7 Candidates File For Competitive Montclair School Board Race: 2026 Election

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The race for three open seats on the Montclair Board of Education has begun.

Montclair is among the New Jersey towns holding a school board contest as part of the 2026 general election, which takes place on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Terms on the board last for three years.

According to the Essex County Clerk’s Office, seven candidates have filed petitions in Montclair. The list doesn’t include any current board members.

Here’s who filed to run:

• Andrew W. Gideon
• Richard Reynics
• Corey Pierson
• Brandie Bookhart
• Ayelet Haran
• George Simpson
• David Moon

Three board members – Melanie Deysher, Phaedra Dunn and Allison Silverstein – will see their terms expire at the end of the year.

Early in-person voting for the 2026 general election will take place from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1. The voter registration deadline is Oct. 13. Learn more about voting in New Jersey here.

‘THE COMMUNITY IS HUNGRY FOR IMPROVEMENT’

This year’s board of education election has caught the attention of other local politicians who eventually decided not to run, including former mayor and town council member Bob Russo.

Russo said he chose not to file for the school board election when he saw that a “number of good people” were interested, although he is now considering a possible run at a vacant at-large seat on the Montclair Town Council.

“I wish the best to all who are running and will hopefully serve to address our school funding, achievement gap and infrastructure issues,” he added.

Other community members have been calling for renewed action as the school board race heats up, including local research and education group Montclair Partnership for Accountability, Clarity and Trust (MPACT).

“After a turbulent and challenging year, the community is hungry for improvement – and that starts with the board of education,” said MPACT founder and local parent Dan Hafetz.

The group recently released a policy document with several suggestions for the district. The list includes:

• Focus on academic achievement and closing the achievement gap – “Set more measurable and strategic targets, and provide regular reporting to the public.”
• Strengthen financial oversight – “Monthly public reports with clear explanations, improvements to the quality of board questioning at presentations, and bolstering financial literacy for all members.”
• Refresh the strategic plan – “Develop and publish a plan that ties spending to academic outcomes, and reflects current fiscal realities and the current superintendent’s vision.”
• Expand and improve public participation and meetings – “New process for responding to community questions, regular town halls, clarification of the legal latitude individual board members have for public engagement, and improvements to meeting conduct and governance infrastructure.”
• Make oversight clear and transparent to the public – “Effective oversight should be visible to the public. Make improvements so the board’s residents can evaluate the BOE’s performance and see how decisions are being made.”

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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