NJSBA’s Board Member of the Year Is Passionate About Always Learning

Charles Caraballo, the president of the Bloomingdale Board of Education in Passaic County, may never have been named the New Jersey School Boards Association’s 2024-2025 Board Member of the Year if it had not been for a challenge he faced getting one of his children to and from school.

About 14 years ago, his youngest son, Camerin, began middle school and faced the prospect of having to walk a hazardous route after the district, which now consists of three schools serving students in preschool through grade eight, slashed courtesy bussing. 

“Like many towns at the time, we were going through budget constraints,” he said. “My son was expected to walk from A to B – and parents still have that experience today.”

Caraballo could not drive his son to school, so he reviewed his options.

“I began to look at what the laws were and what the alternatives could be,” he said. “I really got engaged in the mechanisms of education  … in terms of what the law allows you to do. I worked with the administration at that time as a private citizen and asked what alternatives there are for people that have lost courtesy bussing.”

Ultimately, his son was offered a “pay and ride” opportunity, which allowed him to take an empty seat on an existing bus route. “At least we generated an alternate option by being engaged with the administration,” he said, noting that other districts have taken a similar approach. “If someone wants to apply for an empty seat, they can pay a cost,” he explained.

During that period, he found himself attending board of education meetings. Eventually, he was urged to run for an open seat on the board.

“A member at the time saw that I could be dedicated to the cause,” he said, noting that he was elected to serve a one-year unexpired term. “It was a way for me to dip my toe in the water,” he said.

The start of his first term, which began in January 2013, coincided with Bloomingdale switching school board elections to November and immediately after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, Dec. 14, 2012, which resulted in the deaths of 20 children, six adult staff members and the gunman, who killed himself.

As a parent who became interested in serving on the board of education to protect one of his children who had to go from A to B, Caraballo quickly realized how important school security was in the aftermath of such a horrific massacre.

“And in 2013, our schools were not secure – it was obvious to a layman like me,” he said.

Since 2013, the district has made substantial strides in improving both the technological infrastructure and physical facilities to create a safer and more conducive learning environment, he said.

Notable improvements include the installation of security vestibules, implementation of advanced visitor management systems and the addition of communication devices in classrooms, ensuring that staff and students can connect easily in case of emergencies.

“We have also deployed a state-of-the-art security communication system, which enhances real-time communication and coordination among staff during critical situations,” he said. “To further bolster safety, we have upgraded our facilities with more secure windows, doors and secondary locking systems designed to withstand unauthorized entry.”

He continued, “As we look to the future, we are dedicated to advancing our facilities through the upcoming March 2025 referendum.”

Looking back at his board member journey, Caraballo said it was very much aligned with “the physical side” in terms of making sure children could arrive to school safely, leave safely and feel safe while in school.

Karen Cortellino, M.D., president of the NJSBA, said Carballo has been a shining example to others during his tenure as a board member – and applauded his selection as Board Member of the Year.

“During his 12 years as a member of the Bloomingdale Board of Education, Charles has served as president, chaired numerous committees and represented Bloomingdale on the Butler Board of Education, the receiving district for Bloomingdale high school students,” she said. “Currently, Charles also serves as chair of the Negotiations Committee, and board liaison to the township seniors, mayor and council.”

Dr. Timothy Purnell, executive director and CEO of the NJSBA, lauded Caraballo’s commitment to advancing the education of children.

“This is a board member whose work exemplifies commitment not only to the education of the children of his community, but to public education throughout New Jersey,” he said. 

Growing Up Looking back at his schooling, Caraballo, who has four children and has lived in Bloomingdale for 30 years, said his family took a traditional view of education.

A native of Puerto Rico, his family moved to New Jersey when he was just three years old.

“I started my educational journey in 1958 in the city of Paterson,” he said. 

Later, he attended Passaic County Technical and Vocational High School, which is now the Passaic County Technical Institute. He went on to attend the Newark College of Engineering, which is now the New Jersey Institute of Technology, where he earned both a bachelor’s degree in engineering and a Master of Science in engineering finance and systems.

As an elementary and secondary school student, Caraballo’s parents expected him to attend school and do his best.

“If you didn’t do your best, you had to give a good reason as to what the challenges were,” he said.

