Re-elect Mike, Raja, Smitha to the South Brunswick Board of Education

Dear South Brunswick Community,
We are Mike Mitchell, Raja Krishna and Smita Raj, Ph.D., and we are running for a 2nd term on the South Brunswick Board of Education- Columns 1,2,3
We would first like to thank our community for your support and trust in us over the last 3 years as members of the BOE. We are seeking a 2nd term because over the past several years, we have been moving forward as a district, but there is still much more we can accomplish in order to ensure every student has the opportunity to achieve their fullest potential.
We have served on multiple board committees including Business Operations and Facilities, Curriculum, Policy and Finance and have worked tirelessly to ensure each committee’s and the overall board goals have been met each year. In order to be an effective board member extensive training is required to increase our knowledge of boardsmanship, preparing us for the many changes facing our district including state funding reductions, state reforms and mandates, testing, and curriculum, as well as, advancing our knowledge of negotiations, technology, policy, school law, labor, leadership and governance.
We’d like to share both our accomplishments as well as what we hope to achieve in future years as members of the Board of Education.

1. Lobbying the State of New Jersey to secure funding as the decline in state funding is the biggest challenge that our district has faced as it ties directly to the work the district is doing to fully recover from the Covid Pandemic and to enhance our academic and extracurricular programs. We continue to meet with legislators to provide insight into the effects the loss of funding has had on our district, which has a direct impact on the entire community. While we have lost funding over the past several years, as Board members we continue to work with our administration to identify the best possibilities for managing the funding losses, while continuing to target strong academic programming.
2. Introducing FREE FULL DAY preschool to South Brunswick, saving over $700,000 and providing an invaluable opportunity for families while having a positive impact on home sales for years to come. Our plan is to continue this work and continue to grow this program so that ALL families will have access to 2-years of FREE FULL DAY Preschool..
3. Safeguarding the academic, extra-curricular, and school security needs of the district, and pledging to prioritize the community's input in case of further funding cuts. We need to hear from the community to best understand the most important matters as we did through the large Township-wide budget committee last year. We promise to encourage the full Board and administration to widen the process, go deeper and allow the voice of every family and student to be heard.
4. Opened a District Health Center to reduce district health insurance costs, and improve healthcare options for staff with plans to expand services. The district's healthcare costs in the last 5 years have decreased far below national averages. We want to continue down this path of savings while continuing to have a healthy staff. This has a direct impact on student learning as it reduces classroom substitute costs.
5. Support our special needs students by ensuring they receive the resources necessary for success. This includes the districts new Transition Center for our 18-21 year old special needs students which helps promote post high school learning and work opportunities.
6. Recalibrated transportation for our bus routes to a “triples” format, saving the district approximately $2,000,000 and increasing efficiency. We are committed to continue to craft transportation policies that balance cost-saving measures while maintaining courtesy busing for over 2,000 students with hazardous routes (ex., Routes 1, 130, 522, etc.). The three of us firmly stand by creating policies that maintain these bus routes so that no further reductions to transportation occur.

During the October 12th Board of Education meeting the above items were discussed in more detail and you can find that presentation here: South Brunswick Board of Education Budget Presentation
Above all, we are dedicated individuals that emphasize the importance of teamwork. This past year all the board members, the administration, and many families have collaborated successfully which allowed these achievements to take place . We continue to promise transparency, open communication, and a deep commitment to the well-being of South Brunswick's children and families.
You can find us around our schools attending as many activities, athletic events and PTO meetings as possible. We have so many talented children in our district and it is important to continue to give our students a place to showcase their talents and to show them how much we appreciate and care about them.
We remain resolute in our commitment to a positive campaign, avoiding negativity and vitriol. We will not engage in the negativity that some candidates are choosing and will follow the footsteps of honest individuals who came before us with an intention to serve and believed in cooperation, caring, and honesty all of which make South Brunswick the special place it is.
As our district continues to face financial challenges, we will answer the call and hope you see in us, what we see in the district - strength and true passion for excellence.
We have also made a conscious choice to NOT accept campaign donations and stick to a modest self funded campaign. You will not hear robocalls from us, no fancy campaign merch, door hangers, trifolds. We rely upon all of you to spread the word and support us by voting on November 7th for the three of us.
With gratitude,
Mike, Raja and Smitha
VOTE NOVEMBER 7, COLUMNS 1, 2, and 3, THE CHOICE IS AS EASY AS A, B, C!