Meet the School Board Candidates Tonight

Editor's note: This article was updated at 11 a.m. on Wednesday. Challenger Ronald Charles will not be present at the event tonight. In an emailed response, he wrote that one of his campaign staff will be there and offer a prepared a statement.  

If you are not sure who to vote for in this November’s School Board election, you can meet the four candidates vying for your vote tonight. 

With only 48 days left until the election, the candidates -- incumbent Michelle Casalino, challenger Ronald Charles, challenger Adam Kraemer, and challenger Joseph Sorbino -- will be at Thomas Edison Central Six School at 7 p.m. tonight. The informal candidate’s night will be held during the West Orange African Heritage Organization’s general meeting. 

“The West Orange African Heritage Organization is a community organization,” President of the African Heritage Organization Cynthia Hadley-Bailey. “I think it is important as a community organization is to have people come out and candidates come out.” 

The informal setting is new this year, said Hadley-Bailey. The group has traditionally hosted debates in the past with the League of Women Voters. Hadley-Bailey said the African Heritage Organization will not be putting on a candidate’s debate this year. 

As a nonprofit, The African Heritage Organization does not sponsor a candidate. “We just want to put out the information so people know what is going on,” said Hadley-Bailey.  

Information about the candidates can be found here. The candidates are contending for two three-year seats on the board. 

All four candidates will attend the meeting tonight. Board member Paul Petigrow, who originally was running in this year’s election, dropped out of the race last week.