MILLSTONE – Melissa Riviello, Cynthia Bailey and Peter Bonafide have won three-year terms on the Millstone Township K-8 School District Board of Education.
Riviello and Bailey are members of the board; Bonafide is a newcomer who will join the panel in January.
When the results were tallied on Nov. 7, Riviello retained her seat by receiving 1,458 votes, Bailey retained her seat by receiving 1,428 votes and Bonafide won a seat by receiving 1,309 votes, according to results posted online by the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office.
Candidate Amrita Singh received 962 votes, according to the clerk’s office.
The results are unofficial until they are certified by the county.
Riviello has lived in Millstone for more than 13 years and joined the board in 2013. She said she sought re-election to further improve the district and its schools.
“I feel I can use what I have learned in the past four years to continue the momentum of what we (the board members) have built,” she said.
During the next three years, Riviello said areas of focus for her will include concentrating on communication between all vested parties to improve the student and faculty climate in the district’s schools, continuing to improve the articulation of curriculum between Millstone and Allentown High School in the Upper Freehold Regional School District, where Millstone students attend high school, and continuing to increase the rigor of the district’s programs.
Bailey has lived in Millstone for nine years and joined the board in 2014. She said she sought re-election to continue her work on the board and help implement the initiatives of the district.
“I am especially excited about our new superintendent’s ideas relating to personalized learning and I look forward to being part of a board that makes those initiatives a reality for our children,” she said.
Bailey said areas of focus for her will include pursuing personalized learning initiatives that will benefit students, expanding communication to stakeholders in the township and keeping the school tax rate stable.
Bonafide has lived in Millstone for six years and was making his first bid for a board seat. He said he sought election to help make the district as effective as possible, with students receiving the best education they can receive.
“In the global economy in which we live, it is essential that our children are prepared for whatever career path they desire in these ever-changing times,” he said. “We must prepare them to become multifaceted individuals who are critical thinkers, as well as creative thinkers.”
Bonafide said he will focus on improving scholastic achievement, increasing innovative programs for students during and after school, and building a stronger relationship between the district and the community.
