OCEAN CITY — After asking four finalists questions in front of the audience Thursday evening, the Ocean City Board of Education chose Lisa Mansfield to fill a vacancy on the board.
Mansfield will serve until the end of December 2026 in the position that was held by Dr. Charles Roche, who resigned over the summer. Roche’s term does not end until December 2027.
Mansfield said after the meeting that if she believes she has made a good contribution to the board during her tenure, she would consider running for the remaining year on his term or for a full three-year term.
The other three candidates who interviewed publicly for the board were John Sarin, who touted 40 years as a businessman; Dr. John Cafagna, who has been an educator in multiple roles for 27 years in Cherry Hill; and Matt Maas, who has been an educator for 19 years in the Upper Township School District and works two nights a week at the Ocean City Free Public Library.
Board President Kevin Barnes asked each of them a series of seven questions, about their applicable skills, working with teams and committees, how they viewed the role of a board member, about time commitments and ethics, volunteering and the role politics should play on the board.
Mansfield and her husband have owned a home in Ocean City for 24 years, but have lived here as residents for the past six. An educator, she was a school board member in Evesham Township.
She has been a regular attendee at Ocean City’s school board meetings in recent years and has taken to the podium on multiple occasions during public comment.
Mansfield said she felt she could step right into her role on Ocean City’s board because of her time spent at the meetings, being well versed in what the board has been doing.
She told the board she believes in working together, listening to all positions and taking something from everyone. She said a board member’s role is to make sure they have the people in place to run the schools and run them well, but “we don’t run the schools.”
Mansfield said years ago when the public got to vote on the budget, Evesham had problems passing its budget, failing four times in a row. She said she worked with a few others on a Pride in Evesham Schools group, met with stakeholders and held extra budget presentations, including a dessert with senior citizens.
“Being able to work collaboratively enabled us to pass the next two budgets,” she said. After that the state no longer required public votes on the budget.
She said politics should play “absolutely no role” on the non-partisan school boards. “It upsets me when political spin is put on school boards. Our role is to make sure the schools are the best they can be,” she said.
After the meeting, Mansfield said she was “very honored” to be chosen for the vacant seat.
“It’s a privilege to be sitting on the board. We have excellent schools in Ocean City and I’m really happy to be able to be a part to help them continue with their success,” she said. “I’m passionate about education.”
She acknowledged it would be an advantage for her having been in the audience at so many prior school board meetings.
“Having been here, I can get on the ground boots running because I do have some idea of what the board is discussing from month to month, what challenges they’re facing, what they’re looking to do, the initiatives they want to incorporate,” she said.
Mansfield has been substitute teaching, but said she would give that up when she sits on the board. That also gave her first-hand experience inside the schools.
“Once a teacher, always a teacher. And you know what good schools are and we have outstanding staff here. We have teachers that want our children to be successful,” she said.
She said she not only was a school board member in Evesham, but the vice president and president of the board. She was on the board when the district had to close a school.
“I know good and bad,” she said.
“I’m a collaborator; everyone’s opinion matters. We don’t all have to agree, but everyone’s opinion matters.”
Asked if she would run for a seat when her appointment ends, she said she would “if I feel that I’m a productive board member, I will seek to finish his term.”
“If I’m doing a good job, if I’m helpful, if I’m being productive, then yes (I would run). But if I’m not, then there’s a sense they should get somebody who could fulfill that. I think I’ll be OK. I’m kind of passionate about education.”
Barnes said the board was impressed with all the candidates and encouraged them to run for seats on the board in the future.
– STORY and PHOTO by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff