United for Hillsdale's Children & Our Schools
For the Experience that Matters to You - Vote Column 2
Salvatore Sileo & Kathleen Puerta
About Salvatore Sileo
Salvatore Sileo has been a resident of Hillsdale for the past 22 years. He is a father of three children, all who were educated by the Hillsdale school system. Salvatore has served on the Hillsdale Board of Education for over 10 years.
Salvatore has more than three decades of teaching experience. He is a teacher of mathematics at Passaic Valley Regional High School for 32 years, where he was honored to receive the 2024–2025 Teacher of the Year award. For the past 24 years, Salvatore has also served as an adjunct professor at Bergen Community College. His wife Pamela has also served the Hillsdale School District for the past 16 years in her capacity as an administrator’s assistant at both George White and Ann Blanche Smith schools.
As a member of the BOE, Salvatore worked collaboratively with colleagues, parents, and community members to achieve numerous accomplishments. He played an integral role in hiring a talented new administrative team. He sought to enhance student safety with the addition of a dedicated school resource officer. Salvatore supported a social-emotional learning curriculum to meet the needs of all students. Salvatore also facilitated the building of strong community collaboration, most notably through the successful passage of the George White referendum and the creation of a website to increase transparency and communication.
Along with his lifelong work as an educator, Salvatore is also a volunteer usher at Saint John's Baptist Church in Hillsdale.
About Kathleen Puerta
Kathleen Puerta is currently a member of the Hillsdale Board of Education and is a mom of two children in the Hillsdale school system. Originally from Queens, New York, Kathleen and her family moved to Hillsdale primarily because of the school system and the incredible work that Hillsdale teachers and education professionals perform every day.
Since the day her oldest walked into his first day of kindergarten (she cried more than he did), Kathleen has been an advocate and supporter of Hillsdale's teachers and school system. She became involved in the Meadowbrook Family and Faculty Association where she now serves as President and has launched many fundraising efforts to make sure teachers and kids have what they need to pursue their dreams.
Kathleen believes deeply that it takes a community to create the schools our children deserve. At the Hillsdale Board of Education, she has been a proponent of advanced communication programs and community involvement.
Kathleen is currently the only mom on the Hillsdale BOE, so she knows very well the issues that are important to families and how critical it is for schools to provide necessary care and support to the community. Her work on the BOE reflects her commitment to families including increasing communication between the Board and Hillsdale's families throughout the George White project.
Along with her work on the Hillsdale BOE and the MFFA, Kathleen is a coach for the Hillsdale Hawks Cheerleading Team ("GO HAWKS") and teaches in the St. John's Baptist Church religious education program.
Kathleen has been a legal, benefits and HR administrator for over 20 years. Her career has focused on protecting benefits for working families.
Important Election Information
FOR THE EXPERIENCE THAT MATTERS TO YOU VOTE COLUMN 2
