Seven candidates file for school board race

Harry Delgado, Deborah Taylor and Anna Tupe are seeking re-election against newcomers Surabhi Agarwal, Arif Patel, Susan Santowasso and Mahesh ‘Mac’ Shah.

By: Joseph Harvie
   Seven candidates, including three incumbents, have filed to run for school board this year.
   Incumbents, Harry Delgado, Deborah Taylor and Anna Tupe, are all seeking re-election. They’ll be vying against newcomers Surabhi Agarwal, Arif Patel, Susan Santowasso and Mahesh ‘Mac’ Shah.
   All are seeking one of three, three-year seats that will be up for grabs in the April 17 school elections.
   Mr. Patel, the last to file an application to run, is an information technology director at Ernst & Young, where he supervises 14 teams comprised of more than 150 people.
   He said that he decided to run because he wants to build partnerships within the school district.
   "I want to start building this relationship with the students, parents and administration," Mr. Patel said. "I’m not saying the relationship isn’t there, I want to enhance it and make it even better, to make the township school system more effective and efficient."
   He said that he would like to get the community involved with the school board, and keep them informed that the school system is providing the best possible services and education for the children of South Brunswick. He said that he would do this by regularly communicating with the residents.
   In addition, he said he has experience working with different age groups and wants to lend that experience to the board.
   "Growing up in New York and New Jersey and having to work with different generations, I’ve been dealing with kids, teenagers, generation X and generation next," Mr. Patel said. "I feel I can relate to a whole wide audience and not only make a difference but add value to the board."
   Ms. Agarwal is a former information technology director who attended Bombay University and earned a bachelor’s degree in math. As a member of the Computer Society of India, she learned how to design computer software systems. She said that she gave up her job to spend more time with her children.
   South Brunswick Police Capt. Delgado has served on the board for 12 years, has been school board president and is in the middle of his second term as vice-president of the New Jersey School Boards Association.
   Ms. Santowasso, of Georges Road, has lived in South Brunswick since 1973. She has worked in education since 1973, starting at the Kingston School, and then Crossroads South, the Deans School and high school for 33 years before retiring in June. She is a graduate of William Paterson University in Wayne, and has taken graduate level courses at The College of New Jersey in Ewing, and Rider University in Lawrenceville.
   Mr. Shah is a senior research scientist at Bristol-Myers Squibb in New Brunswick. He graduated from Gujarat University in India with a degree in chemistry.
   Ms. Taylor is a stay-at-home mom who was elected to the school board in April to finish the one-year term that was left vacant when Michael Mahan vacated his seat in 2005.
   Ms. Tupe is certified nurse who has worked at the Linwood Middle School in North Brunswick for two years, and worked at the Eden Institute in Princeton for 15 years prior to that. She has served on the school board for 12 years.