To the editor:
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Ruth Slovik and I have lived in Manville since 2009. I found a really nice house in a really nice neighborhood. Then I met the people. There is such a great community feel, with traditional values and strong emphasis on events and activities for families of all ages, including our kids. Because of the dedication and passion of the citizens of Manville and because of the current financial crisis we are in with our taxes, I have decided to run for school board.
As you know, the largest portion of our taxes goes to our schools. As an educator, and a parent of grown children, I saw and still see first hand how the taxes are spent in the classroom and in schools in general.
A great school system identifies the town. A fiscally responsible town gives clout to it. I want to magnify all the positive things that our schools are accomplishing and be part of the village to help make our schools even greater than they already are.
As a teacher of family and consumer sciences, I teach life skills and am the food director for a special needs school. With experience in both a small district, Dunellen, and a large district, Piscataway, I have a bird’s eye view of school functioning and school spending. I have worked for Rutgers Cooperative Extension developing educational programs for both Hunterdon and Somerset counties and have done extensive work in volunteering and have developed the very first operational manual for the annual 4-H fair’s food tent — seating 1,000 people with 28 vendors and 20,000 people a day.
I am not one to just voice the extent of a problem, but to do my part to find a solution. One very recent example is the advocacy group I started with other family members when there was a need to increase communication between families and a nursing home. I am not an armchair coach. I get into the game and plow down obstacles that stand in the way of our goal — making Manville schools shine with a very small tax base. I am not boxed in with “this is the way we’ve always done things.” I think out of the box and frequently ask: What box?
A vote for me as a Manville school board member in November would come with a promise that I will do my best to represent you as citizens of a great town with the best schools and lower taxes.
Thank you for your vote!
Ruth T. Slovik
Candidate for Manville School Board