When he started school, those challenges were clear – his parents did not speak English, and he had to learn the language.

“They did not have bilingual education at the time, and I kind of learned English on my own,” he said, noting that he made great strides simply by watching television.

The reality of life back then is that you were expected to assimilate, he said. “That was part of the educational philosophy at the time,” he said.

Once he embarked on his professional career, Caraballo – like a lot of New Jersey professionals – found himself working in the pharmaceutical industry at companies such as Forest Laboratories, Actavis, Allergan and AbbVie. As a working professional, he began to focus on processes and financial services.

He’s leveraged his career expertise and has applied it to his work as a board member.

“Because my professional occupation was procurement, I could understand the challenges that the local business administrator had – and that helped me build a relationship with the BA,” he said.

The fact that the pharma industry often moves slowly ended up being a plus, he said.

“So does education many times,” he said. “I understand that you have to be patient, that sometimes you may have to do a filing and wait for Trenton to reply. Some people in their professional career are not in that environment.”

He urges anyone seeking a seat on a board of education to run for the right reasons.

“Education is near and dear to everyone’s heart,” he said. “Maybe you don’t see it at age 8, 10 or 12, but you will see it later on.”

That awareness means that people are very passionate about education. “You want to make sure that your passion is channeled in a productive manner,” he said. “That is the battle we have. We want to make sure we are acting in the best interests of students.”

Over the years, many members of the public have asked Caraballo about his board service, and his response is always the same. “Please run, but make sure you are running on the right facts and information,” he said. “Sometimes, people come in with a concept – and that concept is not accurate.”

When it comes to governance, it’s a skill that not many people bring to the board table when they are first elected, Caraballo said.

“And it’s an important skillset,” he said. “It’s about realizing you are one of nine in my situation, or you could be one of seven or 12. Regardless of your position on the board, you only have one vote. You need to develop that skillset to listen to other board members as well as the public.”

Active listening is key, he said.

“You listen, take it in, have a dialogue with other board members and then you come to consensus. You also have to focus on educating yourself. You can assume this is the law, but it may not be the law,” he said.

Confronting Challenges Asked about the biggest issue that his school district is facing, Caraballo said like most districts, it’s funding.

“We are expected to do more with less,” he said, noting that is an expectation of both parents and the state.

He expressed frustration with understanding the school funding formula and how it is applied. “It is not the most transparent formula,” he said.

Bloomingdale, however, has been fortunate over the past five years to see a growth in student enrollment, which has had a positive impact on funding, he said. Any loss in funding has been offset by preschool expansion aid, he said.

Another challenge revolves around societal changes that school districts must sometimes confront, he said.

He encourages board members to “step back and see multiple sides of a situation.”

“We need to be engaged with the conversation and be able to say, ‘This cultural change does impact education – and this one may not,’” he said. 

Community Involvement As a board member, Caraballo has been a strong supporter of Bloomingdale’s Senior-Student Bridge Program, which forges stronger bonds between students and local senior citizens.

Asked about the program, he noted that the board has a liaison for different groups, such as the library, the recreation department, etc.

“We had an opening for seniors, and no one was volunteering,” said Caraballo, who is 71. “I am a senior, so I figured I am good fit.”

As liaison, he has sought to connect the school community with the seniors in town, who have a lot to teach students, he said.

Caraballo and the board are also preparing for a referendum.

“We are gathering information, communicating with the public and getting feedback,” he said. “We are sensitive to what the public needs and how we can deliver it.” 

The proposal involves the closure of the Samuel R. Donald School, which has served the community for over 100 years, he said.

“After careful assessment, we determined that the cost of rehabilitating this aging facility exceeds the financial requirements for constructing an addition to an existing school,” he said.

The projected cost for the educational improvements is estimated at $20 million, which would result in a tax increase of approximately 1.25% for local taxpayers, he said. “In addition, funding a new gymnasium would require an additional investment of $3.5 million, leading to an estimated further increase of about 0.60% in property taxes,” he said.

The plan has been thoroughly studied and discussed numerous times over the past two decades, he said. “We are excited to finally move forward with this initiative and present it to the voters this upcoming March, as we believe it is a crucial step toward enhancing our educational facilities and supporting the needs of our community,” he said.

