Board, residents thank Barone for BOE service
Seven-year member was 'calming, rational' voice on school board
BY MICHAEL ACKER
Staff Writer

Peter Barone

SAYREVILLE - The Board of Education had bid farewell to a member who was quiet but revered during his seven years of service.

Peter Barone, who did not seek re-election this month, is succeeded on the board by newcomer Maria Stratton, who was sworn in Tuesday.

Board President Michael Macagnone presented Barone with a plaque April 10 commemorating his service to the school district and wishing him luck with his future endeavors.

Barone, who said work and family-related obligations kept him from seeking a new term, has been on the board since 2000.

Macagnone said that board members and residents alike considered Barone to be the voice of reason and calm on the nine-member board.

"He would not say much and when he did, everyone stopped to look at him," Macagnone said.

Board member Kevin Ciak noted that Barone served as vice president of the board while Ciak was president.

"The best words to describe Pete are calming and a rational voice in the face of what is very oftentimes adversity," Ciak said. "He was initially involved in efforts to pass school budgets and in parent organizations, which led him to become a school board member in the first place."

Barone addressed the public after Macagnone spoke at the April 10 meeting, saying that he has been involved in the school district for the past nine years.

"I watched this district grow," Barone said, noting the addition at the Arleth School and construction at the Samsel Upper Elementary School."

Barone, who is employed by Rutgers University as a planner, estimator and supervisor at the New Brunswick campuses, said his work and his family obligations had to take priority.

"[My job] is taking up a lot of my time," Barone said, "as much as I would have enjoyed [running for the board] again."

Barone thanked the district for allowing him the opportunity to serve.

"I will miss it," Barone said, "but I am a phone call away. I want to thank everybody, because this was extremely fulfilling for me."

Resident Shirley Dill stood before the board and thanked Barone for his years of service. She added that she is particularly grateful for his interest in preserving community history by restoring the name of the Samsel Upper Elementary School, which for a brief time was called the Sayreville Upper Elementary School. The board voted to return Samsel to the school name last year.

"I'm really going to miss you," Dill told Barone.

The board was working to expand the Emma L. Arleth School during the first year Barone was on the board.

"I thought that with my background, I was an asset to the board," Barone told the Suburban, "because my forte is renovations. The first year there was the Arleth addition, a few years after that was the Samsel Upper Elementary School and now we are starting Phase I of the high school [additions and renovations]."

Barone's decision to run in 2000 came after his work with the district's blue-ribbon committee.

"If we were going to pass a budget and [start] building schools, I wanted to be a part of it," Barone said. "At that point, I had two children in the district. I still have one daughter graduating next year."

The school district is currently moving in a positive direction, Barone said.

"I think that we accomplished a lot while I was on the board," he said. "I think you have got a good board now."

And though he may be leaving the dais, he's not going far.

"I'm going to be watching from the other side," Barone added.