Andrew Martins, Managing Editor
Change will come with the new year for the Hillsborough Township Board of Education, as district officials kick off 2018 with a search to determine who will take the place of Thomas Kinst following his resignation.
District officials announced that there was a vacancy on the school board on December 20 in an advertisement soliciting applications for the position.
Though Kinst said he relished his time on the school board since 2012, the out-going board member said his professional life has recently made serving out his most recent term a much more difficult task.
“Recently, I have had increasing responsibilities and time demands with my employment, which will prevent me from devoting the time that is due to the Hillsborough Board of Education and school district,” he said. “I so value and respect the responsibility and commitment that a board member should provide to the role, that I found it preferable to step down to enable another community member to devote the time, energy and commitment that the board, district and community deserve.”
Superintendent Dr. Jorden Schiff called Kinst an “integral member and leader” of the school board who served four full terms from 2012 to 2016 and had been re-elected to a term that was supposed to come to an end on January 6, 2019.
“[Kinst] has diligently served the Hillsborough community and our students for over seven years,” Schiff said. “He has a deep understanding of the delicate balance that exists between providing our students with high quality programming at an affordable cost for the community.”
Through the years, Kinst has served as the school board’s president, as well as a member of a number committees.
Looking back on his service in those roles, Kinst called the opportunity an “honor and privilege.”
“I feel that I have brought value to those roles and to the district,” he said. “The advancements that the district has made over that time speak for themselves.”
With Kinst’s resignation effective as of Dec. 18, officials said the district is actively looking for someone to fill the empty seat. According to the district’s listing, the person selected to take the spot will serve as a member of the Hillsborough Township Board of Education until January 6, 2019.
In order to serve, a prospective member must be: a United States citizen; a Hillsborough Township resident of at least one year; able to read and write; registered to vote and not disqualified from voting; and cannot already hold public office as a member of the township’s governing body.
Applicants are required to send a letter of application outlining their interest and qualifications to the board’s secretary, Aiman Mahmoud by 1 p.m. on January 12. All applications must be sent, care of Mahmoud, to 379 South Branch Road, Hillsborough, NJ 08844.
Though he will no longer serve on the board, Kinst said he was certain in his colleagues’ ability to serve the township and its students well.
“I have confidence in the district’s board members, administrators, teachers and staff who serve the Hillsborough community and parents in educating their students,” he said. “I look forward to observing the board and district’s continued success.”
