By Donald Gilpin

Amidst recent upheavals on the national political scene, Princeton has its own election excitement coming up in the local race for positions on the Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education (BOE).

With the filing deadline for the November election just a few days away, the campaign for three spots on the BOE has three new candidates in the race, two incumbents stepping down at the end of the year, and a third incumbent not available for comment.

Betsy Baglio, BOE member for the past nine years, wrote in a July 22 email to Town Topics that she would not be running for a fourth term. “While I look forward to seeking other opportunities after completing my Board service at the end of this calendar year, I will always remain committed to the success of the Princeton Public Schools as a parent, community member, and educator,” she said. “I will continue to advocate for the well-being and achievement of PPS students (Including equitable access to all opportunities) and support our dedicated faculty and staff.”

Two-term BOE member Brian McDonald announced in January of this year that he would be running for Princeton Council and would not run for another term on the BOE. Mara Franceschi, who will be completing her first term on the BOE this December, had not filed for reelection as of July 23, and was not able to comment on her status.

The three new candidates, all with children in PPS, include two local businessmen, Ari Meisel and Chris Santarpio, and Cherry Hill Nursery School Director of Administration Erica Snyder.

Meisel is the father of five and a Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania graduate with a diverse career in business, “from founding Less Doing, a productivity education and consulting company, to developing sustainable real estate projects across New York State,” he wrote in an email. He has also written books on productivity, leadership, and entrepreneurship. He serves as a volunteer EMT in Princeton, and teaches first-aid classes.

Meisel is vice chair of the Princeton Committee on Affordable Housing, Racial, Social, and Economic Equity and Social Services, and he serves on the Princeton Middle School PTO Executive Board.

“Having coached hundreds of executives in a variety of industries, including education, I know what it takes to guide others to feel empowered and get work done,” he said. “My background in productivity and entrepreneurship equips me with a unique perspective on efficiency and innovation, which I aim to bring to the Board. As an EMT, I have seen the critical importance of children feeling safe and secure in their environments, and I am committed to ensuring that our schools are places where every student feels protected and supported.”

Santarpio, born and raised in New Jersey, earned a BA in business administration (finance) at Villanova University, worked for an investment bank and a financial consulting firm in Boston, then returned to New Jersey in 2003 to work in his family’s business, which serves the industrial sector in the mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states. He earned an MBA from Rutgers University with a concentration in finance and supply chain management.

Santarpio moved with his family to Princeton in 2020, where he has been a frequent parent volunteer at Community Park Elementary and has recently served as PTO co-president. His son is a rising third grader, and Santarpio also volunteers for his son’s Little League team.

Santarpio noted turmoil and high administrative turnover at PPS in recent years, and he emphasized the need to have the perspective of current and future elementary school parents more widely represented on the Board.

“I believe that my background in finance and operations, along with my collaborative style and elementary parent perspective, can help move the district forward during this transitional time,” he wrote in an email.

Snyder, the mother of three children in the Dual Language Program at Community Park, joined Cherry Hill Nursery School in May 2023, after working as an educational consultant and fundraising chair in the previous year. Snyder earned her BA in secondary education from DePaul University, a master’s degree in instructional technology from East Carolina University, and additional certificates in online learning. She taught in Ecuador, Chicago, and Charlotte, N.C., before working as an instructional coach for teachers in project-based learning.

“Working with a wide variety of public institutions has allowed me to see the best in education along with innovative solutions to some of the current challenges facing Princeton today,” Snyder wrote on her campaign website under the heading “Why I Am Running.”

She continued, “These challenges include the reported increase in students coming to the district, the new superintendent search, and the educational gaps in performance for lower-income and Black and brown students.”

Snyder emphasized her goal of improving communication about these challenges and also bringing “fresh ideas and connections with innovative educational partners.” She added, “We need better ideas and strategies to close the gaps that exist in the district.”

The final shape of the 2024 BOE race remains to be seen, with a deadline on Monday, July 29 at 4 p.m. for additional candidates to file papers at the County Clerk’s office if they’re planning to run in the November election.