Hi everybody. Thanks for joining us tonight. Welcome to our uh public board of education meeting. We called our meeting to order earlier in our closed executive session. So, thank you for your patience as we as we file in. Um, really quickly, I just wanted to add that in closed executive session, we did
add um a matter involving uh pending litigation and uh yeah, so I'm excited. I hope you all are excited. We're in the last what day and a half of school. Excited for our eighth graders who are going to be
uh having their salutes tomorrow and our high school graduates on Thursday. And uh summer vacation is almost upon us. So, I hope everyone is taking precautions uh during this heat wave and uh we are very excited to learn more
about our board of education candidates to fill our open position and uh I'm going to turn over to Dr. Adhold. Good evening everybody. Um thank you for being here this evening. Um, as Miss McCuin mentioned, tonight we're going to
have our um opportunity to interview um several candidates uh from Plansboro with respect to the vacancy uh that occurred due to the resignation of Robin Zovich u from the board of education. So this evening there have been um seven
candidates that submitted um and uh we will go through a process um that was outlined um of an opportunity for each uh candidate. Um if anyone looked back in 2022, uh there's no there's no like process that has to be replicated any
every time. So in 2022 when we had a vacancy when Mr. Whitfield uh went to the township council in in West Windsor, um we had all we had 13 candidates, 11 came that evening. We had uh two rounds, a round of six and a round of five. Um
and they actually took this this particular seats in where the board sits and we sort of went down the road row. We're not going to do that this time. Um we are going to uh we've done a random generator for the candidates. We will have one come up to the podium, give
their three minutes for their opportunity to present a statement and present um feedback on their resume, why they want to run for the board and whatnot. That's stated in in the what was posted on the website. And then there'll be four consistent questions that gets asked. We're going to ask the
other candidates during this time to sit out into in the lobby so they're not hearing. And we're going to ask really uh to honor not um streaming the video, not you know trying to have anyone from inside the room texting questions to the
their their friends or family members. Um that we want to have a fair and transparent process for those that are that are trying to fill the seat. Um and we greatly appreciate the seven individuals for putting their their names into the process. Um this
particular vacancy because this is an expiring um seat um expires at the end of December. So the individual that gets selected what will happen tonight is the seven individuals will go through a process. The board will then recess into close session. During the time that the
board deliberates regarding the interviews, uh, a statement will come up onto the board, um, or Lewis will put it up on the screen, just that we're still, um, deliberating in closed session and we will be returning back to public session. That really will be just
obviously for the folks in the room to know, but really for the viewing audience to know that we're still actively uh deliberating because what will happen then is if the board reaches consensus and they'll come back out, make a motion and the individual will be
um appointed to the board. They won't be sworn in tonight because to be sworn in you have to be fingerprint cleared. Um and then you can be sworn in by Dr. Russo, our assistant superintendent for finance in the interim from the fingerprint clearance to the next sitting meeting. And once your fingerprint cleared and you've been
appointed by the board um and Dr. Russo swears you in, that individual will become an active board member at that moment. Um so if we have committee meetings over the summer and the person's already cleared, they can then sit uh in those meetings as a full-fledged board member um and whatnot. So it's really a matter of just
timing and process with fingerprint clearance. Um and so we will um from an order perspective, there's the first opportunity for public comment and then we will go through the agenda. Um there's two committee reports this evening. Um and then we will have the
the voting sess section, second opportunity for public comment and then before or right around new business is when the the interviews will take place. Um and then we'll we'll go from there, do the interviews, then recess into close session for the deliberation, come back out, make the motion. Now,
technically, if the board doesn't reach consensus um within the the law, within the rules of how far we can stretch the vacancy, it could be the July meeting still. We're still within the 95 day window. I believe it's 95 or 93 day window at that moment at that time of
the July meeting. I don't anticipate that, but technically the board does not have to have a final decision tonight. Um, and so that's the process for this. With respect to the school year, I also just want to echo the comments. Um, we have middle school salutes tomorrow night. We have
graduation for North and South on Thursday. Uh, obviously we're coming to the conclusion of a year in the middle of a very dangerous heat wave. Um there's been tremendous amount of activities happening in our schools um with end of the year celebrations and parties and PTA functions and want to
thank all those volunteers and all the members of our public that have you gone above and beyond in this time period to come out and create those celebrations for our our staff and our our our students. Um and just to wish everyone a wonderful conclusion of the year and a wonderful summer um and a safe summer.
Um and with that I'll turn it back to Miss McCuin. All right. Thanks Dr. Hold. So hang out for through the regular meeting and then we will hear and meet from our uh great panel of uh candidates that submitted their applications. And
now we have our first opportunity for public comments. The board invites thoughts and reactions on agenda items and items of concern from members of our community who are present. Each participant is asked to give his or her name and address prior to making a statement which will be limited to three minutes in accordance with board policy
0167. All statements shall be directed to the presiding officer. This public comment period shall be limited to 60 minutes. Do we have any comments for this first session? Oh, I saw movement. I thought maybe there was someone coming up. So, seeing
none, I will move to close this public comment period and move on to committee reports. So, I'll ask Dana to give us a rundown of administration and facilities. Good evening everyone. Um the fi the administ administrative administration and facilities committee
met on June 17th. Updated job descriptions were shared with the committee including assistant director of technology and the supervisor of instructional technology. The committee recommends the job descriptions for approval on tonight's um agenda. Next was an athletics update. High school
South boys volleyball captured the BCSL tournament championship and advanced to the South group three sectional finals. Boys tennis had an outstanding season, defeating North to win the Central Group three sectional title and then going on to claim the group three tournament.
Tennis coach Rich Arnold celebrated a milestone with his 300th boys tennis win during the state semi-final match. On to North um high school North boys volleyball advanced to the south group three sectional semi-finals and boys tennis made it to the central group
three sectional finals. The girls track and field team captured the group three sectional championship. So, congratulations to all our student athletes and coaches on an outstanding season. Additionally, the committee discussed enhancements for the high school south softball box back box back box back box back box back box back box back box back box back box back box back
stop that will be completed this summer. The superintendent shared updates on the Plainsboro housing developments. There are three developments anticipated in Plansboro in the near future. The Foresttol Village residential has been approved by the township for an
additional 394 apartments within and to the west of the existing Forestal Village buildings and reconfiguration of existing parking. 67 units will be affordable housing. The Princeton Nurseries property is a
mixeduse project on a 109 acre parcel north of Forestell Village and west of Route 1. There will be 950 residential units of which 654 will be non-ageer restricted, 96 units will be affordable
and 200 will be age restricted. The property will be a mix of apartments, town homes, and single family homes. and Fusion at Plainsboro will be a mixeduse project located on a 56 acre parcel between Scutter Mill Road and
Plansboro Road and between the hospital campus and Novo Nordisk. This property will have 525 housing units, which includes 153 town homes, 372 apartments, 26 of which will be affordable, and 40
supportive housing units, one or more bedrooms in each unit. The committee discussed the recently passed sunscreen and sun protection bill which goes into effect for the 200 to 202526 school year. We await guidance from um
Strauss Esme on the development of a model policy and our committee will next meet on July 23rd. Thanks Dana. Does the board have any questions for administration and facilities? Nope. Okay. So I'll turn it over now to Louisa to give us a report on finance.
