Special Hoboken BOE Meeting -September 30, 2025, at 6:00 PM at Demarest

The Hoboken Board of Education (HBOE) is having a special meeting to vote on renting (leasing) a space at 38 Jackson Street for pre-kindergarten classes. The space was originally proposed to be a supermarket. Instead, the Board wants to rent it.

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The cost

The lease runs—up to $56.8 million if it runs its full length.

• For the first 6 years, rent is about $2.5 million each year (that’s $100 for every square foot of space, which is fairly high for that area).

• After that, the rent goes down to about half, but it slowly increases again every few years.

• The way it’s set up, the first 6 years of high rent are basically paying for the cost of fixing up the space (called a “buildout”). But that adds up to about $7.6 million—which is way more than what most people think it should cost.

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Why people are upset

1. Some people think the Board didn’t bargain well. Since the developer had no other options, the Board should have had more power to get a better deal.

2. Taxes: Normally, pre-k is fully paid for by the state, so Hoboken taxpayers don’t have to chip in. But because of the way this lease was written, local tax money will be used too—probably over $1 million. That means people’s taxes might go up.

3. Lack of clarity: The Board hasn’t clearly said how much taxpayer money will be needed.

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Why the meeting matters

The meeting is a chance for community members to ask questions like:

• How much will taxpayers actually have to pay?

• Why is the lease so expensive?

• Couldn’t a better deal have been made?

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In short: The Board of Education wants to rent an expensive space, but because of the way the deal is written, Hoboken taxpayers may end up footing a significant bill.

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Hoboken Mayoral Forum Summary (Sept. 10, 2025)

 

On September 10, 2025, the Hudson County and Hoboken Chambers of Commerce hosted the first mayoral forum at Hoboken Grace Church. All six declared candidates—Dini Ajmani, Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher, Councilwoman Emily Jabbour, Councilman Ruben Ramos, Councilman Michael Russo, and Patricia Waiters—took part. The discussion focused on issues like homelessness, pedestrian safety, parking, city spending, and Hoboken’s budget challenges.

Homelessness
Michael Russo proposed building a new shelter using city-owned land in Northwest Hoboken. Emily Jabbour highlighted ongoing work at the Hoboken Shelter, social workers, the library, and partnerships with the hospital. Dini Ajmani stressed the mental health challenges tied to homelessness. Ruben Ramos argued against parking meters meant for donations and instead supported hiring more social workers. Tiffanie Fisher pointed to her long involvement with charities, while Patricia Waiters also emphasized her experience and concerns for those unhoused.

Pedestrian Safety
Candidates agreed safety is a top concern but differed on solutions. Jabbour supported infrastructure improvements and better bike circuits. Ajmani called for stricter attention to double-parked trucks and questioned current Vision Zero efforts. Ramos focused on better enforcement of traffic rules, especially with e-bikes. Waiters supported the “20 is plenty” speed rule but criticized bollards and highlighted dangerous intersections like 14th and Willow. Fisher was frustrated with past Vision Zero legislation passed without community input. Russo supported more speed bumps, mid-block crosswalks, and enforcement.

Parking and Transportation
Ajmani raised the issue of limited parking and suggested city garage revenues be reinvested into maintenance. Ramos called for more coordination across construction projects. Waiters criticized the city’s parking director’s high salary and repeated her idea of partnering with businesses to use their lots. Russo suggested adding smaller electric vehicles to the Hop shuttle fleet and special routes for seniors or Stevens students. Waiters also pushed to bring back senior buses.

City Spending and Budget
A major topic was Hoboken’s financial future. Ajmani warned of a possible 20–25% tax increase without new leadership. Russo pointed out that pensions and debt service are unavoidable costs, calling them Hoboken’s “credit card bill.” Fisher and Ajmani both predicted difficult years ahead but said their financial backgrounds would help manage the city. Ramos emphasized cutting legal fees, controlling overtime, and increasing transparency. Jabbour countered that residents want more services, not fewer. Waiters said she is not backed by donors or developers and can act independently.

Personal Exchanges
Several candidates directly criticized each other. Fisher accused Russo of taking developer money from Applied Housing, while Russo defended himself as a working-class parent without resources to self-fund. Waiters accused the current mayor and administration of mismanaging money and criticized the council for lacking backbone. She also pointed out that she was excluded from another candidate’s slate. Fisher stressed her independence from developers, while Jabbour reminded the audience of her responsiveness to residents’ needs.

The forum ended with discussion of Hoboken’s aging water mains and the need for accountability in city management. Overall, the event showed clear differences in priorities, approaches to spending, and visions for Hoboken’s future.

