SOUTH RIVER — Four candidates, three of them incumbents, are vying for three-year Board of Education roles in the Nov. 6 election.
Incumbent Kelly M. Cruz, and her husband, Silvio, have three children, Nicole, 17, Caroline, 12, and Silvio, 11, who all attend school in the district. Cruz is currently the chairwoman of the human resources and vice chairwoman of the finance committees, and a member of the athletics committee. She is also a district evaluation committee member and the liaison to the Borough Council.
Her experience also includes numerous leadership roles in district parent-teacher associations, as well as leadership and membership roles in various school and civic organizations.
“One of the biggest challenges facing the school board today are the many changes being implemented by the Department of Education, and it is crucial that board members stay abreast of these constant changes,” Cruz said. “The evaluation system, common core standards and tenure reforms, along with new testing initiatives, are just some examples of recent changes.”
She said she is also working on her professional development. “As a board member, I have attended many courses the New Jersey School Boards Association has offered and have earned 11 credits toward certification. If re-elected, I will continue to devote my time educating myself on the current reforms being enacted and complete the certification process to help our school system.”
One of her goals is to encourage all students to be aware of their options for higher education. “I believe that college is a subject that students should be exposed to from kindergarten through high school, so that college is not a far-off dream, but rather the next step in their education,” Cruz said.
However, she said, the district has to prepare them for that challenge. “We must continue to increase student achievement so that our children are prepared to be competitive in a global environment. Additionally, we must educate parents, and the public, on the current changes happening in education within New Jersey and nationally,” Cruz said.
She also said she supports keeping taxes low and leveraging shared services and supplemental funding wherever possible. “It is imperative to ensure our students have the best tools to assist them, while balancing the costs of those tools. We have been able to initiate cost-savings programs and receive grants from both state and federal programs.”
She pointed to the recent purchase of 44 interactive electronic whiteboards for the elementary and middle school, which was made possible through federal grants. “If reelected, I will continue to do my best to help our children succeed while exploring revenue generating programs and alternative funding to ensure taxes are kept low.”
Fellow incumbent Elizabeth Da Silva Lell is currently a mathematics teacher at East Brunswick High School. She and husband Conrad have two sons.
Lell, who joined the board in February when there was an open position, also taught at the borough high school from 1997 to 2001. There she was named Teacher of the Year for the district and took on the role of Portuguese translator to communicate with those district parents in need of such services. She also was adviser to the class of 2001 and served on various committees.
Lell said her experience and focus put her in a good position to help the board succeed. “I think my educational background will provide a positive perspective as we work with aligning the district to state mandates,” she said. “Since joining the board, I have focused my knowledge and professional insight on the board’s school and community relations, instruction, and safety committees.”
Lell said she is looking to continue on her own educational journey. “One of my goals would be to become personally more knowledgeable in terms of Board of Education overall relations by taking advantage of professional development opportunities. Learning from and listening to the community is a catalyst for change. I know that the Board of Education has acted in the best interest of the overall student population as its core foundation.”
Lell also is looking to bring various stakeholders together for the benefit of students. “Another goal would be to seek the assistance of the community in aiding the board, administrators and staff by joining forces for our children. Our PTA organizations, from the primary school on up to the high school, have dedicated countless hours of their time, and working together we can create even more positive experiences for the students,” she said. “Working together, so much more can be accomplished.”
Lell said she wants to build on the district’s trajectory of success. “Great strides are already being made in terms of testing scores, upgrading the curricula, offering professional development, etc., and being a part of the enhancement of these activities would further the future of the district.”
Incumbent Peggy Marino, a legal assistant at the Woodbridge-headquartered Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, said she is looking to build on the success of her prior terms. Marino and her husband have three children.
“I am running for another term to continue the work that has been accomplished over my last three terms,” Marino said. “When re-elected three years ago, one of my main goals was to modernize the high school, and I am happy to say that is now a reality.”
She said that now that this has been accomplished, her current focus is on improving technology and student test scores. “We need to work on implementing new courses and programs, not just for Advanced Placement classes, but also for our honors, college prep and special education students. I believe every child should be challenged and encouraged to work to the best of their abilities.”
Marino has been chairwoman of the finance committee for the past six years, and said that while she knows how monetary restrictions can hamper the creation of new programs, “we have always found innovative ways to fund exciting and new programs while staying fiscally responsible. Our children are our most precious commodity and the key to the future. We need to continue to have our school system grow and flourish.”
Newcomer Cheryl Beck, 44, is a senior executive assistant at Raceway Park. She and her husband have two children — a daughter in college and a son who is a senior at the borough high school.
“I have been an involved parent for the past three years after my children had an issue that they wanted resolved. After finally getting involved, I wish I had gotten involved years ago,” she said. “I have been asked many times, ‘This is the last year you have children in the district. Why are you running?’ My answer is simple, ‘I am in it for all the children in the community. I want to see every child here get the best education and start on life they can, and it starts here.’ ”
Beck said the biggest challenge facing the board is maximizing tax dollars. “With my experience with budgets and cost-saving measures, I would like to help look over the budget to see if we can redistribute and do more for our children.”
She said she sees the district as a business, “and like any business you want the best product out there, and our product is our children. I want to help give our children a great start to their future.”