Three seats are up for election on the Windsor-Plainsboro Board of Education in the Tuesday, Nov. 7 election—two in West Windsor and one in Plainsboro. All candidates are incumbents who are running unopposed.
Running for reelection in West Windsor are Dana Krug and Shwetha Shetty, who are running together on the “For Our Community.” In Plainsboro, Loi Moliga is running under the slogan “Putting Students First.”
The WWP News asked each of the candidates to provide biographical information about themselves and a statement of up to 1,000 words regarding why they are running for reelection to the board.
Their answers are presented in alphabetical order below. Each of the statements represents the candidate’s personal view and do not represent the West Windsor-Plainsboro School Board.
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Dana Krug has lived in West Windsor since 1995. Her three children recently graduated from WW-P High School North; each having attended WW-P schools from Kindergarten through 12th grade.
She graduated from Northern Valley Regional High School in Demarest and earned a bachelor’s degree in international area studies from Duke University. She also holds a master’s degree in nonprofit management from the New School University. She is currently serving her fourth term on the school board.
Krug previously worked in advertising, marketing communication and strategy, and marketing systems development. She has served as the president and chair of the Friends of the West Windsor Library, the tournament director for the West Windsor-Plainsboro Babe Ruth State Baseball Tournament for U14 and for U15, and the co-president of the Community Middle School PTSA.
On the WW-P School Board, Krug has chaired each of the three board committees (Curriculum & Instruction, Administration & Facilities and Finance). She also was chair of the Board Negotiations Committee for the district’s negotiations with the teachers’ association, the WWPEA, for four contracts.
She represents WW-P at the state and county level through the N.J. School Boards Association, currently serving as the Mercer County representative on the NJSBA Board of Directors, the vice president for the Mercer County School Board Association and Mercer County SBA’s immediate past president. Krug has earned NJSBA’s Certified Board Member, Master Board Member, and Certified Board Leader designations. In addition, she actively supports her undergraduate alma mater by serving on two alumni boards and as a reunion class co-chair.
Candidate statement: Being a West Windsor-Plainsboro School Board school board member is a rewarding responsibility and one that I enjoy. Throughout my tenure, I have been grateful to have had the opportunity to support many families on their children’s educational journeys.
I have also helped lead the district through exciting and sometimes challenging times, including major weather events, developing and executing a $115 million referendum, and a global pandemic. Each day I take my tremendous responsibility as a West Windsor-Plainsboro school board member seriously. I read district documents and policies diligently. I engage in dialog with the administration and my colleagues, in the district and across the state, to ensure that our decisions support our community. I enjoy meeting with families and community members at local events.
I am a long-time community volunteer, having held many leadership roles in organizations that promote the academic, social, emotional, and physical well-being of children and families. My broad-ranging community work as well as my extensive school board experience uniquely positions me as a valuable contributor to the school board. The positive working relationships I have built with members of our community will be critical as WW-P manages through the next three years.
Further, my children’s attendance in our schools has given me a first-hand understanding of issues that face the school board. I understand that children can learn differently, and that the classroom experience should support each child’s learning style. I have helped many parents to find the district resources needed to support their children.
Over the last several years, I have volunteered at the state and county level with the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA), partnering with board member colleagues across the state, to advocate for students. I have served as President of the Mercer County School Board Association, and now Vice President, to ensure that our county colleagues have an opportunity to share common concerns and learn from each other. I also hold the NJSBA Board of Directors delegate role for Mercer County. In this position, I work with colleagues across the state to guide the NJSBA in its mission and its work.
Lifelong learning is important to me. I earned NJSBA’s Certified Board Member, Master Board Member, and Certified Board Leader designations. Each of these designations required participation in NJSBA conferences and courses, leadership responsibilities and a commitment to the mission of school board members in New Jersey.
On the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School Board, I have served as the chair of each of the board’s three committees at different times during my board tenure. I have led many efforts (with members of the administration and board colleagues), including the establishment of the Dual Language Instruction program, the expansion of AP courses in the social science disciplines, and the enhancement of special education services, including job training and assisting with the transition to post graduate life.
I have chaired the Board Negotiations Committee for the district’s negotiations with the teachers’ association, the WWPEA, for four contracts. Also, I have chaired the district’s negotiations team with the service association, the WWPSA. I am proud of the work we did to build consensus and develop fair contracts with these associations.
In my upcoming school board term, I plan to continue advocacy with my state colleagues through the NJSBA. Some topics that will need to be addressed at the state level include state funding and later start times for schools. I look forward to continuing to work on these and other topics.
Many pressing issues requiring board and district focus will continue into my next term. These include teacher recruitment and retention, transportation concerns, and school building capacity issues, among others. The projected number of developments, many of which are already under way, will bring many more students to our district.
This growth needs to be carefully monitored and managed through staffing and building use. Further, public education will be dealing with the issues that the pandemic laid bare, including inequities, social and emotional learning and supports, and learning acceleration for years to come.
I look forward to working with my board colleagues and the WW-P administration to continue to enhance the educational experience for the students and families of West Windsor and Plainsboro.
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Loi Moliga has lived in Plainsboro for 17 years. She attended Aiea High School in Hawaii and earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from Whittier College. She went on to earn a master’s in social service administration from the University of Chicago.
Moliga has served one-term as a BOE member and she continues to be actively involved in her children’s schools, having recently served on the PTA board at Wicoff Elementary and now on the PTA board at Millstone River and Community schools.