The Hoboken Mayoral Forum Sept. 10, 2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAw3C8hqPUE

SUMMARY: https://www.scribd.com/document/920337606/Hoboken-Mayoral-Forum-Candidate-Positions-by-Issue

 

Hoboken Mayoral Forum Candidate Positions by Issue by Tony Petrosino

Charter Schools in the Spotlight at Hoboken Mayoral Forum

 

Education took center stage at a recent Hoboken mayoral candidate forum, hosted by the New Jersey Charter Schools Association. Parents and community members gathered at Birch Hoboken to hear candidates discuss the future of local schools, with much of the focus on Hoboken Dual Language Charter School (HoLa), Hoboken Charter School, and Elysian Charter School.

Hoboken’s charter schools consistently earn higher ratings than the city’s traditional public schools. State reports show that these schools excel thanks to smaller class sizes, innovative approaches such as HoLa’s dual-language program, and strong parent engagement. For families, the appeal is twofold—academic quality and economic value. With many private schools in the region costing $20,000 or more in tuition and fees, charters provide a tuition-free option that rivals or even surpasses those private programs.

Councilman Ruben Ramos, a veteran public school teacher with two children who graduated from charters, emphasized the need for better collaboration across all schools. Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher praised the charters’ “wonderful job” and called for ending divisions between district and charter families. Councilman Mike Russo and Ramos both pointed to their work ensuring charters receive a fair share of developer funds through PILOT agreements, noting that “charter schools are public schools as well.”

Candidates also stressed equal access to city resources such as recreation programs and safe facilities, with proposals ranging from renovating the Boys & Girls Club to tapping unused private spaces.

The discussion underscored a reality many Hoboken families already know: charter schools not only deliver higher academic performance but also save families thousands compared to private education. For many, they make it possible to stay in Hoboken while giving their children an excellent education.

Election Season in Hoboken: Mark Your Calendars

It’s political draft season for our democracy—a much-needed level moment for all of us. Hoboken’s upcoming November election is about more than just local offices; New Jersey will also be choosing its next governor. This is an important opportunity to have your voice heard at both the city and state level.

To help you get ready, the Hoboken Public Library is hosting a series of public forums where candidates and community members will come together. These events are a chance to learn more, ask questions, and get informed before heading to the polls.

Key Dates

📅 Sept 16 – Voter Registration Day
📅 Sept 18 – Mayoral Forum
📅 Sept 29 – Council Forum 1
📅 Oct 7 – Council Forum 2
📅 Oct 15 – Board of Education Forum

All events will take place at the Hoboken Public Library.

How to Vote

In addition to the forums, make sure you’re ready to cast your ballot. Hoboken residents have several options, including in-person voting, early voting, and vote-by-mail. For full details on dates, locations, and how to apply for a mail-in ballot, visit:

• State of New Jersey Division of Elections

• Hudson County Clerk’s Office – Elections Division

These resources will give you step-by-step guidance on registering, requesting a ballot, and finding early voting sites.

Why This Matters

Local elections shape the schools our kids attend, the streets we walk, and the way our city grows. State elections, including the race for governor, set the direction for New Jersey as a whole. Whether it’s education, transportation, housing, or climate policy, the decisions made this fall will ripple through our community for years.

So mark your calendar, show up, and make your voice count.

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SMU Researchers Wieselmann, Petrosino, and Smith-Colin Awarded $5 Million NSF Grant to Strengthen STEM Education by Empowering Teachers

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded $4,999,858 to support the National STEM Teacher Corps Pilot Program: Elevating K-8 Science and Engineering Teaching in Texas. The five-year project will be led by Dr. Jeanna Wieselmann, Assistant Professor in the Simmons School of Education and Human Development, with Professor Anthony Petrosino (Department of Teaching and Learning) and Associate Professor Janille Smith-Colin (Lyle School of Engineering) serving as Co-Principal Investigators.

Petrosino’s National Leadership in STEM Education

Professor Anthony Petrosino, Co-Principal Investigator, brings to this project more than two decades of leadership in STEM education reform, backed by a long track record of NSF-funded research. Since 2019 alone, he has served as Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator on multiple NSF awards. His major projects include:

• VaNTH ERC: A seven-year NSF Engineering Research Center that united Vanderbilt, Northwestern, UT Austin, and Harvard-MIT in transforming bioengineering education.

• Mathfinder: An NSF-funded augmented reality app that allows students in grades 4–8 to experience mathematics in real-world environments.

• UTeach Engineering and Beyond Blackboards: Large-scale NSF-supported efforts to design innovative teacher preparation models and immersive science learning experiences.

