East Brunswick Board Of Education General Election 2025: Anna Braun

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — Incumbent Anna Braun is seeking a three-year term on the school board in East Brunswick.

A retired music teacher from the school district, Braun says she knows how the district works better than most candidates. Braun says she offers a voice of experience and educational expertise.

Read more about her platform below.

Patch sent out a questionnaire to all candidates seeking a seat on the BOE. Their profiles will be published as received.

Anna Braun

Age: 62

Town of residence: East Brunswick, lifelong resident

Family: Married, 3 adult children, 2 grandchildren

Education: Doctor of Teacher Leadership (Ed.D), Master in the Art of Teaching (MAT), BA in Music K-12, EBHS Class of ‘81

Occupation: Retired East Brunswick music teacher, with 34 years in EB

Previous or current elected or appointed office: Currently serving a one year term on the EB BOE

Why are you seeking a seat on the BOE?

As a long-time EB Public Schools teacher, I have seen first-hand how the budget and policy decisions made by the Board of Education impact the classroom, our students and our staff. I ran last year for a one-year term with the hope that my perspective as an educational expert could foster positive change . When I was sworn into my position on the board in January 2025, the budget process was already in progress. I strove to mitigate the damage to student programming and find alternatives for some of the drastic cuts that were proposed, many of which were seemingly made without a clear idea of how many students they would affect. Despite my efforts and suggestions for alternate budget reductions that would not impact student programs, we suffered the heart-breaking loss of valued staff members, increased class sizes, and a reduction in student services. Now, with a new superintendent, I would like to support her transition, advocate to develop new income sources, and help rebuild trust between the district and the community through better communication and increased transparency.

What, according to you, is the biggest issue facing the school district?

There are numerous challenges facing our school district. Some of these issues are being driven from outside the schools, such as state funding and the amount of new construction happening in town, which will inevitably impact the enrollment in our schools. Some of our current problems, such as the upcoming deadline for removing the temporary classrooms units at Churchill and the issue of whether or not to rebuild or renovate EBHS stem from failures in internal planning or in the follow through of plans. It is obvious that the status quo is not acceptable. We need to work with our new Superintendent to set and achieve both short and long term goals in order to set the district back on track.

Are you happy with the way the district has handled state aid cuts and budget issues? What would be your approach?

As I mentioned during several BOE open sessions, I disagree with some of the things we are borrowing money to do and have voted accordingly. Obviously, a big project like replacing Irwin’s roof needs funding beyond what can come out of the yearly budget. However, we borrowed $800K this year to purchase new buses while selling some of our existing 9 year old buses that can legally be used for up to 15 years. It is not acceptable to me that we keep the current schedule of purchasing new buses while simultaneously reducing the number of teachers and raising class sizes. Suggestions for alternative budget cuts as well as ideas to increase the revenue stream weren’t accepted. Hopefully, new leadership will be open to innovation and thinking outside the box to stretch every dollar.

What other issues do you feel need to be tackled in the school district?

Redistricting has been discussed as was the closing of Bowne school. We were told the redistricting study was coming yet it still hasn’t been given to the BOE. I am opposed to closing Bowne because at one point, Irwin was closed and rented, only to be reopened as a school again three years later when new developments brought in additional students. With all of the new construction and the anticipated influx of new students, we can’t risk closing a school and making the same mistake again.

What, according to you, is the one thing the district has been most successful in doing this past year?

The biggest accomplishment of the year is the hiring of the new Superintendent. There is a renewed sense of hope for the future of our schools with fresh perspectives coming in. I am proud that there has been movement on the board toward greater transparency and better communication between the school and community. We still have a long way to go, but moving forward from the idea that we need to be a “board of consensus” and continuing practices solely because “this is the way we have always done it” takes time and persistence in order to change.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates?

Each of the candidates brings their own perspectives to the table, shaped by their life experience, career path and expertise. We need a variety of perspectives on the board, including those who are at the top of their field in the corporate world and in financial planning. My expertise is in educational leadership, which is also needed for a Board of Education that is tasked with making curricular decisions, budget allocations with the least impact on the classroom and ensuring educationally sound planning. As demonstrated during meetings, I am not afraid to ask questions and to vote as I see fit, even if I am the only “no” vote.

As someone who worked in the district for over three decades, no candidate knows more about how our schools work than I do. I know what the problems are from experience and can therefore address the issues with a perspective someone from the outside simply doesn’t have. While I no longer have children in the district, I am living out my retirement years here in the hometown I love. As a tax-paying senior citizen, I have an interest in seeing our schools being successful since our property values are directly tied to the quality of our schools. Our taxes need to be spent carefully and thoughtfully to ensure money is being directed appropriately and in an educationally sound manner. I was frustrated as a teacher to see how funds were being spent and now as a board member with access to the full budget, that frustration has only grown. With the new Superintendent taking over in December, the district is at a pivotal point.

I offer a voice of experience as a retired EB teacher and the educational expertise needed to help the new Superintendent to chart a new direction.