Sorry, I was distracted by the committee met um and we first talked about the re uh reviewing the agenda items. The committee reviewed the monthly financial reports. The administration affirmed that no major accounts are overexpended and that sufficient funds are available to complete the year. The
committee reviewed the following motions on the agenda for approval. To approve a year-end deposit into the capital reserve fund. To approve the designation of a student accident insurance carrier. To approve the third-year membership agreement with the school alliance insurance fund. To approve the third-year membership agreement with
NJSIG. to approve tuition rates for the 2526 school year. To approve lunch rates for the 2526 school year, to approve the sale of solar renewable energy certificates, to approve purchases exceeding the bid threshold through pricing cooperatives and the NJ state
contract, to approve technology service agreements and renewals, to approve purchases using capital outlay and capital reserve funds for the 2526 school year. to approve the disposal of obsolete equipment. To approve the renewal of a shared services agreement for transportation maintenance services,
to approve quoted indist summer program transportation routes, to approve staff professional development, travel, and expenses, and to approve the list of contracts utilized during the current school year. Um, next, the committee discussed the second energy savings improvement program. The district is
funding EIP 2 through bonds. The district received a AAA rating for the bond sale, reflecting its strong fiscal planning and healthy reserve balances. At Village Elementary School, the old boilers have been removed in preparation for the installation of new ones. The building envelope projects aimed at
improving energy efficiency have been completed. Additionally, the first construction meeting for the Hawk HVAC replacement project has been held with work scheduled to begin on June 30th. The contractor has received all necessary materials to complete the project. The district will sell the
solar energy renewal solar renewable energy credits generated over the past six months on July 9th, 2025. The Monmouth Ocean Educational Services Commission will provide non-public services to students who require them. Under cafeteria, administration utilized
the paid lunch equity tool to determine the required meal prices for the 2526 school year, resulting in a 10-centent increase per lunch and a 5 cents increase per breakfast. Despite the adjustment, the district remains below the minimum meal price recommended by the New Jersey Department of
Agriculture. In May of 2025, there were two fewer serving days compared to May of 24, which led to a corresponding decrease in the total number of meals served. However, the number of meals served to students qualifying for free, reduced, or NJ income eligible meals remained strong with a 36% increase,
consistent with trends observed in previous months. Breakfast participation at the elementary level level continued its upward trend year-over-year. Notably, 85% of those breakfasts were served to students eligible for free, reduced, or NJ income eligible programs. Southwest Food Service Excellence hosted
a flavorfest at High School North where 250 students sampled potential new menu items. Additionally, a roving chef event and Milstone River offered hands-on cooking lessons to 12 elementary students. Staffing continues to be a problem. Unfortunately, two SF employees submitted their resignations at the
beginning of June. Uh transportation was discussed during section one. The committee is next scheduled to meet Tuesday, July 22nd. And I apologize for being distracted at the beginning that the uh minutes say they were for April 17th when they were for June 17th. Oh, perfect. Thank you, Louisa. And does
anyone have any questions for finance? Go ahead, please. Just had a quick question with regard to the lunch rates that are mentioned. Um, I see a reference to adults here for under lunch. Is that adult as in staff or is it like adult learners? What is that
referring to? Adults as in staff. Perfect. Any other questions? Dana, since we're asking questions about cafeteria, um, can um, someone elaborate on what the paid lunch equity uh, tool is? Yeah, it's kind of like the progressive
tool that Flo uses for pricing of insurance. No, um, sorry, it's a good analogy. It's sorry, it's a calculation uh, it's a calculation the state gives us once they
review all the u variables, you know, that they want in the calculation. And it's based on um part of it's based on the October before lunch counts and everything else. Well, anyway, uh it's
literally a calculation that the state gives us. We punch in all the information, the variables that they ask for and it gives us the amount that they feel is uh uh I won't say yeah, essentially the minimum that we should charge. And we can it also we can tweak
it to to move it to where we can get it to um to where we break even if we're not breaking even with the minimum num number. And then it also essentially caps any increase at 10 cents or 5 cents. So well 10 cents. We chose 10
cents for lunch, 5 cents for uh breakfast. Loy has a question. Sorry Chris. Um and it was mentioned that there was an increase in free and reduced lunch um to at 36%. So at the end of the school year, everyone that has qualified for this past year, do they start they have
to they have 30 days into next year. So everyone has to reapply again 30 days next year. Yeah, they have 30 days to get their application in the month of September into like the first week. It's actually maybe closer to 40 days uh into October. They they have to get and will it be included in Genesis as one of the
forms that I think it's typically right. Okay. Thank you for clarifying. Thank you. Any other questions? Okay, so um great analogy by the way. Uh we can move on to the voting portion of our meeting. Can I get a motion for administration items numbers 1 through 8
plus I have a couple of verbal corrections to add to bullet number two adding in case number 239577 GMS0519 2025 as well as on bullet number five for pen medicine. to correct. Um it
should read to perform student and staff drug screenings. Uh motion from um Dana and Liz. Any questions or comments? Okay, we'll start with Miss Krug. Yes.
Miss Cheniera, yes. Miss Ho, yes. Miss Maliga, yes. Miss Shetty, yes. Miss Bonsel, yes. Miss Mchuan, yes. Can I get a motion for curriculum and instruction items numbers 1 through six? Uh Ly and Puja questions or comments?
Okay. Okay. We'll start we'll we'll start with Miss Maliga. Yes. Miss Bonsel? Yes. Miss Shetty? Yes. Miss Chenier? Yes. Miss Hoe? Yes. Miss Krug? Yes. Miss Mcuan? Yes. Can I get a motion for finance items numbers 1 through 48
plus the blue addendum? Uh Louisa and Schwatha. Questions or comments? Okay, we'll start. Miss Hoe. Yes. Miss Shetty, yes. Miss Chenier, yes. Miss Krug, yes. Miss Maliga, yes. Miss Bonsel, yes.
And Miss Mchuan, yes. And uh before we move on to personnel items, I'm going to turn it over to Dr. Adterhold for a quick statement. Good evening again, everyone. This evening, we actually have two administrative appointments on the agenda, and I just want to recognize both individuals as they're sitting in
the audience. Um, first for GMS, our assistant principal, um, recommendation and Miss Katie Haley. Uh, Katie's right there wearing JAG color sitting next to Dr. Dber. Um, and, um, we're real thrilled to to welcome Katie to our
leadership team. She's been a teacher at Grover Middle School for the since 2014 in both sixth and eighth grade social studies. U, but that's just one aspect of all Katie's involvement. Uh she has led and shared numerous committees including but not limited to the DACK.
She's on our district evaluation advisory committee. She also helps run our new parent link program every summer to welcome our new families um at GMS. She is our student council adviser, our eighth grade awards coordinator and a
representative on our goal for um equity uh district strategic goal committee. She's a member a board member of New Jersey uh assoc state association of middle level educators. She's presented numerous PDs both in district but also at the state and national levels. Uh
she's been recognized as an emerging and distinguished leader at Amley which is the assoc the American middle level educators association. Um, and and I believe and I believe this is accurate, the first GMS teacher to become a GMS
assistant principal since GMS opened. So, uh, congratulations, Katie. [Applause] And we also have one of our colleagues who's been with us for the better part
of well, almost three decades. Um, uh, Alan Johnson. Uh, Allan is on the agenda this evening. um with a recognition and a title shift with some responsibility shift. Uh Allan currently is a supervisor of instructional technology
not instructional technology technology uh media and uh god training and Allan is being um appointed this evening as assistant director of technology. Allan's been an intricral member of our district team, but his his knowledge of
database integration, his knowledge of systems and data analytics is second to none. Um, we're really pleased to welcome Allan to this new role. U serving with Peter James as the director of technology, serving with Harry Doctor and serving with uh Dr. Pearson who is
our new director of data assessment and accountability. A dynamic team uh coming together and Allen is an integral part of that. So Alan, congratulations on the new appointment. [Applause]
Yes, congratulations to you both. And I Yes, I see the hard work that Miss Haley does every time I I step and visit GMS. So um so with that, we will officially make it uh by can I get a motion for personal items numbers one through four plus the
green addendum? Uh Louisa and Schwatha. Uh, any questions or comments? No. Okay, we'll start with Miss Hoe. Yes. Okay. M m Miss Shetty. Yes. Miss Jenniera,
yes. Miss Kroo, yes. Miss Maliga, yes. Miss Bonsil, yes. Miss Mcuan, yes. Uh, can I get a motion for to approve board of education minutes from May 27th and June 10th with a verbal correction amending that uh, Janta Sha was present
on June 10th? Uh, Ly and Dana. Uh, all in favor say I. I. I. Any abstensions? I'm abstaining from the May 27th. All right. Uh, do we have any board of um, leazison reports?
