Coalition of Latino New Brunswick Parents With Children in the Schools and Alumni of the Schools Mount Opposition Run for Board of Education Open Seats

New Brunswick Today

An election for open seats on the Board of Education of the New Brunswick, NJ Public Schools is to be held April 16.

The student body of the New Brunswick, NJ  Public Schools is more than 80 percent Latino, according to the last Census. Latino parents with children in the schools and a group of Latino alumni graduates of the New Brunswick School system are running as a coalition of candidates and alumni for the open seats on the city’s Board of Education.

Jerry B. Mercado, Brandon A. España, and Gary Cruz are running to represent the entire city in the April 16th Board of Education election.

It marks the first time since the city began holding school elections in 2013 that three candidates with strong ties to the school system are challenging the entrenched political machine that has controlled the school system, according to Charlie Kratovil, candidate for New Brunswick City Mayor in 2018 and editor of New Brunswick Today newspaper and local activist, who lives in New Brunswick.

Under a new state law adopted last year, the three candidates will appear together on the election ballot under the slogan “Parent Zebras Team,” a reference to the coalition of parents and alumni of the school district, whose mascot has been the Zebras for decades, say Kratovil.

All three candidates also have strong ties to Rutgers University, and are focused on addressing poor learning conditions in overcrowded and dilapidated schools, some of which are over 100 years old, says Mercado.  They are also committed to improving transparency and parent involvement by broadcasting the school board meetings and offering translation for parents who don’t speak English but still want to participate in parent-teacher associations (PTAs) and parent-teacher conferences, according to Cruz. More than 70 percent of parents with children enrolled in the New Brunswick Public Schools speak Spanish at home, and yet PTA meetings and parent-teacher conferences are only held in English as the default language, Mercado has pointed out.

Jerry Mercado is a longtime New Brunswick homeowner and father of three children, including two graduates of the Health Sciences Technology High School and one current student. He graduated from Rutgers University and has worked in the healthcare industry for over 20 years. He has served on the city’s Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, and its Zoning Board of Adjustment, and founded the city’s Little League after many years of coaching youth.

“For 15 years, I have advocated for my three children in order for them to get the best education possible. Now, I am hopeful that the voters will give me the opportunity to use my skills and experience to advocate for all the students of New Brunswick,” said Mercado.

Brandon España grew up in New Brunswick, the child of Mexican immigrants, and attended the public school system here. Before and after graduating, he has participated in volunteer tutoring and mentoring programs. He now helps New Brunswick students prepare for the SAT’s and volunteers with the local community organization Lazos America Unida.

He currently attends Rutgers University, where he majors in Planning and Public Policy and was recently accepted into their master’s degree program. He served on the New Brunswick Rent Control Board, and is running for elected office for the first time, New Brunswick Today reported.

“I’ve always sought different ways of serving my community outside of school and wish to further my involvement in New Brunswick in new ways, which is why I am proud to declare my candidacy for the Board of Education,” said España.

Gary Cruz was born and raised in New Brunswick, and says he is running to improve the schools for families whose children attend the public schools.

A recent graduate of New Brunswick High School, Cruz served as a captain of the New Brunswick bowling team, and he works at Rutgers University as an Information Assistant, where he helps aspiring high school students from all over the country understand the admissions process and obtain financial aid so they can attend Rutgers.

“At my job, I work hard to make sure prospective Rutgers students are best prepared for any obstacle ahead of them,” said Cruz. “As a proud NBHS alum, I want to give back to my community by serving on the Board of Education and helping more of our students get into college and succeed in life.”

More information about the new organization and the candidates is available at ParentsAndZebrasUnited.com.

The deadline to register to vote in any New Jersey election is always three weeks before the election, so the upcoming deadlines this year are as follows:

Primary election
Registration deadline: May 14
Election Day: June 4

General election
Registration deadline: October 15
Election Day: November 5

The upcoming New Brunswick Board of Education election is set for April 16.

Voters who wish to confirm their registration and locate the proper polling location can go to: https://voter.njsvrs.com/PublicAccess/jsp/PollPlace/PollPlaceSearch.jsp

The polling locations in New Brunswick will be:

• First Reformed Church, 9 Bayard Street
• Hungarian Heritage Center, 300 Somerset Street
• Lincoln Elementary School, 66 Bartlett Street
• Lord Stirling Community School, 100 Redmond Street
• New Brunswick Board of Education Gymnasium, 268 Baldwin Street
• New Brunswick Middle School, 1125 Livingston Avenue
• Providence Square Senior Housing Complex, 217 Somerset Street
• Public Works Garage, 400 Jersey Avenue
• Robeson & Schwartz Community Center, 7 Van Dyke Avenue
• Roosevelt School, 83 Livingston Avenue
• Senior Citizens Resource Center, 81 Huntington Street
• Redshaw Elementary School, 216 Livingston Avenue
• Woodrow Wilson Elementary, 133 Tunison Road