Garfield Board of Education swears in newly elected members; elects Ramos president, Quiles vice president

The Garfield Board of Education on Jan. 6 administered oaths of office to newly elected trustees, conducted a short executive session and elected George Ramos as president of the board and Julio Angel Quiles as vice president.

The reorganization meeting opened with the board secretary announcing that the January 6 reorganization meeting had been posted in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act and that adequate notice had been provided. The board then administered oaths to newly elected members, with Bergen County Administrator Thomas Dutch and Mayor Hector C. Laura sworn in as the officials administering oaths for several trustees. Those sworn in included Aldo Munoz, Julio Angel Quiles, George L. Ramos and Daniel A. Taylor Jr., among others. The clerk read certified results from the Bergen County Clerk’s office for the Nov. 5, 2024 school-board election, listing vote totals for candidates (for example, George L. Ramos 2,431; Daniel A. Taylor Jr. 2,281; Julio A. Quiles 2,083); the clerk identified the counts as the official certified results.

Why it matters: Organizational meetings set the board’s leadership and short-term procedures for the year and establish which members will preside over future meetings and committee assignments.

After the oath, a board member moved to go into an initial executive session before the formal organization work, and the motion carried on a verbal roll call. The board recessed to executive session and reconvened later the same evening. When the board returned to public session, the board attorney opened nominations for the office of president. George Ramos was nominated and, after a roll call of members present, was elected president. The board then nominated and elected Julio Angel Quiles as vice president; the roll-call vote on the vice president included one recorded abstention.

Board members used the public portion following organizational business to offer brief personal remarks and congratulations to colleagues. Several newly sworn trustees thanked family and campaign teams and said they were eager to begin work on behalf of students, teachers and taxpayers. For example, Julio Angel Quiles said he “can’t wait to get to work and continue to move this district forward,” and a newly sworn trustee thanked supporters and family for their help in getting elected.

Votes at a glance: - Motion to go into an initial executive (closed) session: motion made (unnamed board member), seconded (unnamed). Roll-call votes recorded as aye from Munoz, Dr. Pivovarcek, Kies, Ramos, Sanchez, Taylor, Focarino, Garba/Gaba, Maleo and others present; motion carries. - Election of president (nomination: George Ramos): nomination moved and seconded; verbal roll call recorded as ayes from members present; George Ramos elected president. - Election of vice president (nomination: Julio Angel Quiles): motion carried on roll call with one abstention recorded (Mister Garber/Garba abstained), others voting aye; Julio Angel Quiles elected vice president. - Motion to open/resolution items 10.1–10.2 (as presented on the agenda): motion carried on roll call with ayes recorded from members present.

Formal actions recorded in the transcript were procedural and organizational only; no policy resolutions, budgets, contracts or program adoptions were debated or adopted in public session at this meeting. The board set the public reconvene time when it recessed to executive session and returned to public session within the time stated in meeting announcements.

The meeting closed after brief board remarks and acknowledgments of veterans and community volunteers. The board announced its next regular meeting date at the end of the month.