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Two incumbents, three newcomers vie for seats on East Brunswick school board

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EAST BRUNSWICK–Two incumbents and three newcomers are campaigning for the three open seats on the East Brunswick Board of Education.

Incumbents Mark Csizmar and Liwu Hong will race against newcomers Wesam Berjaoui, Heather Guas and Curt Philipczak for the three seats on the board, each a three-year term.

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The general election is scheduled for Nov. 5.

Berjaoui, 37, is a director of sales at a financial institution.

A seven-year resident, he is currently a volunteer for the Frost Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), the East Brunswick Zoning Board, the East Brunswick Redevelopment Advisory Committee and at the Garden State Youth Correctional Facility.

“After deciding to become more involved in my children’s education, I began to attend several Board of Education meetings to get an understanding of the decisions being made for our children’s future,” Berjaoui said. “However, seeing that there are ways to improve our school district, I decided to run to bring new ideas to the table to better prepare them for college, career and life.”

If elected to the board, Berjaoui said the issues he plans to tackle include modernizing the schools’ infrastructure; implementing policies to ensure a safe and friendly learning environment for students and staff; implementing policies for a “student-centric” curriculum; implementing key processes to ensure the best use of taxpayer money; and improving efficiency for special needs programs.

Csizmar, 54, is a retired police officer who served on the East Brunswick Police Department for 26 years.

“Since being appointed to the Board of Education, I continue to learn from the other members of the board to be the best I can be. I bring a unique perspective to the board as an expert in safety and security. My experience in East Brunswick as a student, employee and now a board member gives me a multi-faceted view of the many aspects of delivering the best to our students, parents and staff.”

A lifelong resident, Csizmar is currently serving as the chairperson of the board’s security committee; and is a member of the finance, building and grounds, and human resources committees. He also served on the Curriculum and Policy committees.

“If re-elected, I will continue to serve the needs of our students first. As a board member, I feel that I need to listen to the residents of our township and implement best practices to achieve the goals of the district while keeping an eye on cost,” Csizmar said. “I want to thank everyone in East Brunswick for their support as a former police officer and now as a board member.”

Guas, 49, has been an educator for 27 years and she currently teaches at John P. Stevens High School in Edison.

“I moved to East Brunswick in 2005 following the birth of my son specifically because I wanted the advantages and opportunities East Brunswick offered. My family members are long-time East Brunswick residents and I knew I wanted the diversity and education East Brunswick offers,” Guas said. “A long-time educator, I realized I spend a great deal of time volunteering in the educational community, and I would like to bring my experience and passion for student-centered education to East Brunswick.”

A 14-year resident, Guas said that within the district where she works, she has served on the School Safety Committee, the Human Relations Committee, and worked on the Middle States Assessment Committee. She is the volunteer advisor for a Student Leadership Program. She also volunteered within East Brunswick with the PTA.

“I think East Brunswick is an extraordinary district. I believe that we lead the way in the state for school safety from a physical facility standpoint, and our children are made to feel that school is a physically safe place to learn,” Guas said. “Where I think we have the opportunity to improve is to continue to build on the programs inspiring student respect for diversity. I believe [Positive Behavior Support in Schools] is an excellent program and the schools need to continue to explore encouraging our children to respect one another and appreciate the richness of living in a diverse community.”

Guas said she would like to be a part of examining the district’s aging facilities.

“I also think that East Brunswick is moving forward to meet the technology goals for 21st-century living, and the schools and teachers are doing an excellent job incorporating technology into our students’ classrooms,” Guas said. “The challenge is to offer 21st-century education skills to every child, and I believe schools need to examine how to make technology more accessible to all students in order to meet these goals.”

Hong, 54, is an attorney licensed to practice in New Jersey and New York federal district courts.

A 10-year resident, he is the chairperson of the board’s Technology and Transportation committees. Additionally, he is on the board’s Security, Policy and Negotiation committees.

“As a member of the current board, I realize that there is still a lot I can do for our community. As a scientist, an inventor, a lawyer and a devoted father and husband, I can serve East Brunswick efficiently,” Hong said. “Working with my fellow board members, I will make East Brunswick schools even better.”

Outside the school district, Hong is a co-chairperson and trustee for the United Chinese America Association of New Jersey. He is also one of the trustees for the Mayor’s Charity Fund, a non-profit charitable trust.

“Security is always the No. 1 task for the Board of Education. We need work with East Brunswick Township, Middlesex County, especially the prosecutor’s office, and all other states/federal agencies/organizations for the best interests of our children and families,” Hong said. “Budget is a constant challenge for the Board of Education. I want to thank my fellow board members and school administrators for the outstanding budgeting job they have been doing. Dealing with a growing student population and crowded classrooms has been and still will be on my priority list.”

Philipczak, 56, is a certified public accountant (CPA) and the managing member of Curt J. Philipczak, LLC, his accounting firm.

Having served on the board from 2010-16, Philipczak said, “I would like to think I’m part of a reemergence of experienced, concerned parents hoping to return back to the Board of Education. I served on the board when my children were young. I’ve always felt there is so much to do. I have a unique perspective of having been on the board, then watching and observing independently the parents’ view, to now have the desire to incorporate those experiences to improve the overall communication with all the stakeholders of our community to deliver the best for our students.”

A 20-year resident, Philipczak is a member of the New Jersey Society of CPAs, a member of the New York State Society of CPA and American Institute of CPA. In his personal life, he is on the Board of Directors of a home property owners association and is the treasurer for his daughter’s Girl Scout Troop and assistant scoutmaster of his son’s Boy Scout Troop.

“There are two major responsibilities of a member of the Board of Education: first, picking the superintendent, and second, the preparation of the budget. Since the Board of Education is not currently in search of a new superintendent, then the major responsibility is the budget. … I believe the safety of our students, teachers and all the people that work in our public schools is paramount,” Philipczak said. “Only in a safe, secure environment can true learning can be accomplished. Our Board of Education has nine members that must work together to resolve any issues now or in the future. I will do my best to help deliver fair and comprehensive budgets with full and complete transparency.”

Philipczak continued, “As a CPA and the holder of the additional license of the public school accountant, I believe I have the necessary experience and expertise that can contribute and find solutions on the Board of Education.”

Contact Vashti Harris at vharris@newspapermediagroup.com.

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