on the board. "I am passionate about empowering the staff to educate our children for the future within the confines of our ability to pay for that education," she said. 

This is the first year that the school board and general elections . The board elections will be held to fill the seats currently held by Board President Timothy O'Brien, Patrick Dowling and Joseph Moscato Jr. 

At a neither of the three had committed to running again.

The general election will , one to replace outgoing Mayor Robert Walsh and the other to fill the seat currently held by Councilman Juan Malave. After replacing Councilwoman Susan Schroeder Clark following her resignation, Malave opted not to pursue a full term in November.