Election 2019
Board of Education
Franklin S. Montero is running unopposed to complete the year remaining of former BOE commissioner Rosemary Pino’s vacated three-year term. Pino was elected to the Clifton City Council in May. A Clifton homeowner since 2005 (first in Botany, now in Athenia), Montero lives with wife Yamilky Crisostomo and their two boys Ethan and Franklin Jr. A lawyer, Montero recently purchased a building on Clifton Ave. where he will be relocating his practice. He specializes in real estate, bankruptcy and immigration cases, and also serves as Bergenfield’s municipal prosecutor. Montero earned his bachelor’s degree from NYU, his master’s degree from Fordham, and his law degree from Rutgers. As a parent of a special needs child, he has a vested interest in running for the BOE. “Our district is vast and has many resources at its disposable that can be leveraged to solve many current challenges,” he said. “One of those challenges is how to most effectively meet the needs of the special education population. We must provide our children with the tools
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April 2019 • Cliftonmagazine.com
needed to succeed in life. Such preparation starts with a strong school district.” Paying for this strong district begins with the school budget. Montero said he remains “fiscally conservative when it comes to budget decisions” and wants to re-purpose facilities and invest in current academic programs to keep the budget balanced. “Managing the rising special education population and its related education costs, he offered, should be done with earlier diagnosis and intervention. “The earlier the diagnosis,” Montero said, “the sooner that we can start working with children. We should take a more holistic approach when addressing our special education population. This can be further complemented with inclusive settings for students to better stimulate learning. “Taking these measures will allow the district to streamline its approach when addressing our special education population, which will diminish the burden on the budget long term.”