Liz or Lloyd? Uh Liz and I are both the leison on for the PTAs. Uh Liz with West Windsor and myself uh at the Plainsboro schools. We just want to um thank all the PTAs as Dr. Adold alluded to the beginning all the end of the year festivities,
carnivals, beach days. Uh, North just had their senior sunset and with the weather being um uncooperative the past last couple of weeks. I know there was a lot of um um managing of of of all these activities, but the amount of work, time
and energy that uh these volunteers put in is so appreciated and it makes a special um environment and special culture in each of the schools. So, um on behalf of Liz and myself, we just wanted to thank all the the PTAs from all the 10 schools for all the efforts
that they've put into making it not only the end of the year a wonderful um time for students, but throughout the year all the um wonderful activities um that happen and take place. I don't know if Liz wants to add anything else, but thank you. I was also just going to add that we always need volunteers for all
the different roles and committees. It can't be done um just by the few that always volunteer. O do encourage you to get involved in the community in different capacities not just with the PTSAs but overall here here um any other board leazison
reports? No. Okay. Wow. Then that takes us to our second opportunity for public comments. The board invites comments from members of our community who are present. Each participant is asked to give his or her name and address prior to making a statement which will be limited to three minutes in accordance with board policy
0167. All statements shall be directed to the presiding officer. This public comment period shall be limited to 15 minutes. Uh any takers? Seeing none, I'll close this second opport Oh, never mind. Not yet.
Hi. Right at the podium. And don't forget, you know, name and address. Yeah, go for it. We'll speak separately, but we stand together. Okay. So, you'll each have three minutes. That sounds great. So, hi everyone. I know a bunch of you. Uh, my name is Christie. I'm
from two SuffK Lane, Princeton Junction. Kia Opalos is the last name. And basically, I came here to make a comment and also ask for a question. And it's a convoluted one, a little challenging. I know that the answer is more than just,
you know, two minutes of our time. But my question is, I live in a track where we go in our neighborhood from Hawk to Milstone to uh Grover and then south. We're in a really small contingency of people who
do that. Our students um are amongst 30% that go from Hawk to Milstone. 100% of Dutch Neck goes to Village. 100% of um Town Center goes to Milstone. 100% of Wyoff goes to Milstone. So this very
small group of 30%. Then you need to parse those children out a little further. Um of those children, the 30% my I I'm trying to get the answer. That's part of my question. Um most of them end up on the
community and North track. So there we're left with this really small group of children. And historically it has been an issue. It's been a topic of conversation. It has been a challenge for our children who are in our neighborhood of these small neighborhoods that do this little zigzag
and very much so specific to my family. I have two older children and they have been through this and it was a challenge for them. Um, one actually went through um and it really uh disjointed her relationships, her social emotional
growth. Um, and then when it came time for my second child, um, we opted for a different route. We went to private school. Um, I'm not saying that's the right answer. He had other reasons why we also want to consider private school. But this is a really disruptive um,
challenging path and I'm not quite sure why we still hold on to it. I understand that from years and years ago, there was a reason between the two towns of splitting and re um, allocating children to create equity and, you know, whatever it was. Um, but I'm not sure. I think I
feel like it's a vestage. It's an appendix of an old um divvying up of the two towns that this very small group of children, the vast majority of those very small group of kids are really affected by it. So what I'd like to do is understand better the process why I would love to have a written response as
to exactly how many children um do each path and of course more specifically the one that I am a part of um you know so are we is it is it 2% of children of the entire grade that is forced to do this zigzag really um because it's not just
the 30% because the 30% of children that go to Milstone a bunch of them will then be with their peers for forever so you know it doesn't make sense to to move them, but why are we on that path and does it really assist our children's social emotional growth and can we look into that? So, I'd love to advocate for
that question about it and speak further. Thank you. Um, and so Aaron Picarella, I also live on SuffK Lane. My children will follow the same track just kind of continuing the same points. So, I submit an exemption for my daughter Riley. Um she is a beautiful, happy,
wonderful girl, but she has anxiety and she has had some troubles, documented troubles in school with her pediatrician. It's something we deal with. My we were rejected. Um so that was concerning. Um and as I've spent time looking into this more, um like
Christy said, it's a very small minority. I think it's actually less than 30% this year. I think it's closer to 25. I know it's less than 50 students, so who are moving to Milstone River. um you know and and I know that the reason they were you know the reason that I got on the rejection was that
there were too many submitted. So, my first question, and this is probably a little bit rhetorical, but how many children is how many exemptions are too many for you to not care about the children and their well-being? Um, because I took that personally. And then I think, you know, a couple of
additional questions that I have that I'd also like some responses to is, you know, in dealing with the counselors and and talking to the counselors, it sounds like children have had issues before. So, I'd like to understand, has anybody followed these kids? Do they have, you know, to me it feels like they're
actually having a disadvantaged career progression within their education? So, has anybody studied them? Is there a dip in their academics as they're doing this? Um, are they seeking counseling out at a higher rate than other children in their peer group who are not being split up? Um because with
you know depression, anxiety, other mental and social emotional disorders on the rise in the youth um I'm really concerned about that for my daughter especially, but for all of the children. I think that this is an unfair thing that they have to go through that other children don't have to go through. Um and so out of three of four schools,
they all get to stay together with their upper elementary or their lower elementary cohort into upper elementary. Um and it really does feel like we're being treat treated unfairly. I'm also curious if are there additional children from our little neighborhood, our little community? Are they leaving to go to
private school? Are they moving out of the district at a higher rate than other areas? Um because it does feel like we're we're kind of being disproportionately affected. And you know, our children will be in the minority for both moves. Um which is not the case for anybody else across the
entire West Winds or Plainsboro community. It's limited to two neighborhoods. Thank you. Thank you. Do we have any other public comments? Okay, seeing none, I'll close this
public comment period. Since there's no other public comments, um I'll just address the the two speakers. Um comment globally. Um sending paths have been in place for long uh time in district. Every year we
get well over 300 uh requests for exemptions to those paths. Exemption requests can be anything from um bullying to social emotional to um to um concerns with transportation with
respect to parent work schedules to questions about proximity. Um as the speaker said stated and uh accurately uh Hawk is the only school that splits going into the upper elementary. Um, and
that's because why West Windsor doesn't fit in West Windsor elementary schools. That's been the historical concern when we've talked about the number of students in WWP. West Windsor doesn't fit in West Windsor. So, we have cross paths and those longestablished um
sending paths have been upheld and honored by um assistant superintendents of pupil services and planning. Um, and in Dr. McDonald's absence, I filled in in that capacity. um in the last three months um globally I would simply say
that when a request comes in and it's submitted through a Google form and it goes to all the principles um that are involved in the request as well as registar and myself. Those requests are then solicited for feedback from the
building administration, counselors if appropriate, and uh um special services if it impacts an IEP or a placement. Um and these come in all all all times of day and night uh throughout this season,
but throughout the entirety of the summer. Um exceptions to the um exemption requests are are the um are rare. Um they occasionally happen but the vast majority of requests are denied
based on our enrollments based on our school paths. Um now to the global the more global issue um that was raised uh can it be reviewed and the answer is yes but through a process an individual assistant superintendent or
superintendent even uh can't change the sending path that would get recommended to an ANF committee which is administration facilities committee and that can be reviewed um in you know as we as we look over the summer at our summer agendas which happened in July
and in August. um but can't just uniformly change ascending path as we just the administration upholds the paths that are that are um approved um and then uh look at extraordinary circumstances for any exemption.
Changing a path requires a conversation with the board committee. So, um I'm sure knowing our our committee chair, we'll make sure that this goes into a future board committee topic. Um and then we will can review those paths and
have that conversation in July. All right. Thank you, Dr. Adherald. Um, so now it is time for our board member candidate interviews and uh I believe we um the number of candidates uh were put
into a randomizer uh to figure out uh who's who's going up first. Um do you want to so give us a little bit of space to kind of you know talk through who's staying who's popping over to the to the lobby area.
