Schools

Crowded Field of Haddonfield BOE Candidates Thins

UPDATE: Three of eight candidates for three seats have dropped out of the race.

Three candidates for the Nov. 5 Haddonfield school board election have dropped out of the race.

Ken Kouba announced his withdrawal last week to Haddon Patch. Lisa Hurley posted her withdrawal recently on a Facebook page. Both cited "personal reasons" for pulling out, but both remain on the ballot because they missed the Sept. 5 deadline to officially withdraw.

Kathryn Casey Glazer dropped out over the summer because of an illness in her family. She has been removed from the ballot.

The remaining candidates are Matthew Jeremy Bass, Carlton Chin, Mary Fagan, Amy Keys Shaw and Dave Siedell. However, not all of them appear to be actively campaigning.

The borough PTA is sponsoring a candidates debate on Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. in the Middle School Auditorium. Three seats are open on the nine-member board. 
Three incumbent board members, Joe Ehrhardt, Cheryl Laney and Steve Weinstein all decided not to run for reelection.  

The board's unsuccessful $12.5 million referendum to buy the Bancroft property adjacent to the high school was defeated by voters in January. The installation of artificial turf on the high school football stadium and an adjacent practice field were also actions for which there was some public opposition. Those issues may have led to the crowed field of candidates.

By contrast, Maureen Eyles, Andrew Berlin and Dennis Kelleher ran unopposed last fall.

Bancroft and the turf-field issue may have also had an effect on the borough commissioners race in May. Six candidates vied for three seats in that contest resulting in two new members on the three-member Board of Commissioners.

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