Educational Background: Fordham University, B.S. (Finance) - Columbia University, M.S. (Technology Management) - Rutgers University, Doctorate (Business Administration)

Occupation: Chief Technology Officer

What I Bring to the Table: Fiscal Accountability and Budget Oversight

After a few years in Hopatcong, my wife, our two daughters, and I moved to Sparta in 1999. It was easy to fall in love with our amazing town because of its way of life, wonderful people, and most important to any young family, its reputable schools.

I was born and raised in the Bronx by two working-class parents. Through their support I was able to graduate from Fordham University with a Bachelor's in Business Administration (Finance). After raising my family and watching my daughters start their lives, I decided to pursue a Doctorate in Business Administration. In October of 2023, I proudly graduated from Rutgers University, the best public University in the country, with my DBA.

As the child of Puerto Rican immigrants, education has always been a priority. My wife was a teacher for over 25 years until she became principal during the pandemic. Both of my daughters have attended school in Sparta and went on to complete graduate degrees. Education is the silver bullet that can change lives.

I am running for the Sparta Board of Education because I understand the importance of public education. Students are our most important resource and our hope for the future. A position as important as the Board of Education is not a job for political games but a job to be taken seriously. I understand an education is the greatest equalizer in the United States, where public education is an amazing gift to our citizenry.

While public education is free to the students who walk the halls, it is funded through the tax dollars we pay. To quote former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, "Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society." I have always been proud to pay my taxes, knowing what a great education my daughters received. But for years, I have watched the Sparta Board of Education squander millions of dollars - millions of our precious resources - on expenditures that do not benefit our students. 

As a father, it was important that I led my family with a clear mission, vision, and strategy. One of our family's central tenets was prioritizing education. As a leader of various organizations over the past three decades, I apply the same values. There is always more to learn, to improve, and opportunities to grasp. 

The mission of the Sparta Board of Education is stated on its website, but it needs to be used as a guiding principle, not just a bunch of words. Ensuring all expenditures push forward the mission to "create a safe and healthy learning environment" needs to be asked every time, and I will do that.

My interpretation of the stated mission is to provide an environment where students can learn and achieve what they are capable of: greatness. It is the responsibility of the Sparta Board of Education to provide a quality education from the first day a student enters one of our buildings to the day they walk across the stage and receive their diploma. This is achieved by providing staff with the appropriate resources needed so that their focus is solely on preparing students to perform at the highest level.

Along with my colleagues running for the Sparta Board of Education, I hope that every Sparta voter knows, we will work tirelessly to ensure our students receive the highest quality education, guarantee our district staff will be treated with dignity and respect, and we will remain focused on creating a safe, financially-stable environment for students, staff, and taxpayers to thrive.

Roque Martinez

-Seeking a three year term-