Sure. and I I'll hand it over to our board attorney in a moment, but um just for the good of the audience, you saw it with the buzzer um with the candidates. Um Dr. Russo has the ability to set the um timer at three minutes. So for the
first question that each individual um has the opportunity to make a general statement, talk about their resume, their their why, you'll have a threem minute window. The um Chris, it's going to flash at one minute. So you'll you'll have sort of like a one minute warning and then um it will buzz at the three
minute mark. Um with respect to the follow-up questions, uh Mr. Kaches, our board attorney, will read the questions. There'll be the same four questions um asked to every candidate. So um in again in fairness to the candidates, that's where we're going to ask folks to sit outside so no one has an unfair
advantage over hearing the questions in advance. Um when Mr. Kay-Z is done reading the question, Chris will then hit the timer and the one minute point will start. Will that beep in advance? It just goes one minute, straight one minute, and then it will buzz when it's over. Thank you, Chris. Jeeoff, I'll
turn it over to you. That works, I guess, at this point. Um, we're going to excuse Do we have Do we have I have seven candidates. Are they all here? Do we know if they're all here? I do. I do not know. Hands. Yeah. One, two, three,
four, five. I see looks like it. Oh, there. I'm sorry. I didn't see in the back. Okay. So, we'll we'll keep the first candidate uh in the room and then the other six can go into the the lobby. Correct. Right. And actually, Mr. Taro, um one of our colleagues is going to join you out
there in case there's any questions and just to make sure someone's out there with everyone. Okay. The the first candidate u is Hanife Payek. So, um, before you begin, then you
please feel free to go up here if everyone else can just leave the room. Can you tell us who's on deck just so they have a sense of when they're going? Do you want me to give them the order? The order. I think I think they'd appreciate that. That's fine. Um, next will be I apologize for my eyes. I
got to I got I need a bigger font. Uh, Deborah Vavona will be next. Akshay uh Ubedia, Paul O'Brien, then Jerry Makin, then
uh Jayotti Venicontraan, uh Kashbu Mahandrew was last. Okay, I apologize if I butchered anybody's name. Okay. Uh,
Mr. Pay, am I saying your name correctly? Yep. Thank you. Um, I think everybody's out of the room. So, uh, as Dr. Adderhold has stated, you'll be able to give an opening statement. You have three minutes for the opening statement. Uh Dr. Russo will be timing uh you'll get a one minute warning for
that. So it's up to three minutes. Um you don't have to use the entire three minutes, but um if you would, the board wants the board wants to thank you for submitting your application to serve on the board of education. Like to learn a little more about you. So you have these three minutes uh as to why you're running for
the board. Um you can elaborate on your your submitted letter, your qualifications, or any areas of priority. Um so the floor is yours for your opening statement. So uh good evening my name is Hanife P. First of all uh I would like to thank all the board members Dr. Erhold and all the WWP
admin staff who provided me opportunity to speak with you tonight. Uh my family and I have proudly called Plansboro home uh over last 10 years. Uh we moved uh our when our older like eldest daughter uh like ready to go to the school we
moved uh to Plansboro. we chose because of the academic uh performance of the school district. Uh today one of my daughter goes to the uh high school south. Uh the second one goes to the uh Milstone River. Uh both uh have benefit from the WWP's uh diverse academic
programs, vibrant school life and a there is strong support for the athletics as a a like I'm a dad of the student who plays a lot of sports my daughter. I've seen uh firsthand how uh the balancing the academics uh her
extracurriculars and social growth and this kind of like essential to education like as a well-rounded child. Uh over the years uh I have involved in a various activities in the schools and communities. Uh I have participated in a various uh PTA events, local town
events, a building a like you know events for the community where you unite our town. Um I'll be also serving in a as a treasurer in a um MRS PTA for next year. Uh I remain uh committed to like
any initiative that helps students and our schools. Professionally uh I bring over 23 years of experience in cyber security. I work for like Fortune 500 companies uh universities, government agencies to secure their critical infrastructure.
In my day-to-day uh like work what I do is like I combat the cyber threats, manage the project budgets, solve the complex technical issues u that technically provide me a experience that will help uh you know support the students data, keep our school secure
and efficient uh in the like you know we are living in the AIdriven world right now. It has a it advantage and then there are lot of complexity coming with it. Uh I want to help the district um responsibly like you know harness the technology to enhance the learning and
use it for the positive way the AI. Um last year I ran for a board of education. Um I knocked almost 3,000 doors in Plansboro. I spoke to uh like almost hundreds of families and past students and they they they heard their
concerns like you know they they they also have their share their hopes their dreams with the district. um that experience like you know continues to guide me today and I believe that leadership that puts the students and educators uh first remain um that like
you know in every step of the step um I'm not a politician I'm a parent uh neighbor and a problem solver I care deeply about the academic excellence uh mental health uh student well-being and supporting of our educators thank you
Hanife that was three minutes so I we have more questions Sure. So, as as previously stated, uh we're going to have four questions for you. Each uh you can give up to a minute response. Uh again, M. Dr. Bruce will be
timing the responses. The first question is, what particular experience or skills prepare you to serve as a board member? So one thing I say is that like I'm been uh like I'm a I'm very good with the
budgets. Uh I I serve in a very like various places as a treasurer. uh I uh like used like I used to serve in a various board where uh and provide the stuff and I personally use for my particular uh business right so where I
have to provide quarterly and yearly budgets and that kind of like you know skills uh provide like you know it will help me um the good age of to serve in a board I'm also a very good at the technology uh 23 years in cyber security so I'll definitely help on that also u
to serve this position Thank you. Second question is, is there a specific issue that motivates you to serve on the school board? I don't have any specific issues. The board does a tremendous job. Like one
thing I want to say about board like you know last year when I did my um campaign I walk over those houses I met a lot of like past students and they mentioned to me that you know when we went to college we were so well prepared by the district uh the the base created by the district
was so good. So that definitely helped. So district did a really good job with that. One thing I would suggest the district can do something better on it. probably like you know our district has a lot of uh immigrant parents they first time coming to us they we have a lot of
good programs and uh policies they probably don't know not aware of it if we can provide some education some webinars and stuff like that that would be great other than that I don't have any concern okay thank you uh the next question is the New Jersey school boards association
emphasizes that a board member role is not to administrators of the schools but to ensure that they are wellrun through policy and planning. How do you interpret this distinction and how would you apply it in your actions as a board member? So I understand how the board
works. Uh so technically if I interpret as enterprise he kind of a CEO of the company and we are kind of a board who who works with the policies and stuff but u CEO or admin has to improve like put that policy in the place to the so I
understand the the responsibility of board and and the admin and your last question is what are the top two or three strengths of our school district and what are the most significant challenge challenges you believe it currently faces. How would you propose the board address these
challenges in the next 3 to 5 years? Uh one challenge I see is that uh earlier uh she mentioned probably that there are new houses coming in our our community rightly 3,500 houses uh plansboro has 1100 and um Westminster has 2400 houses
coming in there. So uh that will be a challenge for uh district to accommodate all the students right. uh what what you uh we're doing good is that uh like one of the thing I would mention is that like in this year 2025 we got a 10 educator like best educator award which
is kind of shows the stability of our educators uh what we have it here and um I guess yeah and the other thing I just mentioned earlier that you know the student say that they are well prepared the base is created properly and you know what I I what I would say is that
every student come back to the parents in 10 years after that and come and say thank you for coming to W like putting me in WWP. It made me like you know well prepared for the life. All right. Thank you. Um yeah I was just going to say the same that concludes. So
um you're welcome to take a seat and say if you'd like. Thank you. Thank you Mr. P. All right. Now we can bring please. Uh I'm sorry. It was Deborah Vavona. Good evening. Hi Deborah. Um over here
That is a good trick, right? That is a good So, um, just to kind of reiterate what Dr. Adhold had said earlier, you're going to have three minutes to give an opening statement. Dr. Russo, uh, will be timing you. I believe there'll be a one minute warning. U,
so you have a one minute warning, so you know, we have one minute left. After that, uh, there will be four questions with, uh, one minute uh, each time to respond. Um so uh from the board to say thank you for submitting your
application to serve on the board of education. Uh the board would like to learn more about you in three minutes. In a three-minute statement please introduce yourself and tell the board why you are running for the school board. You can elaborate elaborate on your submitted letter qualifications and areas of priority. Floor is yours.
