EAST BRUNSWICK Incumbent candidates Susanna Chiu, Laurie Lachs and Todd Simmens have been reelected to the Board of Education in East Brunswick.
Five candidates ran for three available seats on the board.
“I am honored to be reelected by the people of East Brunswick. I have enjoyed my time on the board and I plan to continue my work in maintaining and constantly building on the highest level of excellence that our school system is known for, and that i was fortunate enough to benefit from personally,” Lachs said.
Chiu, Lachs and Simmens faced first-time candidates John Gonzalez and Jean Reger for the three-year terms.
“I want to thank the residents of East Brunswick for giving me the opportunity to continue to serve the community and our children. When we send our children to school, we put great trust in the schools to keep our children safe, to provide them a great education, and to support the development of their character. I am honored to have the opportunity to build on what I’ve learned over the past three years to help support the mission of our public schools,” Chiu said.
On Nov. 7, Chiu won 24 percent of the votes with 4,512. Simmens won 23 percent of the votes with 4,314. Lachs won 21 percent of the votes with 3,937. Gonzalez won 17 percent of the votes with 3,185. Reger won 14 percent of the votes with 2,589, according to election results provided by Middlesex County.
“Good schools are meaningless if people can’t afford to live here; therefore, I will focus on increasing the quality of our excellent school system while being mindful of every dime spent,” Lachs said.
Lachs said she will continue to work to ensure the safety and security of the students and staff; make sure the staff receives the best support and training; advance technology throughout the district; her commitment to the special education department; and to smaller class sizes.
“I look forward to working collaboratively with the other members of the board to continue our work on issues of importance that were identified by the community during the strategic planning process. This includes a review of curriculum to ensure that it is up-to-date, a continued focus on the use of technology and a review of facilities to ensure that we provide space that is conducive to learning,” Chiu said.
Chiu continued, “As well, we must continue to critically review spending and ensure that we are allocating resources in a fiscally responsible manner. Great schools are the cornerstone of our community. It’s what attracts residents to this township and what will help ensure that this town remains vibrant.”
The other candidates could not be reached by press time.
Contact Vashti Harris at [email protected].