Garfield Board of Education swears in three new members, elects Focarino president and Pateri vice president

The Garfield Board of Education on May 5 swore in three newly elected members and selected its leadership for the 2025 term, electing Alan Focarino board president and Arlene Pateri vice president during the district—s reorganization meeting.

The meeting opened with the board attorney confirming that the May 5 reorganization meeting had been posted and announced in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act and that adequate notice had been provided. The board administered the oath of office to newly elected members Arlene Pateri, Larissa Hassan and William J. Otto; Mayor Everett E. Ganto Jr. administered the oath to Pateri and Deputy Mayor Kevin Kane administered the oath to Hassan, and the oath for Otto was administered by a municipal official listed in the record (mayoral adviser Tanner Raymond). During the oath sequences each new member recited the statutory oath, including the pledge to "support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey" and that they were not disqualified under the statutes recited at the meeting.

The board then took nominations for president. Alan Focarino was nominated and, after a roll call vote, was elected president. Arlene Pateri and others were nominated during the subsequent vice president election; initial ballots did not yield a majority for the first nominee, and the board held a final roll call on Pateri, who was elected vice president.

The board approved the consent agenda (item 11.1) by roll call and later adopted the calendar of board meetings for the coming year by roll call vote. The meeting concluded after brief public-comment remarks and a motion to adjourn, which passed.

Public comment at the reorganization meeting was dominated by congratulations to the newly elected members. Assemblyman Al Abdelzes introduced himself to the board and said he was "looking forward to working with each and every 1 of you" and that his office was open to help bring resources to Garfield. Several residents and community members, including Tanya Raymond, Joe Delaney, Everett Gorrento and long-time resident Ben Folcarino, offered congratulations and urged the board to focus on students, staff and facilities; one commenter said school buildings needed repairs and noted "there's no paper towels in the schools for the last 2 weeks," which she called "unacceptable." A student government representative also congratulated the new board and expressed eagerness to work with members.

Votes at a glance

- Election of board president: Alan Focarino elected by roll call. (See actions[] for recorded member responses.) - Election of vice president: Arlene Pateri elected by roll call after a subsequent ballot. (See actions[] for recorded member responses.) - Consent agenda (item 11.1): Approved by roll call. - Calendar of board meetings: Adopted by roll call. - Motion to adjourn: Passed by voice vote.

The meeting record includes the Bergen County Clerk—s certified results of the April 15, 2025 school board election that produced the three newly sworn members: Arlene Pateri (696 votes), Larissa Hassan (625 votes) and William J. Otto (610 votes). The board did not take additional substantive policy actions at the reorganization meeting beyond leadership elections and approval of routine agenda items; members and public commenters emphasized priorities for the coming year, including school facilities and responsiveness to community concerns. The board adjourned after the formal items were concluded.