Council President Rolando R. Lavarro, Jr. Endorses ‘Change for Children’ in Jersey City BOE Race

November 1, 2019 – Council President Rolando R. Lavarro, Jr. announced his endorsement of all five Change for Children candidates: Noemi Velazquez, Asheenia Johnson, Alexander Hamilton, David Czehut and Anthony Sharperson for the Jersey City Board of Education.

Council President Lavarro, remarked, “Sudhan Thomas’ corruption has been reported to be under investigation by the FBI for stealing taxpayer money, embarrassing the City at the expense of Jersey City students and taxpayers. As these scandals and controversies pile up, they only serve as a serious distraction from what is most important – our children’s education. I do not have any confidence that an Education Matters Team led by a compromised Sudhan Thomas can solve our current school funding crisis.”

Recently, Council President Lavarro met with the Change for Children team to discuss the candidate’s position on the school funding crisis, building new schools, affordable housing, abatements, and forming a more cohesive relationship between the school board and city council.  “My endorsement does not come lightly. I believe these candidates are well respected within the community. I am confident they will keep parents and children as their foremost priority, working with me and the City Council on the most pressing issues facing the Jersey City school district, namely the school funding crisis,” continued Mr. Lavarro.

Ward E Councilman James Solomon, with the support of Council Presiden Lavarro, presented a plan to allocate $7 million to the local public school system. However, Education Matters candidates rejected municipal funds that could have fixed some of the deteriorating schools and initiated removal of the lead-contaminated pipes of the severely affected schools. “I was disappointed when the current board members refused to attend council meetings focused on the school budget deficit. The board chose to walk away from the City’s assistance. In the end, our children paid the price. Our children deserve more than an empty seat; we need board members who will show up and speak up,” concluded Mr. Lavarro.

According to Change for Children candidate, Noemi Velazquez said, “We are excited to receive the endorsement by Council President Lavarro. He has shown real leadership by not keeping with the status quo. We are eager to work with him and have a shared urgency to address the funding crisis. It starts with changing the current failed leadership at the Board of Ed.”

“We will bring a progressive mindset to the board, with no legal issues. My message to parents and taxpayers is simple: If you want to see improvements in our school’s system, a status quo attitude is not going to cut it,” stated Alexander Hamilton.