P.O. Box 909 ● Trenton, NJ 08605-0909 ● Phone: 609.695.7600 ● Fax: 609.695.0413 ● Web: www.njsba.org/PI

NJSBA Expresses Sympathy Over Tragic Loss of Piscataway Board Member

TRENTON, December 28, 2007— The New Jersey School Boards Association conveyed its sympathy and sorrow in response to the tragic death of Jerry Mahoney, a local police officer who served as the vice president of the Piscataway Township Board of Education.

According to initial news reports, Mahoney, 49, was shot in his home Thursday during what appeared to be a domestic disturbance.

Mahoney, a 23-year veteran of the police department, had served on the school board since 1995. He founded the school district’s D.A.R.E. program, and he served on the board of trustees of the New Jersey D.A.R.E.

"We are saddened by the tragic death of Jerry Mahoney," said Kevin E. Ciak, president of the New Jersey School Boards Association and a member of the Sayreville Board of Education in Middlesex County. "Mr. Mahoney worked to help the youth of his community through his involvement on his school board, through the D.A.R.E. program, and through his job as a police officer."

Mahoney had served as a representative to NJSBA's Delegate Assembly, the statewide association's policymaking body. He had also worked to improve education by bringing about legislative change at both the state and federal levels.

"Jerry's impact on his community is evident by the number of postings on newspaper Web sites," Ciak said. "Through these online forums, we see countless neighbors, former students and colleagues who are expressing their grief and sorrow for the loss of such a dynamic person."

The New Jersey School Boards Association, a federation of district boards of education, advocates the interests of school districts, trains local school board members, and provides resources for the advancement of public education.