In this year’s Board of Education election, two members’ terms were up. James Stankus of River Vale ran unopposed for re-election and Tammy Molinelli of Woodcliff Lake decided to not run for another term. The Trailblazer interviewed both of them about the election, their experience as members, and what they want to see for the district in the future. 

Molinelli said that she chose to not run for re-election because of how long she has been a member. 

“I’ve been on the BOE for nine years, and I think that new BOE members should come in after long periods of time…It allows for new perspectives,” she said. 

Other opportunities for professional training and coaching also factored into Molinelli’s decision to not run for re-election. 

No resident from Woodcliff Lake elected to run for a BOE position, so someone will be selected to finish the year after her term ends in December.

“The BOE will put out an interview opportunity to the community and select individuals to be interviewed to fill the rest of the term. Then, members of the community are able to volunteer to put their name on the ballot and have to submit to the County Clerk’s Office,” she said. 

Currently, Molinelli is a member of the BOE, but she also served as the BOE President for the district. She held this role during the Covid-19 pandemic, transgender bathroom decision, and mascot change. 

“Those were significant challenges, but I feel really good about the way we [the BOE] handled those topics,” she said. 

Molinelli elaborated on her experience in this role. 

“I was on the phone with Dr. Gundersen everyday [at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic] dealing with very difficult issues, such as how to keep kids educated and engaged…He was also there to bounce ideas and we also compared to see what other districts were doing at the time for certain things,” she said. 

For the rest of her term, Molinelli wants to emphasize preparing students for work and college. 

“I think that students should find passion where they are and the district needs to double up on guidance counselors and get more career counseling…Students shouldn’t rush off to a 4 year college if they are not ready…If you can’t go to college right away because you won’t be able to have a job after to pay off the debt, then don’t push it,” she said. 

She added that she will be speaking about the topic more at a future BOE meeting, specifically, sharing statistics on workforce development. 

Stankus first decided to run for election based on a bet he made with a student that was 18. They both ran and the student ended up on the ballot, but Stankus didn’t. 

“I have a strong sense of civic responsibility…I always consider the best needs for the students; the BOE is not about promoting oneself,” he said. 

Stankus is a social studies teacher at Elmwood Park High School and a certified administrator. His four children attended Pascack Valley High School, which he said has helped him as a BOE member. 

For the upcoming year, Stankus wants to prioritize recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“A lot of schools took a hit academically, socially, and emotionally. You need to give people credit for what they did…Social distancing, wearing a mask–even if it was uncomfortable. All those times you did it, you saved a life…To go forward, you have to acknowledge what’s right,” he said. 

Stankus thinks that the BOE can improve in district promotion and communication.

“We went hybrid during the pandemic and many other districts couldn’t. We were used as a model for other districts…we have a lot of community outreach and our students are actively involved,” he said. 

Both him and Molinelli expressed looking out for all of the students in the district. Molinelli mentioned this as her goal for after her final meeting.

“I hope I can leave this district in a place where I did the best for the kids,” she said.