Colts Neck Board of Education Election 2024: Tracy Kramer

COLTS NECK, NJ — Colts Neck’s general election on Nov. 5 has two candidates running for one, open one-year seat on the Board of Education.

Candidate Tracy Kramer is running for the open seat against opponent Phyllis Camera.

Are you running for the Board of Education in Colts Neck? Contact Sara Winick at sara.winick@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Colts Neck Patch.

Tracy Kramer

Age: 47
Town of residence: Colts Neck
Education: BBA Emory University & Design Certificate SUNY Purchase
Occupation: CFO, Property Manager, and Builder

What drove you to seek public office?
I first decided to seek public office because I found the BOE to be an excellent opportunity to get involved. I wanted to make a difference in our local community, both for the students and parents in our district. Simply put, I love our schools and this town!

What sets you apart from the other candidates?
The thing that sets me apart from my fellow candidates is that my career path has taken me from finance, to design, to property management and construction, and, most importantly, to being a mom. This combination, along with having a son in the district for six years now, has given me a wide lens and a unique set of skills suitable for the business of the Board.

What do you see as the biggest issue facing Colts Neck, and how will you resolve it?
To me, the biggest issue facing Colts Neck is maintaining the integrity of our schools and making sure the district continues to meet the educational needs of families in our town who moved here specifically for a quality education and a peaceful lifestyle.

The large new community being built, Livana, will have an impact on our schools for better and for worse. While we as a town welcome newcomers with open arms, the district will be tasked with absorbing the new students and making sure all of our current students continue to get the individualized attention and learning opportunities that they have now.

I am certainly up for that challenge by making sure the district refers to and tweaks the demographic study that was done previously, making sure that the budgets can handle any new staff needed, along with adjustments to district space constraints starting now, and not in three years when there is an influx of students. There are 2 budget seasons left to make these preparations.

What are past accomplishments or experiences that make you qualified for this position?
The thing that most qualifies me to be a BOE member is that I recently served for 3 years on the Board.

In those years, I served as Chair of the Buildings and Grounds Committee and helped spearhead the ESIP program that is currently underway. The Energy Savings program brings solar, LED, and several building envelope improvements, which allows the district to upgrade the entire HVAC system throughout the three schools without using taxpayer dollars to do so.

Additionally, along with other members of the Finance Committee, I negotiated the most recent CNTEA contract which resulted in unanimous votes from the Board and CNTEA leadership. And finally, and most personal to me, when COVID-19 divided more than just this town, I always stood firm in my beliefs throughout my time on the Board to fight for our children against mask mandates and State overreach. I stand by that still today.

Name one thing about Colts Neck that always makes you smile.
The kindness of the people in this town always makes me smile. And of course, coming in close second is that for a small town, there are so many spots to get a great cup of coffee!