Three newly elected school board members were sworn into office and new officers were selected at the Princeton Public Schools Board of Education’s annual reorganization meeting on Jan. 6.
Business Administrator Matthew Bouldin administered the oath of office to incumbent school board member Debbie Bronfeld, Dafna Kendall and Susan Kanter at the meeting, which was held at the Valley Road administration building.
Each term is for three years.
Bronfeld is serving her second term. Kendal served one term on the school board from 2016-18. Kanter is a newcomer to the school board.
School board member Betsy Baglio welcomed Bronfeld, Kanter and Kendal to the school board. She told them she is grateful for their service – both her old colleagues and her new colleague.
The next order of business was to choose the school board president and the school board vice president from among its ranks. The term is for one year.
Beth Behrend was elected to a second, one-year term as school board president, and Michele Tuck-Ponder was elected to serve as the school board vice president. Both were elected by a 7-3 vote. Kanter did not vote.
School board member Brian McDonald nominated Behrend.
“Reelecting Beth will ensure important continuity,” McDonald said as he nominated Behrend.
Behrend is a “highly effective leader. Her vision, focus, hard work, organization and personal integrity are all remarkable, as is the work she has done to work collaboratively with our superintendent, members of the administration and our teachers and staff,” he said.
Behrend has worked to make the school board a more collegial, collaborative and effective governing body, McDonald said. She has made a “great commitment” to ensure that every voice is heard, he said.
“She has fundamentally changed our relationship with the community. She has fostered far more openness and transparency,” McDonald said.
McDonald credited Behrend with strengthening “important relationships” with municipal officials, Princeton University and the Institute for Advanced Study.
Behrend also has created stronger ties with community groups such as the Witherspoon Jackson Neighborhood Association, the Princeton Children’s Fund and Sustainable Princeton, he said.
McDonald said Behrend has strengthened the school district’s relationship with the New Jersey School Boards Association, and increased its advocacy with state and local officials.
Behrend was elected to be the school board president by the vote of 7-3.
“Yes” votes were cast by Behrend, Jessica Deutsch, Betsy Baglio, Brian McDonald, Michele Tuck-Ponder and Cranbury school district representative Peter Katz.
The three “no” votes were cast by Debbie Bronfeld, Daniel Dart and Dafna Kendal.
Behrend thanked the board members, and said it was a privilege and an honor to be named to be the school board president.
“I hope I can continue to do what we have been doing. All of us have put in a lot of hours. I want to thank everyone for their teamwork and collaboration,” Behrend said.
In nominating Tuck-Ponder for vice president, Jessica Deutsch said that she was elected to the school board with Behrend and Tuck-Ponder in 2017.
“I have had a front row seat as both of them have risen to the challenges that we have faced as a board, a district and a community,” Deutsch said.
Tuck-Ponder has demonstrated two “essential” capabilities – to listen and to lead, she said. She recalled a comment that Tuck-Ponder made earlier during budget discussions, in which Tuck-Ponder said that “we needed to ‘lead with our values.'”
“In my experience, Michele has held absolutely steadfast to this guiding principle, making her an exemplary presence at this table and one that lends naturally to the kind of leadership that we continue to need,” Deutsch said.
Deutsch pointed out that Tuck-Ponder came to the school board as an experienced community leader. Tuck-Ponder served on the former Princeton Township Committee, including a stint in the ceremonial post of mayor.
Tuck-Ponder is a board member who can take the heat, as well as pass the glory to the students and staff and “help us to be our best selves, leading, as she reminded us, with our values,” Deutsch said.
Tuck-Ponder was elected to be the school board vice president by the 7-3 vote.
Behrend, Deutsch, McDonald, Tuck-Ponder, Katz and Kendal voted “yes;” Bronfeld, Dart and Baglio voted “no.”
School board members then read aloud the code of ethics, and also approved routine reorganization measures, such as setting the annual meeting schedule.