Great. The mic is on. Yep. Yep. So good evening. My name is Debbie Vavona. I've lived in Plansboro for 31 years and I have been a parent of a West Windsor Plains student for 24 years. My
last child I have five children is a sophomore, almost a junior. Two more days. Um so, uh that's a little bit about my time here in Plansboro. Um I'm by education I'm a teacher. I've
taught in the classroom for over 10 years. Started teaching in Michigan. Um then uh Illinois, then I did Peace Corps, so I was in Cameroon. And then I came to New Jersey. When my third child was born, I moved out of the classroom
and started a home daycare business. I did that for about 14 years. Um when my last child was in third grade, I took over our family business's bookkeeping. So I have experience with oh payroll,
insurance, transportation, all those kind of similar but different things that we do here on with your budget. Um so I continue doing that. I also do volunteer work in the community. Um I've been a scout leader for 23 years. I
currently run a girl boy scout troop um in Plansboro. I have to go home and pack. I'm taking 18 kids for a week of summer camp on Sunday. Uh that is my favorite thing to do is give youth new
experiences. Um that's my connection I think with the board. I'd bring that um firsthand connection with the kids. Besides that, uh we've raised three dogs for the CNI. The CNI is a guide school for the blind. So they do the
professional training of the guide dogs. Firsthand. And I really miss what small accommodations and and accessibility does to someone's life um more so than reading about it, being able to see that
happen. Um besides that, I'm on my um homeowners association um vice president. I've had a lot of opportunity to collaborate with neighbors and collaborate with other board members and work on that decision- making as a
group. I've also worked with the Plains World Rescue Squad after COVID. They had low enrollment and the chief approached me. We were friends through scouting and asked me to come board and get adults to volunteer
from 6:00 pm to 6:00 a.m. to sleep in the squad house and do about a 100 hours of classroom training to get trained. We were very successful. We were able to fill the gap and now we're just kind of at a maintenance level where we bring in
adults every year. So I'm not really Is that three minutes? Wow, I did three minutes. All right, questions. So now, um, can Sorry. Are we good? All right. Sorry about
that. U, so now we have four questions. Like we said before, you'll have a minute each uh to respond uh for each question. The first question is what particular experience or skills prepare you to serve as a board member?
Um when I think of my skills first I would say organizational skills. Um I'm able to do all of these things plus work. W work is mostly part-time but um because I'm organized uh kind of ran the family. My dad is retired Navy. So I
grew up in a Navy household. Schedules, duty rosters are kind of my thing. So I arrived places early or what my dad would call on time and that would be the first thing. My teaching experience, my continue work with kids, my continue
work in the in the community. Now is a good time. I'm down to one kid who should be getting her driver's license next year. I actually have a few minutes of extra time. I would imagine I don't know 10 to 15 hours a month. uh
between board meetings, researching topics, kind of you know doing what I need to do to catch up. So, it's a good time for me. The next question is, is there a specific issue that motivates you to serve on the school board? No. Um I
think putting five kids through the district, living here as long as we have, it's kind of a payback, pay it forward. You guys have taken care of my kids. I have kids in STEM. I have kids in the trades. I have kids who went to
fancy schools. I have a kid who went to a public um college. So, I've seen the gamut in my own house. Um we have a very changing community which I'm aware of. I don't know if anybody knows what what
the right formula is, but I'm here to learn and listen and make the best decision we can. Next question is the New Jersey School Boards Association emphasize emphasizes that a board member's role is not to administer the schools but to ensure
they are wellrun through policy and planning. How do you interpret this distinction and how do you apply it in your actions as a board member? So I think it goes back to keeping those committees on schedule, accountability, followup kind of things that are
something that I do naturally. Um, like you said, we're not here to make the decisions, but just make sure we're efficient and um, support the superintendent um, and support the teachers and the buildings and everyone else. Okay. And the last question,
there's a subp part I'm going to warn you. Um, what are the top two or three strengths of our school district and what are the most significant challenges you believe it currently faces? How would you propose the board address these challenges in the next three to five years?
So strengths um we just heard how well our athletic clubs are doing. We know that our academics are top-notch. So I think the diversity I know I have a kid who's in ceramics class now. So we are we offer a lot. We have wonderful
musical programs. So that that breath um what challenges there's that cell phone policy coming down. mental health. Um, you know, the mental health issue has affected my own family, my own kids. Um,
I think how are we going to take care of AI coming in using it as a tool? Maybe education is going to change a lot because we'll be able to implement ways to have individualized plans for every kid. I think a lot of change will be
coming. How we address it um will be it. But not sure if I answered it exactly, but um we do a lot of the stuff. That's good. And I ran out of time. It's perfect timing. Thank you very much. Um
thank you. Welcome to day and next the next uh I'll go back uh is Sorry. A Oh, I'm sorry. A All right.
I uh and please correct me if I'm wrong, Mr. Upia. That was pretty close though, right? Um, sorry. Sorry. Uh, as we we Dr. Adherald had said earlier, uh, you're going to have the opportunity to make a three-minute
statement. Uh, Dr. Russo will be timing you. You will get a one minute warning um for conclusion of your statement. After that, we'll be asked a series of four questions. You have a minute each to respond to those each question. Um, with that said, uh, the board thanks you
for submitting your application to serve as on the board of education. Board like to hear more about about you and the three-minute statement. Please introduce yourself and tell the board why you're running for the school board. Uh, you can elaborate on your submitted letter, qualification, and any areas of priority. Time is yours.
Oh, sure. All right. All right. Um, hello. Uh my name is Akay Pady and I am running for the board because I want to address one concern I see is that the overuse of technology in lower elementary. I'm the
parent of a second grader and it seems all they do is use the uh their Chromebooks or they're watching videos. Last year they were watching videos on how to do addition. It's what is the point of the teacher if they're just watching videos?
And I think with all this uh screen time, they're not learning how to one uh focus on the teacher, learn from the teacher, and two, they're not spending time with their friends. So, I went to Middle Sex County or Middle Yeah, Middle Sex County Public Schools 30 years ago.
I started in uh second grade and we didn't have all of this. And I still am technology literate. I did electrical engineering and I think this emphasis on technology is a great disservice to the students
and there is so much bullying that's going on in lower elementary. Um I've spoken to the building administration. I've talked to Dr. McDonald about this and I think uh the students are not having enough time to spend with each
other. So on the playground, it's just it's a essentially a jungle. And it seems there is a counselor in the school, but the teachers are no longer handling the problems like they used to even 20 years ago. And I want to fix
this. I want to get this technology out. I want the kids to go back to the basics, learn how to form their letters, learn how to form their numbers, learn how to be kids again, not just staring at a screen all day.
And I feel the education I got, so I graduated 22 23 years ago from Middle Sex High School. I went to college and I was ready for the world. And I'm not sure that this education now is going to prepare the kids for the same
type of success that I've had. That's it. Thank you. Um like I said before, we're now going to ask you four questions. You have a minute each um for your response. First question is, what particular experience or skills prepare you to
serve as a board member? Um, so one, I have been through the public school system in Middle Sex County and I'm the parent of a student going through it and I see problems. So
I think that's all the qualification uh I feel is uh needed. All right. Uh, next question. Is there a specific issue that motivates you to serve uh on the school board? Uh yes. So like in the opening statement,
the overuse of technology and I think the bullying that's happening. So if I had to pick one, I would say the overuse of technology is causing all these issues or at least some of these issues and they could be addressed if we just
went back to the old ways. Third question. The New Jersey School Boards Association emphasizes that a board member's role is not to administer the schools but to ensure that they are wellrun through policy and planning. How do you interpret this distinction and how do you apply it in your actions as a
board member? Uh so in my first job out of college uh we there was a dis like a separation called vision strategy execution. So the board is responsible for the vision, the superintendent is
responsible for the strategy and uh the assistant superintendent and the teachers are responsible for execution. So I think the board's policy should be that let's figure out how to uh ensure our children are successful and then we
can work with the schools to figure out how to implement that policy. So my view is let's have the teachers go back to teaching. Let's have them uh teach proper behavior. Let's have them teach penmanship and then we can work with the
administration to figure out how to best uh implement that. Last question. What are the top two or three strengths of our school district and what are the most significant challenges you believe it currently faces? How would you propose the board address these
challenges in the next three to five years? So, I think the biggest strength the school district has is money. I see uh how much we spend per student and uh compared to even where I grew up, it's uh significantly more and uh yet I feel
with I think this money is not being spent where it's needed especially in the early childhood education. So, I would say let's eliminate the technology and let's bring in more teachers. And if we need more counselors to help kids learn better behavior, then let's use
the savings and pay for more counselors. One counselor for 300 students is not sufficient. So, we need to empower the teachers and we need more counselors. That concludes the questions. Thank you very much. Um, you're welcome to sit in
the audience or whatever you'd like. Next is I said thank you Paul. Paul Hello. Hi, Mr. O'Brien. Um, just to reiterate what Dr. Adder Hold said earlier, you're going to have three minutes to make an opening statement.
