FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP – Michael Amoroso, Michael Matthews, Michelle Lambert and Mary Cozzolino have won terms on the Freehold Township K-8 School District Board of Education.
Amoroso, Lambert and Cozzolino are members of the board; Matthews is a newcomer who will join the panel in January.
Amoroso, Matthews and Lambert won a contested race for three-year terms on the board. Cozzolino ran unopposed for a one-year unexpired term.
When the results were tallied on Nov. 7, Amoroso retained his seat by receiving 3,838 votes, Matthews won a seat by receiving 3,548 votes and Lambert retained her seat by receiving 3,438 votes, according to results posted online by the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office.
Incumbent candidate Edward Hudak, who joined the board in 2014, received 2,950 votes and candidate Pierina Pantano received 2,137 votes, according to the clerk’s office.
According to the clerk’s office, Cozzolino received 5,396 votes to win the one-year unexpired term.
Amoroso has been a resident of Freehold Township for 16 years and joined the board in 2011. He said he sought re-election to help maintain experience on the board and to assist in the advancement of the district.
During his next three years on the board, Amoroso said three areas of focus for him will be ensuring that the community has its voice heard when creating the future of the district, maintaining fiscal responsibility and a balanced budget, and seeking an open line of communication between the district’s teacher and administrators.
Lambert, who is serving as board vice president for 2017, has been a resident of Freehold Township for 25 years and joined the board in 2010. She said she sought re-election to provide an effective learning environment for students while maintaining the school tax rate.
“The work of this board [is] to provide a balanced environment for our students that is not only safe, but one which fosters learning, character building and preparation for high school, college and life, and the 21st century, all while being vigilant and conscious of the taxpayer dollars that fund our schools,” Lambert said.
During her next three years on the board, Lambert said areas of focus for her will include researching and addressing the state funding formula and how it affects Freehold Township and its taxpayers, and fostering more community involvement in board meetings.
Matthews has been a resident of Freehold Township for more than eight years and made his first bid for a board seat in the 2017 election. He said he sought election to bring his perspective as a teacher to the board and to improve the district’s schools.
Matthews said areas of focus for him will be continuing to improve the lines of communication between all stakeholders in the district, ensuring that technology is being used appropriately and identifying cost-effective ways of improving school facilities.
Cozzolino has been a resident of Freehold Township for six years and was appointed to the board this year to fill a vacant seat. She said she sought election to continue to improve the education being offered to students. Cozzolino said areas of focus for her will be computers and screen time of students, personalized learning, and special education.
