Ridge Road Resident Joins Green Brook School Board

Members of the Green Brook Board of Education appointed Ridge Road resident Joseph Petrillo to fill a board vacancy.

The appointment was made at the July 22 board meeting, after board members interviewed Petrillo and candidates Douglass Humphrey and Anna Jeannette Ash.

Petrillo, a 13-year resident of Green Brook, is a retired Belleville school administrator. He served as principal of Belleville High School from 1994 to 2011, and was also vice-principal at the high school, and a social studies teacher at Belleville High and Belleville Junior High School.

"I called it a career after 44 years and after a year, I wanted to get back into it," Petrillo said. 

He said he was impressed by the board members as well as the other candidates for the seat. He said he'd like to be part of contract negotiations, because of his experience as an administrator and with contracts, and noted the budget will be a special concern of his.

"We have to take care of the taxpayers," he said. "People want to move to a district with good schools, but they don't want to be priced out of their homes."

Petrillo said the district doesn't receive the state aid it should, compounding the issue for taxpayers, but noted it's "not a Green Brook problem, it's a state problem."

Petrillo sat down to join in board decisions immediately after the vote and noted he had to cast several abstentions right away.

"Do a little homework; I should be OK," he said.