Endorsements: Casbon, Khan, Orie for Millburn Elementary District 24 school board.
Six candidates are competing for three 4-year terms on the Millburn Elementary District 24 school board.
Three candidates clearly stand out for their abilities: Carissa Casbon, 48, who teaches private music lessons and is seeking a second term; Irshad A. Khan, 52, who is a vice president in strategic deployment; and Ardre Orie, 40, who runs a small business.
Casbon, who is board president, points to the district's financial turnaround from a negative $5.6 million fund balance to an upcoming property tax abatement and removal from the state's financial watch list. Class sizes are down and the curriculum has been updated. She's ready for tomorrow's educational and financial challenges.
Khan, who was appointed to the board two years ago, has served on other boards, including as co-founder of Lake County United, an organization of 52 religious congregations. From that and his work in strategic planning, he has been able to make the board more productive and effective. His goals include getting more community feedback.
Orie brings to the job palpable enthusiasm for the district and its students. As a member of a racial minority and with her experience as a teacher and administrator in schools in Florida, she can offer diverse perspectives and pertinent educational insights. Her answers on our questionnaire show detailed familiarity with the financial and educational issues facing the district.
All three have children in Millburn schools.
Also running are two candidates who say the most important issue facing the district is high property taxes.
The other candidates are Jeffrey Flary, 34, a business analyst who grew up in a poor household with a single mother who was a private schoolteacher; Stephen J. Gray, 28, a systems analyst; and Sean Coleman, 51, a senior program manager whose wife is a teacher at Millburn, a potential conflict.
Casbon, Khan and Orie are endorsed.