ASBURY PARK -- This year's race for three open seats comes as a divided nine-member board is waging war over members' accountability in setting policy and working with a superintendent.

The battle exploded in December when a majority led by president Remond Palmer removed Superintendent Antonio Lewis on the advice of attorneys Raymond Hamlin, Ronald Hunt and Lester Taylor whose contract this year gives their firm a flat $500,000 fee regardless of how much work is done.

Two of the majority board members, Tyrone Smith, whose father, Rudolph, also is on the board, and Lori McAllister, chose not to run again. The third incumbent, past board president Adrienne Sanders, has been a strong voice against the board majority. She is running for a third term with newcomer Harolyn Solomon.

On April 20, voters will choose three of 13 candidates for the job this year. They are: Amsden Bernier, Gregory Brewington, Frank D'Alessandro, Kyangazi Anne Marie Denson, Garrett Giberson, Joseph Incagnoli, Gerard Kuenze, Phyllis Ling, David Morton, Renard Neal, Antoinette "Toni" Ross, Sanders and Harolyn Solomon

[descriptions of other 12 candidates edited out ... for full article go to http://orig.app.com/app/story/0,21625,942244,00.html]

Joe Incagnoli moved to Asbury Park three years ago and said he and his wife were attracted by the energy of a significant portion of the community to make Asbury Park a better place.

Incagnoli feels the schools are well-funded but the money needs to be redirected to better help educate the kids. He suggested the district build a strong partnership with the business community and residents, and said he is an advocate of mentoring programs and has seen them work.

"Parental involvement is absolutely important, but the sad fact is you can't depend on it," he said.

Incagnoli is nearing 10 years of a successful drug recovery effort and said it gives him and inside view on such problems in the schools -- just how dangerous a situation it is for the kids.

Incagnoli wants the board members to work together. He said he knew school boards in Boston where he grew up and in New York City that "were paralyzed because of excessive personalization and politicization of the process -- everyone becomes reactive instead of proactive."

-- Nancy Shields

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