The Burlington County Clerk’s Office certified election results on Nov. 22.
Voters in Bordentown Township and Bordentown City went to the polls on Nov. 7 and elected members of the board of education.
Bordentown Regional Board of Education
Melinda Zola ran unopposed for one, three-year term on the board for Bordentown City. She received 667 votes. There wer 36 personal choice votes.
Four candidates – Amy Glatz, Raquel Parker, Daniel Diamond and Chasity Bauldree – ran for one, three-year term on the board for Bordentown Township.
Glatz earned the most votes with 807 votes, Bauldree followed with 405 votes, and Diamond received 362 votes, over Parker, who garnered 256 votes. There were 13 personal choice votes.
Incumbent Richard Shenowski ran unopposed for a one-year unexpired term on the board. He received 1,475 votes. There were 37 personal choice votes.
Ahead of the election, candidates shared why they were running for school board and what they would like to do as a board member.
Melinda Zola will begin her first term when the board organizes in January.
Why are you running for an elected seat?
I started speaking out at our school board meetings because I felt someone needed to be an advocate for our students and our teachers in the district. What better way to serve my community than to run for the board of education. I want to be part of the team that supports and celebrates all of our students.
What is one area you would like to concentrate on if elected?
Implementing a current and inclusive curriculum throughout our schools must be a priority. The district curricula should represent our students and respond to their needs. It should create an environment encouraging exploration, healthy risk-taking, and academic success.
Amy Glatz will begin her first term when the board reorganizes in January.
Why are you running for an elected seat?
As a member of the military and my career coming to an end in the next few years, I still wanted a way to service my community. I have been involved with my children’s education from the start and felt this was just another way to service and support my children’s education as well as the many families in Bordentown.
What is one area you would like to concentrate on if elected?
The budget is the first issue I believe needs to be addressed, this last year we had a $1.2 million dollar short fall and we had to let go six teachers. Second, I would say the increase in pre-school/special education needs that the district has and not having enough aides, or teachers to support those programs. To be honest I do not know the answer to these problems, I will give my all to make informed decisions that will benefit all.
Chasity Bauldree will begin her first term with the board reorganizes in January.
Why are you running for an elected seat?
We need more parents of children attending our schools with a vested interest making the grave decisions that directly affect our children. I am a strong proponent of parental rights and will advocate for them. Every parent has a right to know what is going on in their child’s lives each and every day when they are at school. I believe it is every parent and/or guardian’s fundamental right to engage in and direct their child’s education with the help of our trained educators. The public school system is no replacement of the home family unit and shall not attempt to replace any individual student’s family values.
What is one area you would like to concentrate on if elected?
I am a parent with three young children currently enrolled in our school system; my goal is to improve the educational experience of both your and my children keeping the taxpayers without children in mind as well. I want to improve the transparency and communication between the school district and our community. I have seen the forum of the public board meetings become extremely restrictive with directions deterring the public from even commenting at the public meetings over the last three years. Effective June 30, we laid off six teachers in our district and effective July 1 we created two new six figure supervisor positions along with giving out bonuses to other administrators. As a board member I would like to see us not fire teachers but cut other frivolous spending I have questioned
the board over in the last three years.
Daniel Diamond will begin his first term when the board reorganizes in January.
Why are you running for an elected seat?
It was towards the end of COVID when I decided to run, after being encouraged by my wife, who is an educator. The catalyst is my growing desire to contribute more to my community in a meaningful way while being more directly engaged with the educational experience of my children. Contribution is the secret sauce to happiness, and I care strongly about children receiving a solid educational foundation to build on. Since I am not an educator myself, I want to be useful and school board is an area where I may be useful.
What is one area you would like to concentrate on if elected?
Two areas that concern me are the finances of the school district moving forward and the quality of the education and academic performance. Both are crucial for the school district. These are areas that affect all aspects of the district, especially now with the end of COVID relief funds on the horizon, it will be more important than ever.
Richard Shenowski was appointed to the board in February 2022 and will begin year three of the term he was appointed to when the board reorganizes in January.
Why are you running for an elected seat?
I began attending board meetings as a parent in the fall of 2021. After attending for a while, I began to feel a passionate calling to play an active role. In the fall of 2022 when a seat became available, I submitted my resume and was appointed. As a board member, I am committed to devoting the time required for training, research, prepping for, and attending committee and board meetings. As a parent and local business leader, I bring an invaluable perspective to the board by looking through the lenses of those roles.
What is one area you would like to concentrate on if elected?
Being an effective board member means considering many factors. For 2024, I plan to continue advocating for, and facilitating fiscal responsibility through common sense policy and curriculum measures. We continue to face significant financial headwinds due in part to the changes in state funding allocations. At the same time our standardized test scores have fallen below state averages in several categories. We must make the most out of every dollar spent. We also must prepare our children to enter an ever increasingly competitive world regardless of the path they plan to take after graduation.
