To the Editor:

I am writing to express my support for Dafna Kendal’s candidacy for the Princeton Board of Education. Dafna and I served on the Board together for two years, and when I look back at her service on the Board, I am struck by two characteristics of her service: students and finances. 

Dafna was always focused on the students and always considered their needs first by asking the right questions — will this spending be the best use of the money for the students, how does this purchase help the students? She is concerned for the students who need more — the students with special education needs, the students who don’t have the financial means to take part in the activities our schools offer, the students who don’t have the support at home to keep up in school. Dafna put her money and energy where her heart was by mentoring students in need and helping to found a nonprofit organization to support students in our community needing financial support.

Even though students are her main focus and passion, she also always considered the Princeton taxpayers and the challenges we face with our ever increasing property taxes. When she was the chairperson of the Facilities Committee, she ensured that any referendum question presented to the Princeton community would provide significant capacity expansions at PHS and JW to put off the need for a future referendum. And the question that passed in December 2018 does that by providing new classrooms at PHS and JW, expanded guidance space (PHS), expanded nursing space (JW), and additional indoor exercise space (PHS). The referendum question that was approved by the Board 10-0 and passed by the community demonstrates that she has the judgment and persistence to ensure that our students’ needs are met and that Princeton taxpayers will not spend unnecessarily.

We need to elect people like Dafna whose heart is in the right place and whose hand is careful in opening up the wallet when it comes time to spend. Please join me in voting for Dafna Kendal on November 5.

Bill Hare
Jeffersen Road
While the writer is a Board of Education member, this letter is written in his capacity as a Princeton resident and taxpayer.