Quiet Board Election
It’s been a relatively quiet school election campaign, but voters can get a closer look at each of the candidates’ views and platforms during a meet-the-candidates night on Tuesday, April 8, at 7:30 p.m. at Grover Middle School.##M:[more]##
The event precedes the elections on Tuesday, April 15. This year, voters will elect three school board members to fill two West Windsor seats and one open Plainsboro seat. Incumbents Richard Kaye and Randall Tucker will face challenger Mindy Fox-Heifler for two West Windsor seats. Newcomer Alapakkam Manikandan is running unopposed for the Plainsboro seat vacated by Patricia Bocarsly.
The candidates’ forum, sponsored by the PTA/PTSAs and the Princeton Area League of Women Voters, will be set up as more of a question-answer forum between the candidates. The forum will be moderated by the League of Women Voters, and members of the audience can submit written questions for candidates on 3×5 cards provided. Candidates will also be available to talk before and after the formal program, which runs from 8 to 9:30 p.m.
Fox-Heifler, a five-year township resident who lives in Princeton Oaks, is running for the board for the first time this year because of her experience with the special education program in the district, she says. She has three sons in the district, two of whom are classified. She says she feels that the district offers a lot of “cookie-cutter solutions” that work for many children, but not all, and they need to think outside the box a little more to nurture the creativity and differences in all students — gifted and disabled alike. She said she also sees a “waste” in district spending, particularly in the area of legal fees and on artificial turf. (See letters, page 5.)
She says her background in construction and design will come in handy as the school carries out the referndum construction projects. She attended the Parsons School of Design, where she studied architecture. Most recently, Fox-Heifler worked in construction management before dedicating her energy to her three children.
Kaye, a resident of Village Grande for the past eight-and-a-half years, and a retired teacher, educational consultant, and principal, is running for his second term on the board. He says he would like the opportunity to see the full implementation of the referendum program and the strategic plan, and that he’s had experience knowing exactly what things cost and what can be looked at when it comes to cutting those costs.
Kaye says he also wants to help educate the public about legislation affecting school boards, especially as it relates to taxes, and he hopes to continue his involvement in the curriculum and instruction component of the board’s work.
Tucker, who is also seeking his second term, is a 13-year West Windsor resident. He works for Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, a Johnson and Johnson company. He said he believes his experience in the corporate world will help contribute to the processes the board uses to manage the district. He also wants to ensure the referendum is completed.
Manikandan, an eight-yer Plainsboro resident who lives on Ashford Drive, says he has been involved with the high school for a few years now, including helping to coach the Science Olympiad team on which his daughter participates. He said he thought running for the school board would be a great opportunity for him to contribute some of his ideas.
Manikandan, a computer software project manager, currently works for BASF, one of the leading chemical companies in the world. He says important issues include school security, balancing the curriculum, and ensuring the student-teacher ratios are adequate.
