Nutley, Belleville School Board Candidates File For 2026 Election

BELLEVILLE-NUTLEY, NJ — The races have begun for open school board seats in Nutley and Belleville, and both towns are primed to see competitive elections this year.

Belleville and Nutley are among the New Jersey towns holding a school board contest as part of the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Early in-person voting will take place from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1. The voter registration deadline is Oct. 13. Learn more about voting in New Jersey here.

BELLEVILLE

According to the Essex County Clerk’s Office, four candidates have filed to run for two open seats on the Belleville Board of Education. Terms last for three years.

The candidates and their slogans are:

• Gabrielle Bennett Meany - "Building Futures Together"
• Andrea Maldonado - "We Believe Belleville"
• Lissa Missaggia - "We Believe Belleville"
• Kyle Lu - no slogan listed

NUTLEY

Five candidates have filed to run for three open seats on the Nutley Board of Education. Terms last for three years.

The candidates are:

• Lisa Danchak-Martin
• Salvatore Balsamo
• Salvatore Ferraro
• Michael Marsala
• Joe Battaglia

SERVING ON A SCHOOL BOARD

In New Jersey, school board members are nonpartisan and do not declare political parties when running for office. They do not receive pay or benefits for their service.

According to the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA), the main responsibilities of board of education members are:

“The board of education adopts policies under which the school district operates; oversees the budget; approves the curriculum; hires and evaluates the superintendent; represents the public during contract negotiations; and serves as a communications link between the community and the school system.”

“The school board does not operate the district on a day-to-day basis; that is the job of the superintendent, who is the district’s chief executive,” the NJSBA states. “Rather, the school board sets the policies, goals and objectives for the district – and it holds the superintendent responsible for implementing the policies and achieving the goals.”

A survey by the National School Boards Association found 63 percent of board members spend 11 to 50 hours a month on board duties, with some dedicating even more time to the position.

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