Candidate statement: Over the past 17 years, my husband and I have been fortunate to raise our three children, ages 9, 12, and 16, in Plainsboro. During this time, I have been actively involved in our schools, from serving on several PTA boards to serving as a committee chairperson, organizing numerous book fairs, yearbooks, carnivals, entertainment nights, assisting with science fairs, field days, and co-leading HSN boys’ soccer booster club. In our community, I volunteer as a co-leader for a Girl Scout troop, and have been involved in coaching my children’s recreational sports teams and robotics teams. I truly enjoy supporting and cheering on our students, whether in the classroom, on the stage, or in the stands.
Because of this volunteer work, I’ve been lucky to meet and work with many WW-P parents and students. This work has given me a unique opportunity to listen to community members as they share what is important to them. I care deeply about what happens in our WW-P community, and for the last three years, I have had the honor to serve as one of the Plainsboro representatives on the Board of Education, being a voice for our community and supporting decisions that put our students first.
My first BOE term was marked by the pandemic and its immediate aftermath. I had a front-row seat, witnessing the amazing work that the district and its teachers and staff did to provide the best possible learning environment for our students. My time on the BOE’s Finance committee and now the Curriculum committee has allowed for an even more in-depth look at the dedication of our administrators, teachers, and staff amidst the many challenges in this post-pandemic landscape.
I am running for re-election so that I can continue to be a voice for our community and serve the students in our district, especially as we face challenges that not only impact our nation’s schools but WW-P as well. The pandemic may be in our rear-view mirror, but its lasting effects are front and center, especially with students facing social-emotional learning challenges as they return to the classroom.
We do not know the long-term impact the pandemic had on our students, who may have experienced learning loss, social isolation, or anxiety resulting in school refusal due to not being in the classroom for almost two years. I will continue to support the district’s efforts in addressing these issues with additional resources, professional development, continued assessments, and evaluations of these cohorts to better understand where students are at and how to support them as they move through our schools.
Another issue that’s been exacerbated by the pandemic is the teacher shortage. With fewer college students entering the teaching profession, WW-P, like many other districts in New Jersey, is challenged with finding qualified teachers to replace retirees. The district has been proactive by advocating for solutions with state leaders and looking at alternate pathways to find talented and qualified educators; however, it will be an issue that we will continue to face in the coming years.
An issue on the local level that will impact our schools over the next many years is the growth anticipated with the building and completion of the many different residential developments in both towns, especially in West Windsor. All the referendum projects are completed or near completion, and with the anticipated growth, the district will need to evaluate how to best use the expanded space to benefit our students to the maximum extent possible. In fact, because of referendum projects and other factors falling into place, this is the first year full-day Kindergarten was implemented in the district, which I know is welcome news for so many families.
WW-P continues to rank as one of the best school districts in the state of New Jersey, thanks to the work of our administration, teachers, and students. With the implementation of full-day Kindergarten this year and the referendum projects moving towards completion, it is an exciting time at WW-P, with a lot to be proud of. If elected, I look forward to continuing the work over the next 3 years, always keeping in mind to advocate for our students and to make decisions that always put our students first.
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Shwetha Shetty has lived in West Windsor since 2005 with her husband, Raj. She holds a post-master’s supervisor certification from Caldwell University, an educational specialist degree in school and community psychology from Seton Hall University, a master’s in education (psychological studies) from Seton Hall University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Rutgers University.
Shetty has served as a school psychologist in the N.J. public school system for over 22 years, she has also served as the district coordinator of school mental health services, and now is the Supervisor of Student Support Services in the N.J. school district where she works.
Shetty and her husband have two sons who have attended Maurice Hawk, Dutch Neck, Millstone River, Village, Community Middle School and High School North.
She has been involved with West Windsor Little League, WW-P Soccer Association, and the West Windsor Hoopsters, as well as their school athletic teams, booster clubs and PTA
Candidate statement: I have been honored to serve as a member of the WWP School Board for the past 18-plus months. I am proud of the work that my fellow board members and I have done to maintain the high levels of educational attainment that this community has come to expect while also prioritizing our students’ social-emotional well-being.
As a member of the Finance Committee, I have seen firsthand how the School Board has strived to be responsible stewards of taxpayer financial resources that have been allocated to the school system. In all our endeavors, diversity, equity and inclusion have been a key focus area. Finally, we have done our best to provide transparency and to engage in collaborative communication with our fellow community members and township officials. Much has been accomplished in the last term, but there are also several critical areas that require our continued attention and dedication over the course of the next few years.
Looking forward, I feel that the School Board and School Administration must continue to stay focused on preparing our students for a rapidly evolving world. By ensuring that the school curriculum embraces innovation, technology, and critical thinking, we will be able to empower our children to not only succeed academically, but also to become lifelong learners and adaptable leaders in their future endeavors.
While academic standards must be maintained and enhanced within WWP, the School Board must also continue to ensure that our students’ mental health needs remain a top priority and that all students feel safe and heard in their respective schools. Finally, as our community continues to evolve and grow, the School Board must plan accordingly from the standpoint of infrastructure, facilities, and ongoing maintenance.
Our classrooms, laboratories, athletic fields, etc. must continue to improve so that they meet the high standards that our students deserve, while the Board also stays focused on responsibly managing the townships’ valuable funds. As a School Board Member, I commit to taking into consideration the feedback and suggestions provided by my fellow WWP community members.
As both an educator and long-time resident of West Windsor, it has been a privilege to serve as a member of the Board thus far, and I look forward to three more years of bringing my own passion for and perspectives on education to the Board and the broader school community.
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