水果派AV

Bartolotta, an incumbent who won a three-year seat on the board in 2021, has launched a write-in campaign for another term after not filing petitions by the May 1 deadline to secure a spot on the ballot.

Only two candidates, newcomers Melissa Deyneka and Noel Romeo, filed petitions in time to be on the ballot. Three seats will be voted on this election, which takes place Tuesday, May 21.

Although he took a board candidate packet earlier this year, Bartolotta told 水果派AV on Wednesday he initially opted to not run for another term due to other commitments, such as the three Nino's pizzerias he owns. But after it was announced that he wasn't running, people approached him at places like Wegmans and Walmart and asked why.聽

Bartolotta then started feeling guilty, he said, realizing that leaving the board would mean not following through on important matters like a capital project that is under development. He and other members of the district facilities committee have been visiting each Auburn school building in recent months to assess any work they need ahead of a building survey.

Not running again, Bartolotta continued, would also mean not being available to support new administrators, such as district Business Executive聽Tessa Crawford,聽who began in fall 2023. The district expects to hire a new superintendent this year as well, before the retirement of longtime district leader聽Jeff Pirozzolo聽in early 2025.聽

Eventually, Bartolotta decided he wanted to stay involved in the school board.

"I started thinking about it, I slept on it, I prayed on it, and it was like, 'Wow, I'm just going to give up?' I couldn't get that out of my mind," he said.聽

Bartolotta also has a lot of connections to the district. His wife, Kristen, is a teacher at Auburn High School, and they have two daughters who attend the school.

"I'm still invested here, I'm still part of the community," he said. "I'm throwing my hat in the ring for another three years."

Although Bartolotta didn't decide to launch his write-in campaign until within the last week, it already includes signs and social media posts, with radio ads to follow. He said he greatly appreciates all the support he has received, and it makes him feel good about his efforts as a board member over the last three years.

"This is a testament to the hard work and the time that I've put in," he said, "that people realize and understand what I stand for."