By Donald Gilpin

With the 2023 election results officially certified on November 22, the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education (BOE) will be welcoming two new members on January 1, 2024, as two incumbents step down.

After a year marked by controversy and turbulence, and with the search for a new superintendent about to begin, disagreements remain, but the district and the BOE seem to be in accord on the importance of prioritizing the needs of the district’s 3,760 students.

“We need to focus now on returning our attention to the students,” said BOE President Dafna Kendal, noting that Acting Superintendent Kathie Foster would provide a stable presence at the helm in the coming year, giving the BOE time to find the best candidate for permanent superintendent.

Final election results showed challengers running strongly with incumbent Michele Tuck-Ponder (15.27 percent) losing her seat, new candidate Eleanor Hubbard winning the most votes (24.92 percent), and Incumbent Beth Behrend (20.43 percent) and challenger Adam Bierman (19.91 percent) grabbing the other two available seats. New candidate Rene Obregon (19.46 percent) was a close fourth place, falling short by just 78 votes.

Some, including Bierman and Obregon, saw the election results as a call

for change. Others did not, calling attention to Behrend’s win and the passing — with 70.89 percent of the votes — of a $13 million bond referendum for facilities and security upgrades in the schools.

“My election unequivocally reflects a yearning for a new approach and a Board member who is not aligned with the interests of the status quo,” Bierman wrote in an email. “The turbulent events surrounding the previous superintendent’s tenure highlight the urgent need for a change in direction.”

Bierman went on to emphasize his focus on fiscal responsibility, supporting the faculty, and delivering resources “directly into the classroom,” and his opposition to detracking math classes and “indoctrinary concepts like unconscious bias training.”

He added, “Effective governance hinges on a thorough understanding of the School Board’s culture, policies, procedures, political dynamics, and key personalities. In government, I always respect the distinction between what I know and what I don’t.”  In regard to the superintendent search, he noted the advantages of searching within the system and of looking for a qualified candidate with at least 10 years’ experience “managing a school system similar to Princeton’s.”

Reflecting on the election results, Kendal highlighted the community’s endorsement of the referendum.  “We appreciate the community’s support for the referendum,” she said. “We are going to be able to make significant security upgrades, and that’s really important for the students and staff in our buildings. We’re grateful for that.”

Kendal went on to point out that major items on the agenda in the coming weeks and months will include planning for enrollment growth in the elementary schools; completing the ongoing review of the math program; and “making sure that we’re highlighting all the great things that are happening in the schools both academically and extracurricularly.”

She noted that the BOE had not yet discussed the steps for searching for a new superintendent and would not start on that endeavor until the new Board’s first meeting in January.

“The Board needs to discuss what we’re looking for and we haven’t done that yet,” she said. “We want to take our time to get the best candidates.”  She suggested that they would probably start looking in February and that the search was likely to take four to six months. Kendal reiterated that teaching and learning and the students were the top priority.

Her thoughts were echoed by BOE member Jean Durbin, who decided not to run for  reelection and will end her tenure on December 31 this year. Durbin suggested that most voters supported candidates who expressed a desire to attend to “the needs of the students and our district overall after a tumultuous couple of years.”

She wrote in an email, “My advice to the newly elected Board members is to read, listen, think, and work with your colleagues for good outcomes on issues, keeping the needs of the students first.”  She recommended reading widely from policy manuals, professional development materials, and other related sources.

“Then remember to listen,” Durbin added.  “Ask questions after you have read and listened. And lean on the experience and institutional knowledge of your colleagues. The district has talented staff, dedicated teachers, and a thoughtful, hardworking Board. We are all neighbors and we should be working to ensure we move forward thoughtfully together.”