MILLSTONE – Four candidates are seeking three available three-year terms on the Millstone Township K-8 School District Board of Education in the Nov. 7 election.
The terms of board members Cynthia Bailey, Melissa Riviello and Margaret Gordon will end in December. Gordon is not seeking re-election.
The candidates seeking the three-year terms are Bailey, Riviello, Peter Bonafide and Amrita Singh.
Bailey previously worked on Wall Street for more than 20 years and has lived in Millstone for nine years. She joined the board in 2014.
“I have been fortunate to be part of a board that has made huge strides over the past few years,” Bailey said. “We have invested in technology and STEAM/STEM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) initiatives, implemented electives in the middle school and made improvements to our facilities, all while holding the line on taxes.
“But there is still more work to be done. I am especially excited about our new superintendent Dr. (Christopher) Huss’ ideas relating to personalized learning, and I look forward to being part of a board that makes those initiatives a reality for our children.
“My financial, policy and compliance backgrounds have helped me to work with my fellow board members in keeping the tax rate low and ensuring our policy approaches serve all children in the district and our community as a whole,” she said. “My long-standing participation as a PTO member, as well as my involvement in other local organizations, has allowed me to keep my finger on the pulse of this community and what matters most to them.”
If she is re-elected, Bailey said three areas of focus for her will be pursuing personalized learning initiatives that will benefit students, expanding communication to stakeholders in the township and keeping the tax rate stable.
Bonafide, who has owned several businesses, is the president of Bonafide Industries, LLC, a corporation involved in real estate management in Florida, and Consolidated Resources, LLC, a security management company. He has lived in Millstone for six years.
“I am seeking election to the board for one reason – I am determined to do my best to make our school district the strongest it can be,” Bonafide said. “My utmost concern is for our students to receive the best education possible to prepare them for the future.
“In the global economy in which we live, it is essential that our children are prepared for whatever career path they desire in these ever-changing times. We must prepare them to become multifaceted individuals who are both critical thinkers, as well as creative thinkers.
“The needs of our children, however, must be balanced with a conservative approach to spending our residents’ hard-earned tax dollars, ensuring that each dollar is spent wisely. I simply want to give back to the community which we love and serve the needs of all our students, regardless of their abilities or backgrounds.
“I have a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from Penn State, as well as previously and currently owning and managing numerous multi-million dollar corporations in differing fields. I possess a strong business background to deal with the financial issues brought before the board, as well as strong communication skills to deal with fellow board members, administrators and professionals within the educational community.
“Throughout my personal life and professional career, I have come across many people from differing backgrounds,” he said. “I have always prided myself on treating each person with respect and understanding. I feel that my life experience, work experience and demeanor will be an asset to the board in dealing with foreseen and unforeseen issues that may arise.”
If he is elected, Bonafide said three areas of focus for him will be improving scholastic achievement, increasing innovative programs for students during and after school and building a stronger relationship between the district and the community.
Riviello is the lead program facilitator of the Kidsbridge Tolerance Center and has lived in Millstone for more than 13 years. She joined the board in 2013.
“I am seeking re-election because I feel I can use what I have learned in the past four years to continue the momentum of what we have built,” she said. “I have always worked as an educator, whether it be in the classroom or informally as an environmental educator, and currently as a social emotional learning facilitator.
“I believe my previous experience can help me see different viewpoints on topics that affect different interested parties, including teachers, the community, students and administration,” Riviello said.
If she is re-elected, Riviello said three areas of focus for her will be concentrating on communication between all vested parties to improve the student and faculty climate in the district’s schools, continuing to improve the articulation of curriculum between Millstone and Allentown High School in the Upper Freehold Regional School District, where Millstone students attend high school, and continuing to increase the rigor of the district’s programs.
Singh works at the director level in the pharmaceutical industry and is making her second bid for a seat on the board. She has lived in Millstone for seven years.
“Our duty as citizens, educators and parents is to empower, connect and build an even stronger school district for our students,” Singh said. “My passion toward education has led me to run for the board for two consecutive years, as well to interview for a vacant seat in early 2016. I continue to support our district because it is my way of serving our community, our educators and most importantly our students.
“If given the opportunity to serve our community, my voice will leverage our administration’s agenda for personalized learning as a platform to bring creative solutions and options via new and important initiatives to best support this model. Strengthening our communication strategy does not add a line item within the budget, rather it provides us with a strong opportunity to further connect our administration, educators, parents and students.
“My professional background has many transferable skills that focus directly on business growth and development,” she said. “To serve on the board requires a strong financial background, a strategic and professional demeanor, and most importantly, the passion to serve our great school district and community.”
If she is elected, Singh said three areas of focus for her will be organizing, developing and socializing an age-appropriate anti-bullying campaign, supporting personalized learning as a platform to generate new programs, and budget planning and prioritization.