That'll be timed by Dr. Russo. Uh, you'll get a one minute warning, which I believe is up on the podium there. Um, after that, you'll be asked four questions. You'll have a minute to respond to each question. Um, with that said, the board would like to thank you for submitting your application to serve on the board of education. The board
would like to learn more about you. So, in these three minutes, uh, please introduce yourself and tell us tell the board why you are running for the school board and you you feel free to elaborate on your submitted letter qualifications in the areas of priority. Time is yours.
Great. Thank you. Is the mic on? Yep. Thank you. Good evening, members of the board of education. Thank you for this opportunity to elaborate on my letter of interest. As a longtime resident of Plansboro and a parent of a child in the district, my interest in serving stems
from a heartfelt commitment to our schools. My experience, particularly in supporting individuals who may not always have a strong voice, has instilled in me a profound importance of listening, demonstrating compassion, and
truly meeting people where they are. This commitment to meaningful community engagement is evident by my service as president of the Northern Knights marching band boosters and as a founding member of the Plainsboro business
partnership and as a DJ at various Girl Scout Scout dances. I'm here with a sincere desire to serve, to contribute collaboratively without a specific agenda, and to ensure
our schools are well supported. My work history has helped me develop skills necessary for this role that has involved navigating complex regulatory landscapes and collaborating with expert third-party consultants and diverse stakeholders. a skill set directly
applicable to being a board member. Furthermore, my experience in coordinating largecale renovation projects demonstrates a proven ability to manage extensive undertakings, oversee budgets, facilitate seamless communication among all parties
involved, which is critical for the effective oversight of district operations. Across my career, I've consistently demonstrated strong leadership, strategic planning, the ability to foster highly collaborative
environments. Understanding the vital role of the board, I commit to upholding the principles of thoughtful governance, educational excellence, and inclusive decision-making. As outlined in the school ethics act, the board's
responsibility is to focus on policymaking, planning, and appraisal, ensuring the schools are wellrun rather than micromanaging daily operations. My contribution would be centered on leveraging my expertise in planning, financial oversight, community relations
support to support the superintendent and the administration. I aim to contribute to sound long-term planning, responsible resource allocation, foster strong, transparent relationships between the school and the diverse community it serves. I'm confident that
my unique blend of experiences, skills, and unwavering commitment to community service makes me an ideal candidate. Thank you. Like I said earlier, um now we're not going to ask you four questions and you'll have a minute to respond to each
question. The first question is, what particular experience or skills prepare you to serve as a board member? So, I've covered a bit of that, but I have a diverse work history working with individuals with developmental
disabilities, brain injuries, um various other uh ailments that have afforded me a sensitivity to folks who uh may not have a voice.
Um, also as a consultant in the senior housing space, I'm able to interact with a broad base of individuals from various backgrounds, socioeconomic, educational, so forth. Um, I'm a good communicator and I
connect with people. Next question is, uh, is there a specific issue that motivates you to serve on the school board? uh you know if you ask uh one of the more popular WhatsApp groups it'd be to
polish out or hold shoes but that's uh that's not the point. The point of the um board member is to make sure that the schools are wellrun. Next question. Um, the New Jersey School
Boards Association emphasizes that a board member's role is not to administer the schools, but to ensure they are wellrun through policy and planning. How do you interpret this distinction and how would you apply it in your actions as a board member? Yeah, it's not what I as an individual
am looking to accomplish. It's what support we can offer the district in vetting contracts, evaluating the superintendent, um, and and really managing what is
coming to us. It's it's not that we are out there looking for things to accomplish. And the final question, uh, what are the top two or three strengths of the of our school district and what are the most significant challenges you believe it currently faces? How would you propose the board address these challenges in
the next three to five years? The top two strengths. Wow. Um, managing growth. I think uh, right now it's a challenge, but I do think that we've done an awful uh, good job of managing the growth. We heard earlier that West
Windsor um you know has outgrown its belt um for for the schools here. Um hearing all about the growth happening in Plansboro um presents another challenge. Uh I'm not sure of what the
distribution of one two bedrooms. I heard there might be some single families. I don't know what that impact is to the school district um and what challenges that faces our capacity to serve this new group of people coming in. Uh the second um
strength of the district I would say uh has to be its basketball team this year. Uh what a fantastic time we had uh watching them go on their run. That concludes the questions. Thank you. Uh, you're welcome to stay if you'd
like. Fantastic. Thank you. Thank you. The next applicant is Jerry. Jerry. Hi, Mr. Min. How are you? Oh, hello, sir. I'm Oz.
Oh, okay. Sorry. I'm the wizard. Yeah. When I was in basic training, I got lost in land navigation. My apologies. So, um before we begin, I do have uh one uh ask of you. Um, if you could just provide the board cuz I don't think we have it
uh with your address. Oh, 3703 Quail Ridge Drive, Plainsboro, New Jersey 08536. Thank you. Um, as Dr. Hatterold had stated earlier, uh, you'll have three minutes to provide a statement to the board. Dr. Russo will
be timing you. Uh, those three minutes, you'll get a one-minute warning which will be on the podium. Um, after that, you'll have four questions that will be asked of you. You'll have a minute to respond to each question. Um, with that said, the board thanks you for submitting your application to serve on the board of ed education. They'd like
to learn more about you. In your three-minute statement, please introduce yourself and tell the board why you are running for the school board. You can elaborate on your submitted letter, qualifications, and areas of priority. Okay. Thank you, sir.
My name is Jerry Min. I'm running for the school board because not only do I love my own children, I love other people's children because I know collectively they'll be our future. And the greatest investment we can ever do is model to them the respect they're not only putting on their cultures name, but
their family's name and anyone who's ever invested and attempted to love them and persevere into greatness. It won't be easy, but I want to model what it's going to take to be truly successful, truly diverse while maintaining your individual integrity.
It starts there, then it goes to family, then it goes to the greater nation, and we can always learn and benefit from one another. So, I try to model that. Um, my background is I'm an older guy. I have a BW in social work. Uh, thanks to my time in the military. I'm first generation
college graduate with my family. My family dynamic was strained, but it was very valuable. And that's why I always teach respect to parents and those who invest in you. Huge in mentoring. started an organization called Making Mentor Academy. It's a nonprofit that really encourages mentorship,
leadership, etc. I currently teach. I'm a K12 educator New Jersey. Um I have contract teaching assignment, but I finally decided, you know what? It's time for me to get back to full-time teaching and accepted a position at Eden Autism where I get to work with a population and enjoy their successes on
their level and share those successes with their parents. Um I usually work middle school. I work with uh quote unquote at risk youth but actually in my 33 years of experience 16 as an educator I worked with all types all backgrounds
and it's gave me a both a macro and a microlevel approach to everything and to everyone and it's given me tough skin it's given me balance it's given me fairness it's given me grace it's taught me I learned from any and everybody from a baby to someone who's about to take
their last breath on earth I find everyone unvaluable. I've learned to to maneuver and grow as a person. Um if you So basically, not to waste anyone's time, prior military, um educator,
social services background, a lover of people, ecclesiastically endorsed, but no particular um disrespect to anyone's religion because that's what the chapency training in the military taught me. respect everyone's religion, respect everyone's background, and find the
commonality of basic respect. I like to close my three minutes with an email from a former student um to try to, you know, bring it all together who I am as a person. Have I had my one minute warning yet? Basically,
I sent you a message a while ago. I'm a senior this year with a 4.3 average. A big reason is the chunk strategy you taught and the leadership courses that you provided helping me to navigate the difficulties with students and incorporate everyone in my
leadership style. Thank you. Um now like I said earlier going to ask you a series of questions four questions. First one is what particular experience or skills uh prepare you to serve as a board member?
um collectively everything um from the aforementioned I've had a chance to work with diverse populations uh socioeconomic statuses and the bottom line is when you have the courage and the leadership style that's inclusive you also can pull people together
everyone has to be disciplined everyone has to grow but people learn and grow in different styles different settings different circumstances if you can be a great communicator i.e mainly by listening, mainly by not disregarding immediately, but seeking to understand even if they're barking up the quote
unquote wrong tree. Sometimes it's just a shift in dynamic dynamic in perspective can take you from the wrong tree to the right tree or a tree that's better for society in general. We'll take that same energy, that same effort that might be misplaced, put it in its proper place and help everyone elevate.
