Election 2024: Central Regional School Board Danielle Grochowicz

BERKELEY, NJ — The 2024 general election will likely be a high-turnout year with a presidential race on the ballot, along with candidates for New Jersey's U.S. House and Senate seats. But there will also be local decisions to be made in Berkeley Township, with school board and county elections on the ballot.

The Central Regional Board of Education has two seats up for election. Ahead of Election Day on Nov. 5, Patch sent questionnaires to all candidates seeking their responses. Here is the response from Danielle Grochowicz.

Editor's Note: Patch sent out emails to all candidates to the email addresses listed for their campaign provided to the office of the clerk. The responses received will be published between now and the Nov. 5 general election. These responses will be published edited only for style. Candidates who would like to participate but did not receive one (for whatever reason) can contact veronica.flesher@patch.com

Name: Danielle Nicole Grochowicz. Having just gotten married in May, I plan to legally change my name to Danielle Grochowicz Bowens by the end of the year.

Age: 32

Town of residence: Bayville

Education:
-Central Regional High School (2010)
-State University of New York- Fashion Institute of Technology, Associate of Applied Science with double minors, cum laude (2012)
-State University of New York- Fashion Institute of Technology, Bachelor of Fine Arts, cum laude (2014).
Occupation: I work in a Project Management capacity at a licensing firm based in NYC that specializes in supplying ultra-high volume retailers. Essentially, I oversee a network of design/product development specialists to ensure that consumer goods like handbags and wallets are being developed within our customers’ financial constraints and calendar limitations while ensuring compliance is maintained. This means that every single product I oversee is safe for shoppers and their families, because the goods are sold in stores that reach every single American in their day-to-day lives.

What drove you to seek public office?

Serving my community and my alma mater as a member of the Board of Education has been a goal of mine for a long time. I was raised in a civically engaged household and my mom is a retired public school teacher of 40 years. Even as a student, I felt called to leadership– I was president of Central Regional’s Student Congress, so my duties included being the student liaison to the board. Central is full of brilliant, thoughtful, dedicated students and teachers. They all deserve a full school board that sets them up for success, and the district deserves to be seen as the community cornerstone that it is. I’m ready to combine my professional skillset with my extensive leadership experience to drive true, positive impact at Central Regional and to support all the families who count on the schools to nurture, educate, and protect their children.

What sets you apart from the other candidates?

I wholeheartedly believe that public service is a privilege and a responsibility. At only 32, I have extensive experience in community engagement and a dynamic leadership mindset. In my career, I have a proven track record of success managing ultra-large scale businesses. With this combined experience, I’m uniquely equipped to not only help Central Regional overcome its current difficulties, but to help the district reach a greater level achievement without increasing our local tax burden.

What is the most pressing issue facing the district?

There are multiple issues I’m prepared to address immediately if I’m elected. Increased transparency and communication between the schools and the community will create trust in both directions. I’m passionate about preventing bullying through initiatives that support mental health and wellbeing, creating a safer educational environment for students and teachers. Addressing issues in the curricula with common sense and data-driven analytics is critical to keeping personal bias and hidden agendas out of education. These are just a few of my key priorities to help our students and educators thrive.

The district is currently exploring merging with its sending districts. Are you in favor of this? Why or why not?

I support merging the districts for a multitude of reasons. In the current two-district format, families with a child in CRSD and another child in Berkeley Township School District are living on two different educational calendars. This creates undue hardship on parents who need to find childcare, take time off work, or simply allow their children to spend quality time together when they’re off from school. Merging the school districts would also lead to alleviating some of the burden our taxpayers are facing.

Accusations of bullying and racism have plagued the district over the past few years. How do you plan to address this?

I believe discrimination undermines our educational integrity and the well-being of students and staff. To address bullying and racism in our district, I will prioritize solutions that promote respect. I will advocate for mandatory anti-bias training for all staff and board members and support the expansion of mental health initiatives to provide essential student support. By partnering with community organizations and engaging families, we can create a united front against bullying and racism, ensuring every student feels valued and safe in our schools.