By Donald Gilpin

Three incumbents — Debbie Bronfeld, Susan Kanter, and Dafna Kendal — will be running in the November 8 election to keep their seats on the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education (BOE) for another three years.

As of Tuesday morning, July 12, no additional candidates had stepped up to challenge them. The deadline for candidates to file with the Mercer County Clerk is July 25, less than two weeks away.

Bronfeld, who has lived in Princeton for more than 20 years and has two sons who graduated from Princeton High School (PHS), will be running for her third term on the Board. “My goals are to continue supporting the superintendent in not only keeping our schools clean, safe, and open for our students and staff, but to ensure every student reaches their full potential while attending PPS,” she wrote in an email.

Bronfeld looks forward to continuing her work on the BOE Operations and Student Achievement committees and as chair of the Personnel Committee and co-chair of the Equity Committee.

“In my next term I will also continue overseeing improvements in our departments and programs, creative ways to balance the budget, and creating more opportunities for our students to participate in all academic and extracurricular programs,” she added.

Kanter, with three children who have graduated from PHS and more than 20 years in Princeton, wrote, “I am seeking a second BOE term for the opportunity to use my 20 years of experience in business, multiple community volunteer roles, and recent Board service to ensure continued excellence and meaningful changes in our district.”

She continued, “Within 60 days of beginning my first term, our district pivoted to meet the unexpected challenges of COVID, which dominated our focus throughout much of my term. I look forward in a second term to supporting fiscally sustainable solutions that better serve the academic needs and wellness of all our students, sustainability initiatives, and participating in district planning so that we can successfully serve the needs of the PPS community in years to come.”

Kanter has been a member of the

Board’s Equity, Policy, Long-Term Planning, and Student Achievement committees, and co-chair of the Operations Committee.

Kendal has served as BOE president since January 2022. A Princeton resident since 2011, she has a son who graduated from PHS and a daughter who is currently a PHS 10th grader. She will be running for her third term on the BOE.

“It has been a privilege to serve the community, especially given the unprecedented challenges during the pandemic,” she wrote. “I am grateful for the trust our community has placed in me, and believe the deep knowledge and experience I have acquired through two terms on the Board will continue to assist the district in navigating challenges and ensure all students benefit from the educational excellence in our district.”

In addition to her role as president, Kendal serves on the Equity, Personnel, and Student Achievement committees and is an alternate on the Board’s Long-Term Planning Committee.

The BOE, according to the PPS website, “is an elected, unpaid group of 10 citizens who act as a single body to set policy and make decisions on educational, financial, and personal matters for Princeton Public Schools on behalf of all residents.”

The most important functions of the Board include setting and maintaining policies that define the district’s values and expectations; approving the annual school budget; representing the community’s educational philosophy; hiring and annual evaluation of the superintendent; and supporting and implementing the district’s Strategic Plan.