Eleven candidates are running in the nonpartisan general election for three at-large seats on the Newark Public Schools school board on April 15, 2025. The three candidates who receive the most votes will serve three-year terms on the board. Incumbent Kanileah Anderson is running for re-election, while incumbents Crystal Williams and Daniel Gonzalez are not seeking re-election.
This election will be the first since January 2024, when the Newark City Council voted to lower the voting age for local school board elections. According to the ordinance, all voters for local school board elections must “[be] a resident of the City…[be] at least sixteen (16) years of age or will be sixteen (16) years of age on or before the date of the next School Board election…resided within the corporate limits of the City for a minimum period of thirty (30) days immediately preceding any non-runoff election…[and be] registered to vote in accordance with the provisions of this title.”
Chalkbeat Newark’s Jessie Gómez wrote that the move to lower the voting age came after Newark leaders had “raised concerns about voter turnout in the annual school board election that has historically seen around 3% to 4% of registered voters participating.” In 2023, 3.1% of the city’s 195,000 registered voters cast ballots in that year’s election. Each of the three winners won with fewer than 3,500 votes. According to Bolts’ Lauren Gill, “As of the March 25 deadline, 1,796 young people, or 28[%], had registered to vote.”
The 11 candidates running are divided between two three-member slates and five independent candidates.
Anderson, Louis Maisonave Jr., and David Daughety are running on the “Moving Newark Schools Forward” slate. This election is the first time that Maisonave and Daughety are running for the board. As of April 2, 2025, all nine board members ran on the “Moving Newark Schools Forward” slate during their respective elections. Gómez wrote that the “slate garners support from state and local politicians, including Mayor Ras Baraka and state Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz, every year.”
From 2011 to 2025, Baraka has endorsed three candidates in each election. Baraka-endorsed candidates first won election to the board in 2011 when he represented the South Ward on the Newark City Council. Baraka served on the council from 2010 until 2014 when he was elected Mayor of Newark. Following the 2016 elections, all nine board members were Baraka-endorsed candidates.
Anderson said she would continue prioritizing programs that support literacy: “Literacy is key to succeeding in all content areas so ensuring that the current programming remains available is my priority.” Maisonave said he would “prioritize protecting career readiness, vocational training, STEM, and arts programs, as they equip students with real-world skills and future opportunities.” Finally, Daughety said his priorities would include “protecting student support services like mental health and social services [and] before/after-school programs and opportunities.”
Ade’Kamil Kelly, Shana Melius, and Nathanael Barthelemy are running on the “Prioritizing Newark’s Children” slate. Kelly previously ran for the board in 2023, while Melius and Barthelemy are running for the first time.
According to Kelly, the slate’s priorities include “Enhancing Academic Excellence…Addressing Infrastructure Needs…Mental Health and Wellness…Promoting Equity in Education…Support for Special Education…Community and Parental Engagement.” The slate is also campaigning on bringing new perspectives to the board. Kelly said, “If a mechanic tells you your engine is failing, you don’t keep driving—you replace it. Newark, our school system isn’t running the way it should, and it’s time for a fresh start. We need bold, new leadership to put our students first.”
The five candidates running independently are Elaine Asyah Aquil, DeWayne Bush, Latoya Jackson, Yolanda Johnson, and Jordy Nivar. Jackson and Johnson previously ran for the board, while Aquil, Bush, and Nivar are running for the first time.
Newark Public Schools is located in Essex County, New Jersey. There are 63 schools in the district. The district had 41,672 students during the 2022-2023 school year.