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Sunday, November 4, 2012

Jersey Jazzman: How To Buy a School Board 3000 Miles Away

Jersey Jazzman: How To Buy a School Board 3000 Miles Away:


How To Buy a School Board 3000 Miles Away

Why would California multi-millionaires be interested in a school board race in the small city of Perth Amboy, NJ?

It seems absurd, and yet it's true: four wealthy Californians and one wealthy Coloradan - heavy hitters in the tech, financial, and health care sectors - have contributed tens of thousands of dollars to a slate of candidates running for the school board in Perth Amboy, a city of 50,000 with a majority Hispanic population.

According to New Jersey election records, the slate of candidates calling themselves "Better Schools Now!" has collected $64,700, mostly from sources outside of Perth Amboy. In contrast, an opposing slate, "New Vision, New Voice" has collected $7,005, with all of its donations over $300 coming from within the city.

Why would such a large amount of money come into Perth Amboy from out of state to influence the outcome of a local school board election? Regular readers of this blog will know the backstory, but let me recap quickly:

In 2011, the Perth Amboy school board hired Janine Caffrey as its new superintendent. Caffrey almost