Picture left to right; Kerri McMahon, Sean Long and Yvonne Bouknight
A professional in regulatory affairs, an e-commerce executive, and an educator are the winners of Montclair’s Board of Education race, according to preliminary results from the Essex County Clerk’s Office. Newcomer Kerri McMahon led the field with 11,738 votes, followed by former board member Sean Long with 7,950 votes and current board vice president Yvonne Bouknight with 7,079 votes. Five candidates competed for three open seats in an election defined by the district’s $19.6 million deficit and the upcoming Dec. 9 referendum asking taxpayers to help close the budget gap.
McMahon, Long, and Bouknight each expressed gratitude for the community’s trust and reaffirmed their commitment to transparency, collaboration, and fiscal responsibility. All three said they plan to vote “yes” on both ballot questions in December, which would fund the district’s shortfalls across two school years and support a forensic audit and accounting system upgrades. With their election, the trio joins a nine-member board where three seats are contested each year, bringing a blend of new perspective, prior board experience, and educational leadership to help guide Montclair’s schools through a pivotal financial and academic moment.
Let’s learn a bit more about each appointee:
Kerri McMahon
Kerri McMahon has lived in Montclair for more than a decade and is the parent of three children in the district, giving her firsthand understanding of the challenges and opportunities within Montclair’s public schools. With a professional background in Regulatory Affairs in the pharmaceutical industry, McMahon brings experience in compliance, collaboration, and building effective partnerships. These are all skills that she plans to translate through thoughtful oversight and teamwork on the Board of Education. She has a long record of local community service, including serving on the boards of Impact100 Essex and St. James Episcopal Church, leading the PTA as president, and co-chairing the SATp Committee, where she helped secure a national grant to host a STEM Festival. McMahon is committed to transparency, fiscal responsibility, and ensuring every student has the opportunity to reach their full potential. Her leadership style emphasizes communication, respect, and equity, grounded in the belief that collaboration between families, educators, and administrators is essential to student success.
SEAN LONG
Sean Long brings a strong combination of professional leadership, board experience, and community commitment to his role on Montclair’s Board of Education. As a business executive, he has managed large budgets and complex organizations, giving him the financial acumen needed to help guide the district through its fiscal challenges with focus and discipline. Long previously served on the Montclair Board of Education and on the board of the Montclair YMCA, where he saw firsthand how effective governance and collaboration drive meaningful results. A parent of Montclair students, he understands how Board decisions directly affect families and classrooms. A proud Morehouse College graduate and Eagle Scout, Long is guided by values of service, integrity, and accountability. He is dedicated to promoting transparency, ensuring fiscal responsibility, and strengthening academic outcomes for every student, with a particular focus on equity, early education, and expanded opportunities across all grade levels.
Yvonne Bouknight
Yvonne Bouknight is a lifelong educator, community leader, and dedicated advocate for equity and excellence in Montclair’s public schools. With a 39-year career in education and service as an Adjunct Professor at Kean University, Bouknight brings deep insight into the needs of students, teachers, and families. For the past two and a half years, she has served on the Montclair Board of Education, where she has led work on the Curriculum, Special Education, Policy, and Culture and Climate Committees. Her focus has been ensuring that every student has equitable access to the opportunities that foster achievement and growth. A proud Montclair resident and mother of two graduates, Bouknight combines professional expertise with a personal commitment to the community’s children. Beyond Montclair, her leadership in the National United Women in Faith and her international partnerships in Haiti reflect a lifelong dedication to service and inclusion. Guided by the principle that “the time is always right to do what is right,” Bouknight continues to champion transparency, fiscal responsibility, and policies that uplift all students and strengthen Montclair’s schools for the future.
Want to learn more about each candidate? Read our articles on Kerri, Sean, and Yvonne on the Montclair Pod.
