As term limits set to expire for two positions on the Farmingdale School District Board of Education, one incumbent will not be seeking re-election this year, prompting two uncontested races for the board.
On April 30, members of the Concerned Citizens Association of Farmingdale met with the two candidates—incumbent John Capobianco and newcomer Ralph Morales—to discuss their plans for the district in the years ahead.
First elected in 2008, Capobianco said he ran for school board after opening up his school tax bill.
“All my illusions of how a school district operates were shattered within the first year,” Capobianco said.
Now, with six years experience under his belt, Capobianco said he has a much greater understanding of the financial difficulties facing public school districts. For Capobianco, the source of the district’s money woes stems from the state government.
“Until we, as an electorate, stand up to these bullies, we’re going to be nickled and dimed and eventually we’re going to run out of money,” Capobianco said.
Since Farmingdale Board of Education Vice President Steve Wilson has decided not to seek re-election this year, newcomer Ralph Morales decided to take out petitions and stake an uncontested bid for Wilson’s seat.
With over 18 years of experience in law, Morales has picked up a few things that he feels will make him an asset to the Farmingdale Board of Education—namely the ability to listen and analyze a topic instead of impulsively casting a vote.
“The best attorneys are parents,” Morales said.
During the forum, one of the more outspoken parents in the district brought forward concerns pertaining to the security of the students in the district. Citing an incident that occurred last year, when police apprehended two female suspects who allegedly broke into the high school and stole electronic devices, he asked if the district has improved security since then.
“We all have these concerns because bad things do happen,” Morales said. “We want to be as proactive as we can be about them and to learn from what happens.”
