UPPER TOWNSHIP — Real estate agent and mother of five Elsie Jamison secured the most votes in the election for Upper Township Board of Education, winning a seat along with Kelly Johnson and incumbent Meghan Miller.
Jamison garnered 2,577 votes, followed by Johnson with 2,401 and Miller with 2,339. Candidate Anna Nistorenko was the odd woman out in the field of four for three seats, but not far behind, collecting 2,176 votes.
The nine-member panel oversees a primary, elementary and intermediate school with a budget in excess of $41 million. The district, which educates students from preschool through eighth grade in three schools, has an enrollment of about 1,300 students. A sending-receiving relationship allows students to attend Ocean City High School, but some choose other options such as private and parochial schools.
Miller was appointed to the board in April to fill the seat vacated by Rebecca Holden, and was the only incumbent running as both Thomas McQuillen and Kelly Emberger chose not to seek re-election.
Jamison, 34, was born and raised in Upper Township, where her parents still live in her childhood home on Tyler Road.
She said her main focus is fiscal responsibility in a district that has struggled mightily under the Student Funding Reform Act of 2018. Since 2017-18, the tax levy has risen $8.6 million to $32,665,274 while the district has lost $5,986,469 in state aid, down from more than $10 million to less than $4 million.
She believes in sharing services and personnel to help ease the burden on taxpayers and thinks it’s time to study consolidation with Ocean City
“I am excited to work with everybody and see what it’s really like and I am most excited to get my hands in the dirt and make sure the roots are healthy and the flowers grow tall and strong in our schools,” Jamison said.
She hopes to get the board to change the day of its meeting so it is different from Township Committee.
“That might be reason people are not involved more,” she said, noting it’s a four-hour commitment to attend both meetings.
Jamison said she knows Miller, noting they are like-minded, and has spoken with Johnson.
“Everyone ran nice campaigns and I think it’s going to be a really nice atmosphere once we get in there,” she said.
Miller is the mother of two daughters and is very active in the community, having coached numerous Upper Township soccer and basketball teams.
Appointed in January to fill an open position, she said she ran for a full three-year term because she cares deeply about the community and wants to continue helping make decisions that put students first.
“I’m excited to help contribute and help on important decisions,” Miller said last week.
She is a member of the policy curriculum committees and enjoys serving on both.
As an educator, Miller has 20 years of classroom experience and a strong understanding of how educational policies affect both teachers and students. She said her background in mathematics has also taught her the value of problem-solving, analyzing data and making thoughtful, informed decisions.
Miller said she has gained a new perspective on the challenges facing the district during her time serving on the board.
One of the major things coming up is the school budget, which has been a struggle for the district as state funding drops and it must rely more on local taxpayers.
She said that taxes must be considered while also making sure students and teachers have what they need for a successful education.
Miller hopes to keep class sizes down and continue to provide after-school activities, both focused on better outcomes for students.
Johnson, a 46-year-old mother of five, also was born and raised in Cape May County. She attended public school, a Christian school and was homeschooled, and thinks those experiences provide her a broad perspective on the strengths and challenges families can encounter when choosing an educational path for their children.
“I’m excited and a little nervous,” she said, noting she would have felt more comfortable if running mate Nistorenko had also won.
“I’m still going to do to the best of my ability what I am entrusted to do, support those who voted me in,” Johnson said.
She said being responsible with taxpayers’ money is among her goals but she also is focused on being transparent to parents, “making sure they are aware of what’s being taught, they have options and their voices are heard.”
She also wants to support teachers in getting back to the basics of reading, writing and math.
After graduating from Cape Christian Academy, Johnson served as creative director for the Peer Challenge Program, an after-school program that operated in several school districts throughout the county. She subsequently worked as general manager for Beachtree Properties and now is a stay-at-home mother.
Johnson has experience working with children and families through serving as a children’s Sunday school teacher for many years. In addition, she has volunteered in community outreach efforts, including serving the homeless community, visiting nursing homes and participating in Christmas programs such as Angel Tree, Operation Christmas Child and Matt’s Stocking.
Miller, 42, was appointed to the board in April to fill the seat vacated by Rebecca Holden.
She has lived in the Upper Township School District for most of her life. After graduating from Ocean City High School, she earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics with an education certificate and has been a mathematics teacher at Lower Cape May Regional High School for the past 20 years.
Mayor gets new term on Township Committee
Mayor Curtis Corson ran unopposed in the general election after defeating Nathalie Neiss in the Republican primary, collecting 3,514 votes.
Corson, a farmer and business owner who was sworn in to his latest term in January 2024, has been a member of Township Committee for more than a quarter-century.
The 62-year-old served on Township Committee from 1996 to 2014 before losing re-election. He then was appointed in 2016 to fill an unexpired term and won re-election in 2017, 2020 and 2023.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff