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VOTE411 Voter Guide

Hamilton Township (Mercer) School Board - 2 Year Unexpired Term

School board members in New Jersey are responsible for adopting policies under which the school district operates; overseeing the school district budget; approving the curriculum; hiring and evaluating the superintendent; representing the public during contract negotiations; and serving as a communication link between the community and the school system. Elected school board members receive no compensation and serve three-year terms, unless elected to fill an unexpired term when a vacancy occurs.Vote for one (1) candidate to fill this two-year unexpired term.

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  • Candidate picture

    Anthony D. Benjamin
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Rafael Colon
    (NP)

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    Andrew Kaszimer
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Susan Lombardo
    (NP)

Biographical Information

What are your priorities for your term on the Board of Education? How do you plan to implement these priorities?

What issues, if any, do you believe your district needs to address in its academic program and vocational and fine arts offerings? What changes would you recommend?

What components of the school budget should be protected and perhaps increased, and what components do you think could be reduced? Please explain your answer and your strategies to accomplish this.

Are there groups of at-risk students in the community and, if so, what policies or services should the Board offer them or their families?

What, if any, new policies would you like the Board to adopt towards the sex education curriculum?

What is the role of schools in addressing the impact of ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) policies in your community?

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Slogan The voice for all
If I am elected I would like to try to distribute Elementary School funding appropriately if it is possible. I would try to work with the board to find an appropriate solution.
I don't think there are many issues regarding the academic programs but think vocational and fine arts could use more modern career based programs and training in AI and technology
Unfortunately increasing a component leaves reducing a component If elected I would like to work along side the board and collaborate on what should be protected , what should be increased or reduced.
The LGBTQ community is often at risk primarily because of social discrimination , hate Bias and crime , stress , the lack of being included and protected. The board should always follow the non-discrimination and affirmative action polices that are in place.
I do not have any concerns with the sex education at this time
We as a community must make sure safe guards are in place to protect our students. Making sure Police is following the proper laws that doesn't allow Police to work with ICE . Also making sure ICE is not allowed to walk into any schools at anytime. Unfortunately Americans at times have been detained or worse. As a Latin American I see the Latin Community being marginalized and targeted simply because of skin color and because of how they may look. Not every immigrant is Illegal or a criminal. If Elected I will not only represent Hamilton but also 23.% of the Latin community I would be their voice.
My hope is to address the many needs of our district by making sound financial decisions. Student achievement and expanded programs for vocational classes and fundamental life skill classes are another priority. Having 24 schools, a warehouse, and administrative offices means facilities are always a priority as well. Trying to do all this while keeping in mind budget constraints will take hard work and tough decisions.
I believe our academic and fine arts curriculum are sufficient for our student population. Our vocational offerings need to be expanded but will be difficult to do because of space limitations.
The parts of the budget for facilities must be protected and or increased as well as money for student programs and all the necessary tools that make the student programs successful. I am interested in looking at the budget for administrative costs to see if there is a way to save money in that area.
The at-risk students in our community have a number of different programs offered to them. School counselors at every level are there to help provide the necessary service to those at risk. Special needs students are often paired; one on one, with an educational assistant and placed in a teacher led classroom. Non-English-speaking students are seen by an ESL teacher, many on a daily basis.
I am not proposing the Board adopt any new policies with regard to sex education. I do, however, want to have a collaboration with the Township Health Department as was done in the past. The Health Educator and a nurse from the Health Department would be invited into health class and provide a grade appropriate lesson
Schools must be a safe haven and create a predictable routine. The staff at our schools do just that. They are aware of things to look for when students may be worried about their families' safety. Resources are also provided to both the student and their family though county organizations.
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