But you can't do that if you're going to be quickly dismissive. and you won't go through the entire steps, the complete steps of a process to help people grow and develop. People will fire themselves, but at least give them the chance to. Thank you. Next question. Is there a
specific issue that motivates you to serve on the school board? Um, yes. Um, we have to understand that we're modeling for our students and love without discipline is really not going to help a student grow. And discipline
doesn't mean violence or um poorly speaking of a of a young person. It just simply means to tap them on the shoulder, provide the training necessary to make them question or rethink the way that they're thinking their their uh current set of values and use their resources and their own intellectual
prowess to study and come back amongst other concerned mentors, mentees, educators, parents, teachers to help them just expand the way they currently see things. That redirection, that disciplehip, that mentorship will help us elevate our students and not waste
the talent, not waste who they are because they are growing up. They're going to make mistakes. But how do we safely or safe as possible, grow them into the adults that they need to be, no matter how it appears, look past the appearance, look at the heart, and see
if it's salvageable. Thank you. Uh the third question is the New Jersey School Boards Association emphasizes that a board member's role is not to administer the schools but to ensure that they are wellrun through policy and planning. How do you uh
interpret this distinction and how do you apply it in your actions as a board member? Accountability. I think a excellent board will just simply hold all the stakeholders accountable. I think that accountability
can be done with respect even with a touch of admiration but the standard must be set. The standard must be upheld. Again there will be moments of training. There will be um um confusion sometimes even I don't want to say the word fight but disagreements that mature
adults or leaderships amongst the board can help push past that so we can still hold the accountability and keep mu pushing forward because that's where the standard of excellence really is. If we're on this board, we too have to be willing to be accountable. And if we're on this board, we have to execute the
accountability in the most respectful and graceful way possible. Um, and the final question, what are the top two or three strengths of our school district and what are the most significant challenges you believe
it currently faces? How would you propose the board address these challenges in the next three to five years? Well, our school district is awesome. I think it reputation in the state and beyond is pretty much
impeccable when it comes to academics success, college achievement. Nothing should ever change about that. We hold an excellent standard. We're excellent models. Also like the dedication of the teachers and the staff, um the coaches, uh the volunteers, the parents, the
community is the most together community of progressive thinkers and learners that we have. Um, so those things, those two, those two items are clear and distinct, but we need to take a look at the underbelly or the underside or the things that are not so cute or uh not so
savory sides. That part we want to hide. And sometimes in in our community, there could be a misunderstanding and a misrepresentation of uh population groups that you're really not that familiar with. and um uh appointing leaders from those communities, understanding hurts and
traumas, and we all have them in one way or another. Trauma escapes no one, but trying to work through that to our best of our abilities. Thank you. Um that concludes the questions. You're uh thank you for your time. Uh you're more than welcome to stay if you'd like. Thank you. Sit over
there. Sure. Thank you. Jotty's next. What's that? Ji Ji Yeah, this too small for me. I have to go to this page so I can see. I know. Jotty Ji
Dr. Adhole knows my my glasses are in my bag. I only have one left. Hi. Oh, over here. Oh, okay. So close.
Uh, Miss Bankman. Um, hopefully I pronounced that correctly. Close enough. Close enough. I tried. Um, as Dr. Handhold had stated earlier uh you will have three minutes to provide an opening statement. Dr. Russo will be timing you. There is an indicator on the podium that
will indicate when you have a minute left. Um and then after that you will have a series of four questions. You have a minute to answer each question. Um that said the board wants to thank you for submitting your application to serve on the board of education. The
board would like to learn more about you. In the three-minute statement, please introduce yourself and tell the board why you are running for the school board. You can elaborate uh on your submitted letter, qualifications, and any areas of priority. Thank you. Sounds good.
Hello. Okay. Um thank you and good evening members of the school board and the school administration. Um thank you for the opportunity to speak here. I'm Joti Wenatraman. I'm a resident of Plainsboro. I'm a first generation immigrant who calls this beautiful state and country my home. My professional
career has been in the nonprofit sector where I'm passionate about social justice and health equity. I hold an MPA from the School of Public Service NYU, a post-graduate degree in health management and an undergraduate degree in microbiology. A career in nonprofit career and
expertise in multiple social justice issues has equipped me with a wide range of skills. And here are some ways how I see that adding value to this space. expertise in understanding systemic inequities, root cause barriers, and ensuring policy solutions address and
eliminate them. I see this helping and guiding the district's vision in ensuring every child has an equal opportunity to succeed regardless of their background. Deep understanding of explicit and implicit bias that affects decision-making which can guide the
advancement of fair and equitable practices. expertise in interacting with diverse underserved communities which I see as skills that can help guide the engagement with parents, teachers, students, diverse groups, hear their concerns and build support for school
initiatives, a familiarity with policy and governance which require skills like datadriven decision- making, understanding of governance structures, diverse stakeholder engagement. I see these skills broadly supporting the role boards play laid out by the state laws
and by your own governing laws. While I have found a profound meaning in public service through my professional roles, I've also been involved locally in our community by volunteering in PTA boards, um, board roles, formal board roles like secretary for Milstone River
School and CMS PTSA boards, um, volunteering for book fairs, PTA events, and I'm also the Girl Scout cookie um, manager for my troop. So I see this opportunity to serve here as a school in the school board as a continuation of my
commitment to do public service more locally. In terms of priorities, um what really resonates for me is ensuring that we maintain a rigorous academic programming with a holistic um infusion of SEAL skills and a dedication
to equity. So those would be my priority areas. In conclusion, thank you for the opportunity to speak. Wishing my fellow candidates good luck and wishing the board members the very best in your decision-making process. Thank you. Thank you. Uh now, like I said earlier,
we're going to ask you four questions. Uh we have a minute to respond to each. First question is, what particular experience or skills prepare you to serve as a board member? So, I've worked on a wide range of social justice issues and in the nonprofit sector per se. So I'm very
familiar with boards, different types of boards, governing boards. Um, working in the social justice issue, I bring a lot of intersectional lens and understanding how things converge and how inequities kind of show up. Um, as I mentioned, I
have skills and understanding root cause issues. Um, understanding of bias and how that informs decision making, expertise interacting with diverse um, communities. Um I also do a lot of datadriven decision-making, a lot of policy analysis, stakeholder enga
engagement, holding institutions accountable. Um I am on the uh Jagna council for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New Jersey department. So that's like a community advisory board. Um kind of ensuring the New Jersey
department's uh programmatic areas are you know focused on equity. So that's another expertise I have. Oops, sorry. Okay, next question. Is there a specific issue that motivates you to serve on the school board?
