RED BANK BOARD OF ED RACE: SAVOIA Q&A

Name: Paul Savoia

Age: 39

Street: Elm Place

Where did you attend elementary/middle school? Hazlet Twp. Public Schools

Where did you go to high school? 

St. John Vianney High School

Did you graduate from college? If so, which school, what degree? 

-Bachelors in Elementary Education from Maryville University in St. Louis, MO

-Masters in School Leadership from St. Elizabeth University, Morristown, NJ

Have you served in the military? If so, what branch, and when? 

What do you do for a living? (Title, employer, brief description of your responsibilities) Supervisor of Special Education Compliance in East Orange School District, Essex County. I work with district leadership and Child Study Teams to ensure we follow state and federal mandates that provide educational programs that meet the needs of students with disabilities.

How long have you been a resident of Red Bank? 

11 years

Do you own real estate in town? 

Yes

What boards/committees have you sat on or volunteer positions have you held in town? 

-Democratic Committee representing District 7

-Community Equity and Engagement Committee 

Do you have children? 

I do not have children

Do they/will they/have they attended school in the borough? If so, which schools? 

Roughly how many Red Bank school board meetings have you attended? I have been a board member for 2 years.

Why have you decided to run? 

As an educator, I believe in the tremendous benefits that a strong public school system affords students. Public education provides our children with the skills necessary to build a successful future for themselves, our community, and the world.

What should Red Bank residents expect of a BOE member? 

Board members should be focused on the best interests of the community.  They should be visible at school events. They should listen to and understand the needs of the community. They should help the school personnel foster goals and programs that support our students’ best interests, focusing on data and the future ensuring that programs and services achieve the desired goals.

Are the Red Bank primary and middle schools doing a good job educating children and preparing them for high school and beyond? If not, what needs to be done to change that? 

Red Bank Primary and Middle Schools are doing an incredible job educating our children and laying the groundwork for their future success. Despite the many challenges our students and families face, many of which reflect broader national issues. Our district has responded with strong academic programs and comprehensive support services for our families. Our schools are more than just places of learning; they are centers of community support that help meet the needs of the whole child.

We have successfully built a strong partnership with Red Bank Regional High School, which helps ensure that our students are not only academically prepared, but also socially and emotionally ready for the next phase of their education. There is always room for improvement and we must continue to invest in programs and strategies that strengthen student readiness and long-term achievement.

As a board member, I believe we should keep building on what’s working, while staying proactive and responsive to the evolving needs of our students and families.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the district? 

The biggest challenge facing the district is funding. Like many other districts, the S2 Funding formula has disproportionately impacted us. This is compounded by the changing demographic of our community, and the rapid increase in real estate value resulting in some large losses of state aid funding over the last 8 years. 

How specifically would you do or propose to address that issue? 

As a current board member, I’ve been focused on equitable fiduciary policies to meet our students’ needs and to attract and retain strong teaching and other school personnel. In short, I consider how we as a community get the biggest bang for our buck, as they say.

What is your approach to fiscal issues such as budgeting, taxes and debt? 

Thanks to appropriate and transparent fiscal management, the district has avoided taking on a large amount of debt and having to drastically cut services. If we continue to be fiscally responsible, we will be more prepared for dramatic changes in funding should they occur.

The district last year imposed a double-digit tax increase on property owners. Would you have/or did you vote for that? Why or why not? 

As a member of the board, I spent a great deal of time grappling with a large tax increase. Due to state-level decisions, we have been left with few options. Drastically cutting educational and support programs that our students and families depend on every day was simply not an option that sat well with me. As a board, we have continued to advocate to our local and state leaders, about the negative impacts of the current funding formula, as well as the burden the charter school places on our bottom lines.

If no, what specific programs or expenses would you have cut to prevent the tax increase? 

Do you think it makes sense that New Jersey has 590 school districts? The state legislature is discussing ways to make all districts K-12 to consolidate and save costs. Would you be in favor of more regionalization and consolidation? 

Consolidation could provide increased access to funding, cost savings for taxpayers, and expanded programming for students and families. I am in favor of the school district participating in a feasibility study to gather concrete data related to the advantages and disadvantages of consolidation.  Ultimately whichever result presents a better option for our students and community, that is what I will vote for.

Red Bank has a publicly funded charter school. The previous borough council passed a resolution saying it should be eliminated. Should it? Why or why not?

Like every charter school, The Red Bank Charter School creates an undue financial burden on the entire community. The sharing of limited public funds with another school district presents challenges in adequately funding our great public schools. To me the math is simple, under the current funding formula the district faced a $2.5 million dollar shortfall in state aid while being required to pass $2.8 million in state aid to the charter school. Not good.

Your final thoughts or anything you’d like to add, in 75 words or less. Go. 

I seek to continue serving on the Red Bank Borough Board of Education. My professional experience as an educator is dedicated to designing school systems that foster equity and access. I bring this same expertise and commitment to the Board, ensuring our public schools remain a cornerstone of community strength and provide robust pathways for all children’s success.