As for his proudest accomplishments as a board member, Caraballo said they revolve around being part of a team that works to advance the education of children.

“It sounds flippant, but it’s not,” he said. “It is challenging to work with eight other people with different views and different goals.”

Board members come from different backgrounds, which can be a challenge to navigate, he said. But a board can accomplish great things when everyone keeps in mind that their primary goal is to deliver the best education possible to students.

Asked why he’s still serving on a board of education even though his children are now grown, he said, “Every year, there is something new to learn in education.”  He added, “Whatever age you are at, you can always learn.”

He also thinks he’s the right type of person to be serving on a board. “I appreciate the value of education and also the need,” he said. 

Caraballo is not the only one who thinks he’s suited to board service. If that were not the case, he would never have been nominated for Board Member of the Year by Jeffrey P. Fischer, a past NJSBA president and past president of the Passaic County School Boards Association – as well as a member of the Manchester Regional High School Board of Education. 

“Charles’s visionary leadership is reflected in his innovative approaches to curriculum development, where he has successfully ensured cutting-edge educational practices and equipment is being secured to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes,” Fischer said in his nomination letter.

Dr. Michael Nicosia, superintendent of Bloomingdale Public Schools, wrote a letter in support of Caraballo’s nomination. In it, he said that Caraballo has “demonstrated exemplary service, unwavering dedication and outstanding leadership in his role as a board member and most recently as board president, making him a highly deserving candidate for this prestigious recognition.”

Working at the County and State Level Caraballo enjoys the challenges of working at the county and state level to help students and school districts throughout the state.

Since 2021, he has served as president of the Passaic County School Boards Association, where  he was vice president from 2017-2021. He’s proud of playing a leading role in starting and expanding the PCSBA’s Unsung Heroes program.

Caraballo learned about the Unsung Heroes program from members of the NJSBA and other county school boards associations. Everyone involved with the Passaic County School Boards Association agreed starting their own Unsung Heroes program would be a great idea, so they teamed up with the Passaic County Education Association to do it.

It’s heartwarming to shine a spotlight on students who have overcome challenges to succeed in school, he said. “We recognize one student from each district,” he said. 

He got involved with the county association because he realized that his school district was only one of 26 in Passaic County. He knew that if more districts pulled their voices together, they would be more effective with advocacy.

While he represents a small district and other county districts are much larger, the challenges they all face are largely the same, he said.

“We have five legislative districts in one county,” he noted. “That is a challenge … how do you navigate that? You have to learn when to zig and zag … you want to bring issues to legislators with potential solutions. They don’t have to accept them, but they can see you are a serious constituent.”

From 2017 to 2023, Caraballo served on the NJSBA’s Legislative Committee, which was one more way for him to network with other stakeholders to engage in advocacy.

“I want to expand the approach to include other key stakeholders,” he said, referencing the opportunity to team up with Parent Teacher Associations and others to advocate for change. “I also want to approach a legislator once at the county level and again at the state level. If they hear the message twice, it will resonate better,” he said.

Over the years, Caraballo has donated his time as a small group leader at NJSBA’s New Board Member Orientation Weekend – something that the late Daniel Sinclair, a former NJSBA president, encouraged him to do.

The NJSBA has played a critical role in his board member journey, he said.

“The best way to get the governance skills you need as a board member is to participate in the New Jersey School Boards Association’s educational programs because they do provide the training you need,” he said. 

Being named the School Board Member of the Year was a surprise, he said.

“To say I was in shock is the minimum threshold of what I was,” he said. “It is a privilege and an honor – and something else I have to live up to.”

Receiving the award provides him with one more opportunity to share with others the rewards of serving on a board of education. “It gives me a small platform to share my perspective,” he said.

Given annually by the NJSBA since 2005, the award honors an individual board member who makes significant contributions to public education; exemplifies leadership in the field of education with a strong commitment to the children of New Jersey; demonstrates a strong commitment to his/her personal and professional development as a board member; and shows active involvement in school governance at the local, county and state levels. 

The winner is chosen by judges at another state school boards association, who review the numerous nomination packages that the NJSBA receives.

Thomas A. Parmalee is NJSBA’s manager of communications
and publications.