VOTE411 Voter Guide

I am running for the Hunterdon Central School Board to bring a practical, student-centered voice to the board. As the parent of a current Hunterdon Central student and three graduates, I have spent more than 10 years supporting my children’s education and the broader school community. I bring community experience, a steady temperament, and a record of results. My engineering background has trained me to make data-driven decisions, ask good questions, and solve complex problems collaboratively. I also served on the Readington Board of Education and earned New Board Member certification from the New Jersey School Boards Association, gaining governance experience that would benefit Hunterdon Central. I have also helped districts save money through utility incentives, energy-efficiency programs, facility upgrades, and grants. This experience would help Hunterdon Central reduce costs and bring in outside funding without relying solely on local taxes.

For more details, please visit my website: https://bettermann4hcboe.com/

I would like to see more of our Readington residents’ state tax dollars be directed back into our local schools like Hunterdon Central. We should take advantage of the NJ Department of Community Affairs funding for school regionalization to demonstrate how consolidating districts can save taxpayers money. We should also be taking advantage of other state grants that bring state money back home to our schools, reducing the reliance on local school taxes. I disagreed with the Board's 2025 vote to drop Hunterdon Central's contract with CarePlus, which had given students 24/7 access to licensed mental health counselors for about $278,000 a year. The district has since had to hire its own replacement staff to cover the gap with reduced hours of coverage at a cost of about $140,000 and growing as the need outpaces the resource. Given how serious youth mental health needs are, and this district's own history, that decision needed more scrutiny before the vote, not after. Good budgeting takes creativity and follow-through. Cutting costs is easy, finding additional funding and balancing a budget is not.

I will bring an open, collaborative approach to the board. I strongly value input from parents, students, and community members to inform my decision making, and I have worked to build coalitions in my volunteer efforts in service to my Readington community. Whether it was bringing together parents and teachers for programming and fundraising when I was President of the Readington H.S.A. or collaboratively crafting Readington Township’s Community Energy Plan with the Environmental Commission, Township Committee, and residents, I am proud of the goals we accomplish when working together. As a member of the Hunterdon Central school board I will work toward community engagement events that allow the board to hear from its stakeholders on the issues affecting them like mental health support, budgetary pressures, and educational issues like the use of AI in schools.

It is important to prepare every student for their future, and the reality is that AI is reshaping the workforce that our Hunterdon Central graduates will be joining. Hunterdon Central already has begun work on how AI can serve the needs of tomorrow’s citizens by creating an active AI Focus Group and student AI Club. Staff experts on AI presented to parents last year at a Parent Engagement Committee meeting to increase awareness of the benefits and challenges of AI use in education. Policies that responsibly integrate AI as an educational tool will prepare students to navigate the working world while enhancing the durable skills they need to be successful. This means focusing not on specific technical skills because those will shift quickly, but supporting communication, collaboration, and critical thinking skills that will allow students to adapt to a changing working environment.

I am seeking reelection because I believe strong public schools require independent oversight, fiscal responsibility, transparency and a willingness to ask difficult questions. During my time on the Board, including serving as Board President, I have worked to improve communication with families, advocate for transparency by making appropriate public documents readily available online, and scrutinized budgets, contracts and programs before taxpayer dollars are committed. I have advocated for clearer guardrails and parameters around services offered within the district to promote accountability and protect students. My professional background in human resources taught me the importance of having clear, workable policies, effective organization and responsible decision making. I am analytical, prepared and willing to challenge assumptions while remaining focused on what best serves the students.

Cost savings should begin with careful analysis, not cuts to the classroom. With a significant enrollment decline of 28% and approximately $29 million accumulated in capital reserves, I have consistently questioned whether our spending, reserves, and long term plans are aligned with current enrollment and actual student needs. We should examine non-teacher staffing, historical spending versus budgeting, recurring surpluses, contracts, and professional services. I have also advocated for opportunities to bring appropriate outside services in house, with the goal of reducing recurring costs while building internal capacity. Core instruction, mandated services, and the teachers and staff who work directly with students should remain priorities. Fiscal responsibility means budgeting accurately, planning strategically, and directing resources where they provide the greatest benefit for students.

Meaningful public engagement requires more than simply providing a brief opportunity for public comment. Families should have timely access to information, understand what the Board is considering, and have reasonable opportunities to provide input before major decisions are made. I support accessible Board materials providing the public with easy access to as much information as possible, including providing clear explanations of significant proposals, holding public question and answer opportunities, and in-depth review of survey responses. As Board President, I worked to establish a Board newsletter so busy parents and community members who cannot regularly attend meetings could keep up with what was happening in the district. Public input from all viewpoints should be welcomed and considered respectfully. At the same time, elected Board members must evaluate that input alongside law, policy, educational expertise, student needs and fiscal responsibility when making decisions.

AI can be a valuable educational tool, but its use should be focused on enhancing learning, not replace critical thinking, original work or teacher instruction. I support clear guidelines addressing appropriate use, academic integrity, and student privacy. As the district implements AI tools, it must remain mindful of what it has learned from its experience with other rapidly evolving technologies, including cell phones in schools. Rather than moving too quickly before understanding the educational impact, I believe the district should introduce AI thoughtfully, establish appropriate safeguards, measure outcomes, and adjust its approach as needed. The goal should be AI literacy used to enhance a student's critical thinking while preserving the research, writing and reasoning skills essential to learning.