Um, I think what motivates me is just my commitment to public service. My professional career is pretty much dedicated to public service more in the nonprofit sector. I'm passionate about ensuring no matter your zip code across the state, you have access to clean air,
clean water. So, that's my professional career. What motivates me to serve here is a continuation of doing that public service role more locally serving our communities. I've already been doing that as part of the PTA and Girl Scout and volunteering. So, this was just me
taking a leap of faith and trying to bring the public service work that I'm doing more at a state level to more at for our own community, a community that I call home. Okay. Next question. The New Jersey School Board Association emphasizes that a board member's role is
not to administer the schools, but to ensure they are wellrun through policy and planning. How do you interpret this distinction and how would you apply it in your actions as a board member? Um, so as I mentioned, because of the work I do, I'm very familiar with how
distinct board roles can be and what boards are governed by. Um I know you have statutes, state laws that regulate what exactly boats can and cannot do. Um there is strong code of ethics. So you have to know how to hold those code of
ethics, be familiar with conflict of interest. Um so I'm already coming with some um what I would say a understanding of the board governing structures etc. So I see that as all positive skill sets that can help me kind of serve in this
role. Um I have been part of state task forces which is a different type of role. Um but that was part of my professional work where I was representing and again that was governed by rules. So I'm kind of familiar nonprofit world we deal with a lot of boards governing boards. Um it's pretty
much over there. So I sometimes I think I live and breathe board rules. Okay. Uh last question. What are the top two or three strengths of our school district and what are the most significant challenges you believe it currently faces? How would you
propose the board address these challenges in the next three to five years? So top two things, two three things that I think the district does really well. I have really appreciated this philosophy of whole child every child global child.
To me that is really encompassing this holistic approach. So it's not just your academic grades, it's also social emotional learning. My former worker and my current worker roads, I know the vital importance of that. I think the district's doing really good in that by
infusing SEAL skills. I've seen at elementary grade worksheets that I have to sign where they have to reflect on how did you understand how you did as learning it. So I thought that's great. the programming that's being offered for parents. I lean on some of those
resources to reinforce skills back home. So, I think that's really great. I think the rigorous academic programming and the variety of opportunities and options to me is really a standout. In fact, that's one of the reasons why I chose to be here and have my kids go through this
schooling system. I don't think I answered that question. Thank you very much. Um, you're welcome to stay if you'd like. Y Thank you. Thank you. Only one left, right? Hi. Hi. It's amazing. It really is. I I
did. Everybody Listen, you can keep looking at him. That's fine. I know how to throw my voice. I could be a I should be a ventriloquist. Sorry. So, uh uh Miss Mahandra, uh as Dr. Adterold stated earlier, uh you'll have three minutes to give an opening statement. Dr. Russo will be
timing you. Um for those three minutes, there's an indicator on the podium that will alert you when you have one minute left. After your your statement, um, you'll be asked four questions. You have a minute to respond to each of those questions. Sure. Okay. So, the time is
yours. Thank you. I don't know if my statement is three minutes, but we'll Okay. Thank you. Good evening, board. My name is Koshu Mihandu, and I'm a proud longtime resident of Plansboro Township. I work full-time for a medical device
company, which is also headquartered right here in Plainsboro. I've been involved in the community and had had the privilege of serving as a PTA president at Town Center Elementary when my son was in kindergarten. I'm here today to express my interest in
serving on the school board. I want to acknowledge the remarkable work already being done within our school district. Our academic achievements are a testament to the dedication and talent of our educators. The teachers in this
district are truly exceptional. They consistently go above and beyond to foster a challenging and supporting learning environment for our students. My recent experience chaperoning the sixth grade outdoor ed school trip
further strengthened my admiration for our teachers. Spending that focused time with them outside the traditional classroom setting allowed me to witness firsthand their incredible commitment, patience, and genuine connection they
forged with our students. It was truly inspiring to see their passion in action, managing the logistics of a large group while still ensuring every student felt engaged and cared for. We are incredibly privileged to live in such a diverse community and this
diversity is one of our greatest strengths. The varied backgrounds, cultures, and life experiences that our families bring enrich our schools in countless ways, offering unique perspectives and broadening the horizon for our students.
I'm here today present and willing to contribute my time, energy, and commitment to our district. I believe my perspective coupled with my genuine desire to support our schools would be a valuable asset to the board. I'm eager to collaborate with all of you to
continue building upon our successes and ensure every student in our district has the opportunity to thrive. Thank you. All right. Now, uh like I said before, I'm going to ask you four questions. Sure. You have a minute uh to respond to
each. First question, what particular experience or skills prepare you to serve as a board member? Uh I I can walk you through my educational background. I went to school in India uh high school, graduated in India in 2002.
Uh I went to design school after that and college. Uh during the pandemic um I decided to switch careers. I am in import export right now. I'm a licensed customs broker with uh uh CBP, Customs and Border Protection
and uh my current job is data management being um accuracy, data accuracy, um import export, regulation, reviews, making sure we are compliant. So I have a compliance background in this current
uh career that I have. Okay, next question. Is there a is there a specific issue that motivates you to serve on the school board to be a part of this community? I have seen my kids grow in this district and
who wouldn't want to be a part of this community and I think that's the reason why I'm here to be more connected and to see how I can serve. Thank you. Uh, next question. The New Jersey School Board Association
emphasizes that a board member's role is not to administer the schools, but to ensure that they are wellrun through policy and planning. How do you interpret this distinction and how would you apply it in your actions as a board member? Um, I would say
the school does an extremely well administrative job with our kids running the district, with our teachers, and whatever that comes with. As a board member, I'm here to um follow or
lead by example of what is already being done. We are already doing great things and I am just here to support the board in all the initiatives that they've already started with. Thank you. Uh last question.
What are the top two or three strengths of our school district and what are the most significant challenges you believe it currently faces? How would you propose the board address these challenges in the next three to five years? Oh uh I don't know much about the
challenges but I have to say that my students are happy they enjoy their classrooms their teachers are very very well connected to them um I receive feedback good or bad um whenever there's
something going on both from both sides from the teachers and the students and I like the open communication that the teachers have with the parents and how they effect. Thank you. Um, you're welcome to take a seat. Yeah. Thank you. That concludes
the interviews. Thank you. Thank you, Jeff, for for asking all the questions, and I'm glad everyone finally figured out where you're sitting. Um, wow. We had a really great group of candidates. This is going to be a very difficult decision. And so I want to thank each and every one of you for your time uh
and your your willingness to serve and give back to our community. And now I have to to read uh read the statement uh so we can recess into close executive session. Whereas the open public meetings act authorizes boards of education to meet in executive session
under certain circumstances. Whereas the open public meetings act requires the board to adopt a resolution at a public meeting to go into private session. Now therefore, be it resolved by the West Windsor Plains Bore Regional School District Board of Education that it is necessary to meet in executive session to discuss certain items involving uh
the Board of Education vacancy. Be it further resolved that any discussion held by the board, which need not remain confidential, will be made public as soon as feasible. The minutes of the executive session will not be disclosed until the need for confidentiality no longer exists. Be it further resolved that the board will
return to open session to conduct business at the conclusion of the executive session. Uh so so we will be back and now I'd like to ask for a motion to adjourn to the closed executive session. Uh Puja and Ly. Uh
all those in favor say I. I. I. Uh thank you again. And uh so feel free to I guess hang on here and wait or alternatively if you do need to to leave you know this will be uh live streamed
right. All right. Thank you. Hello. Uh, can I get a motion to return to public session? Uh, Puja and Loy. Uh, all in favor say I or yes. I. All right. So, uh, I know you've been patiently
waiting. Thank you for your patience. Now, can I get a motion to approve Paul O'Brien to fill the vacant Plainsboro Board of Education position through December 2025? Uh, Louisa and Schwa.
Uh, uh, roll call, please. Okay, we'll start with Miss Hoe. Yes. Miss Shetty, yes. Miss Chenny Hera, yes. Miss Krug, yes. Miss Maliga, yes. Miss Bonsel, yes. Miss Mchuan, yes. And I just want to thank every single one of
the candidates. This was a really difficult decision. Um you all came forth with um great answers to the question and very interesting backgrounds and experiences and uh I think what we really appreciated was
your your your selfless um desire to give back to our community. So I just want to remind everyone too um that you know this November there is another um cycle another election and the deadline to fill your petition is July 28th. So
that is coming up very quickly. So I do encourage everyone to participate in the democratic process and I really want to thank all of you for coming out tonight and for your patience and congratulations Mr. O'Brien. Welcome.
And um now can I get a now can I get a motion to uh since we don't have uh another closed session uh needed can I get a motion to adjourn tonight's meeting uh Dana and Liz. All those in favor say I. I. I. Thank you so
much.