Ocean City School Board Election 2026: Michael Allegretto

OCEAN CITY , NJ — Election Day is Nov. 3, and Ocean City residents will vote on school board and county elections.

Ahead of the 2026 election, Patch will be publishing profiles on local candidates. Here's what Ocean City Board of Education candidate Michael Allegretto had to say.

Editor's Note: Patch sent out emails to all candidates to the email addresses listed for their campaign provided to the office of the clerk. The responses received will be published between now and the Nov. 3 general election. These responses will be published edited only for style. Candidates who would like to participate but did not receive one (for whatever reason) can contact veronica.flesher@patch.com.

Michael Allegretto

55

Ocean City High School graduate class of 1989, College of New Jersey 1993

Wife, Lisa, two children both Ocean City High School Graduates

What drove you to seek public office:

I decided to run for re-election to the Ocean City School Board to keep working to make sure Ocean City remains a high-level school district. With the recent hiring of a new superintendent, Dr Latwis, I want to work with him to continually improve our curriculum to ensure our graduates are prepared for their chosen path after high school.

What qualifications and experiences do you have that makes you a good fit for this role?

I feel my previous Ocean City school board experience from 1999 to 2006 where I served as President & Vice President and also served as committee chair for the finance committee, negotiations committee, and building & grounds for the opening of the new school. I also served on Ocean City city council from 2006 to 2015 serving as President & Vice-President. As a current school member for the last three years, I have served on the policy committee and am currently the chairperson of the building & grounds committee I feel these experiences have given me the knowledge to understand my role as a school board member and have given me the experiences to be prepared to make the best decisions on the current issues facing the school board for the long-term growth of the district.

What sets you apart from other candidates?

I feel what sets me apart from other candidates is my ability to listen to concerns presented to me by parents, students, school staff, and residents. Then present these concerns to the Superintendent to evaluate and see what improvements can be made. I feel a good working relationship with the Superintendent and administrators allows for discussions to ensure the best outcome for our students.

What is the most pressing issue facing the Ocean City school district.

The most pressing issue facing our district is the current student enrollment. The school board needs to make our schools a destination district to attract young families to our town. This can be accomplished by continually to improve our curriculum offerings. Ensure that we have the best trained and engaging educators. Continue to expand our partnership with Stockon so our college bound students have college credits to help them reduce tuition costs, Work to prepare our students that enter the work force after high school with the skills needed in today's marketplace.

If elected, what will your top priority be?

A top priority will be to continue working with the entire board to establish yearly district goals for the Superintendent to implement. I feel strongly having a board that can work together as a team for the students will provide our district with the leadership needed to prepare for the future. Also to continue to develop annual budgets that are responsible to the taxpayer.

What is your favorite thing about living in Ocean City?

As a lifelong resident of Ocean City, I have always enjoyed the seasonality of the town. With so much to do in the summer it allows for so many unique experiences for our children. Once school starts the city reverts to a smaller city and school district where everyone can know their neighbors and support the school district.