Aberdeen Board of Education Candidate Profile: James Macomber

Matawan and Aberdeen voters will be asked to select their Board of Education representatives during the election next month.

New Jersey School Board Elections are normally held in April, however Senate Bill 3184, which was signed into law by Gov. Chris Christie in January, allowed school boards to combine their elections with the general election in November. 

In February, the district voted to move the election, along with the majority of New Jersey school districts.

There is (1) three-year term open for a Matawan resident, while there are (2) three-year terms and (1) one-year unexpired term open for Aberdeen residents. 

James Macomber is on the ballot for a three-year term on the board. 

James Macomber

James Macomber is a lifelong resident of Aberdeen who worked as a teacher in the district from 2002 to 2006 and as a basketball coach from 2001 to 2011. He currently works as a police officer for the Port Authority.

"I’ve been a part of this community for my entire life. I'm no longer coaching in the district or teaching, so I feel like this is something I could do to be part of the community and the education system," he said.

Macomber noted that he is happy where the district is progressing academically.

"It’s a great district. I loved working here. The district has changed, I think academically it's progressing in ways that are beneficial to the kids. There are more opportunities now than there were when I was in school," he said.

However, he feels fed up with the community's concerns, "falling on deaf ears." If elected, Macomber hopes to change this as well as strengthen the board's voice.

"There has been quite a bit of controversy on certain topics. If the board would have listened to the community more, the people that elected them, it would have been better served for them. I feel like there's one person up there that has a say and whatever his decision is, is the determining factor of the board," he said.

Macomber is dissatisfied with the current administration and hopes that as a member of the board he will be able to ensure each decision is made with the district's children in mind.

"In a year from now, potentially I would like to see a new superintendent and I would like to have the board in a situation where they are working for the best interest of the kids, not potentially where one person says something and that’s how it is," he said.

Macomber believes that a vote for him is a vote for a strong leader who understands the inter-workings of the school district.

"I want to be on the board for the community so that their gripes, their interests are heard. Right now I don’t think that’s the case," he said.