Petrosino is also the co-founder of UTeach, one of the nation’s most influential programs for preparing STEM teachers, and has contributed to major reports from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. These experiences deeply inform his role on the new project, where he will oversee longitudinal research on science and engineering integration, STEM teacher leadership, and teacher retention.

“This project extends a long tradition of NSF-supported research designed to elevate STEM education,” Petrosino said. “It is exciting because it not only advances research, but also supports teachers directly as they prepare young people with the critical thinking and problem-solving skills needed in a rapidly changing world.”

Addressing Urgent Needs in Texas and Beyond

The research comes at a pivotal time, as Texas implemented new science education standards in 2024–2025 that require engineering integration across all grade levels. Yet, few elementary and middle school teachers have formal training in engineering education.

Principal Investigator Dr. Wieselmann explained, “With these new standards, there is a critical need for professional learning for Texas teachers of grades K-8. Teachers need support in effectively integrating engineering into inquiry-based science instruction.”

The project will:

• Recruit and support 20 expert K-8 science teachers as members of the Texas STEM Teacher Corps.

• Provide professional development to an additional 80 teachers statewide.

• Advance national knowledge on science/engineering integration, STEM teacher leadership, and teacher retention.

Together, these teachers will reach approximately 12,000 students across Texas in the first phase, with long-term benefits expected across the state and nation.

Building a Statewide Alliance

This initiative is a collaboration between SMU and Tarleton State University, with additional alliance partners including the Texas Region 10 Education Service Center, Teach for America, the Charles Butt Foundation, and multiple school districts: Stephenville ISD, Huckabay ISD, Glen Rose ISD, and Dallas ISD.

Dr. Smith-Colin noted, “This project strengthens both teacher knowledge and student opportunity. By providing K-8 educators with expertise in engineering design, practices, and communication, we are equipping Texas students to excel in STEM fields.”

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Award Number (FAIN): 2500229. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Discovering Math in Everyday Places- Petrosino Co-PI on $2.5 Million NSF Grant

When most people think about math, they picture textbooks, worksheets, or maybe a chalkboard full of equations. But math isn’t just something that happens in a classroom—it’s everywhere around us. The slope of a wheelchair ramp, the rhythm in a mural by a local artist, even the way buildings are designed all involve mathematical thinking. The challenge is helping young people see those connections and recognize that math is not only useful, but part of their daily lives.

I’m excited to share that our team at SMU, in partnership with the nonprofit talkSTEM and nine informal learning sites across the region, is working on a project to make these connections more visible. With support from the National Science Foundation, we’re developing and studying a mobile app that allows students to go on “math walks.” Using the app, learners can explore community sites, view short videos, pictures, or interactive overlays that highlight math in the environment, and even create their own “math stops” to share with peers.

This effort is also deeply personal to me. Growing up in Hoboken, I rarely saw math taught in ways that connected to my community or everyday life. Unfortunately, that hasn’t changed much in the Hoboken Public Schools. Too often math is still presented as abstract and disconnected. In contrast, this project treats math as something young people can discover in their own neighborhoods, while lifting up voices that are often left out of STEM. Many of our students are first-generation college students, and helping them see themselves as creators and problem-solvers is, to me, a matter of equity and justice.

For me, this project is part of a lifelong commitment to educational equity. Over the years, that commitment has meant co-founding charter and STEM schools, helping prepare new generations of teachers through the UTeach program, and working to ensure that students from all backgrounds see themselves as capable learners and leaders. These math walks are another step in that same journey. My hope is that they will not only deepen understanding but also spark curiosity—helping all young people see math as a living, creative part of the world they already know.

NSF Award#2115393, [Seeing the World through a Mathematical Lens: A Place-Based Mobile App for Creating Math Walks], [Co-PI], [Anthony Petrosino], [$2,448,189], [8/1/21-1/31/27], Intellectual Merit: [This project advances understanding of how augmented reality, participatory design, and problem-posing in informal learning environments can foster mathematical engagement, interest, and knowledge-building outside of traditional classrooms.]; Broader Impacts: [By partnering with community organizations and informal learning sites, this project will broaden access to meaningful STEM experiences for diverse youth, strengthen local learning ecosystems, and create scalable digital tools for math engagement that can be used nationwide.]; Dissemination: [10 peer reviewed journal articles to date, over 1500 school age students at informal learning sites]. 

 

Picture: August 28, 2025- CONGRATULATIONS TO theFOUR (4) NEWLY SWORN HOBOKEN FIRE FIGHTERS TODAY, KURTIS RIVERA, CHRISTIAN ROSSO, DAVID WALKER & CHRISTOPHER WILLIS