Borough Native DiFiglia Files for School Board Election

Chatham Borough resident Ed DiFiglia said he filed a petition to run for the Board of Education of the School District of the Chathams Tuesday.

DiFiglia, 30, is chair of the Chatham Borough Democrats. He also volunteers on the borough's Environmental  Commission, the Open Space and Historic Conservancy Advisory Committee and the Municipal Alliance Committee of the Chathams.

He first moved to Chatham in 1989 as a child and attended both Washington Avenue School (WAS) and Chatham Middle School. He majored in journalism at Saint Michael's College and holds a master's degree in legislative affairs from George Washington University. He currently works as a prevention associate with the New Jersey Prevention Network.

One of DiFiglia's campaign issues is increasing access to school board meetings for borough residents. "So many of them conflict," he said, and he hopes to work with the borough and the school board to begin taping meetings and broadcasting them on YouTube or on local access channels.

"Residents should be able to hear all the comments of the meeting, to hear the tone of the comments, and to see all the meetings," he said.

DiFiglia and his wife Catherine "Lexi" have two children, the oldest of whom will start kindergarten in the fall at WAS.

Election Day Information

One seat representing the borough is up for election this April. Phil Franz was appointed to the seat in November after Stephen Barna vacated the seat in September. Franz told Chatham Patch on Feb. 11 he would run for the seat.

The other two seats are open to township residents.

The filing deadline is Feb. 25, and board election kits for all interested in running for election are available at the district office weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. The kit can also be downloaded from the district website.

The petition requires 10 signatures of registered voters living in the district, and the verification section must be completed by one of the signatories.

The requirements to run for election to the Board of Education are:

• Hold U.S. citizenship and live for at least one year in the school district;
• Be registered to vote in the district before the Feb. 25 filing deadline;
• Not hold municipal office or another elected office, and have no interest in any contract with or claim against the board.

On Election Day, Chatham Borough residents will vote at Chatham Middle School; Township residents will vote at Chatham High School.

Residents who will be 18 or older by April 16 can register to vote for school elections by the March 26 registration deadline. Applications for mail-in ballots must be received by mail by the county registrar by April 9, or voters may apply in person on any day up until 3 p.m. on April 15.