Two Livingston Board of Education candidates debated over a potential $227.9 million school referendum at a League of Women Voters forum on Thursday, Oct. 8.
Incumbent board member Fang Gong and challenger Neal Ashinsky fielded audience questions on enrollment, staffing and district finances at the event. They are competing for one open seat in the Tuesday, Nov. 3 election.
Ashinsky, a certified public accountant, zeroed in on the district's debt. He said a bond would push outstanding debt from roughly $70 million to $300 million.
"If we're going to ask the residents for backing a bond that's going to take our current outstanding debt, which sits at around $70 million and bring it up to $300 million, every resident needs to feel like their voice is heard," Ashinsky said.
Preliminary figures presented to the board show the referendum could include $154 million for new construction, $60.8 million for renovations and $13.1 million for site work, as Patch reported in August.
An average homeowner with a property assessed at $729,272 would see annual taxes rise by $1,015 to $1,130, depending on bond type. A referendum vote has been proposed for April 2027.
Gong, elected to the board in 2023, said the district needs to plan ahead. She pointed to upcoming housing developments across Livingston and growth since the last referendum passed in 2013. She also said all voices matter in the decision, including seniors and residents without children in the schools.
Staffing and enrollment
The candidates are also split on staffing. Ashinsky cited a March 24 board presentation showing 40 positions were eliminated districtwide, with 12 attributed to attrition. He said the cuts forced teachers into subjects outside their training.
Gong pushed back, saying the district moved positions rather than eliminating teachers in order to keep student-facing roles filled and retain good staff, according to the West Essex Tribune.
On enrollment, Ashinsky said kindergarten enrollment as of Sept. 3 was 188 students fewer than at the end of the 2024-25 school year. He described the trend as an older population of students entering the district. He also raised overcrowding at Heritage Middle School, where he said some students eat lunch on the gym floor.
Gong acknowledged the spacing constraints but emphasized proactive planning.
Technology and fiscal oversight
Both candidates addressed technology in classrooms. Ashinsky argued teachers should decide how devices like Chromebooks are used, especially in kindergarten. Gong said the focus should be on how technology is incorporated and how much screen time students get.
On finances, Gong cited an independent audit in which the district received the highest opinion. She said the business administrator explained that all corrective actions had already been taken and are in the public record. Ashinsky countered that fiscal responsibility goes beyond limiting tax increases and that residents deserve to understand how their tax dollars are spent.
The forum was moderated by Donna Ward, president of the League of Women Voters of Montclair. Audience members submitted questions on index cards before the event. The full forum video is available at LivingstonTV.org.
