Four in Race for Three Cranbury School Board Spots, One Contested Seat Up For Grabs at East Windsor Regional

With the school elections coming Wednesday, we present profiles of candidates from the , and the .  

In the East Windsor Regional School District, Board of Education President Alice Weisman will face off against newcomer Lisa Abel for the one open spot to represent East Windsor Township. Incumbents Suzann Fallon and Susan Lloyd are running for the two open Hightstown seats. Terms are for three years.

Newcomer Pramod Chivate will run in the race against three incumbents— Jennifer Cooke, Kevin Fox and Evelyn Spann—for a shot at one of the three three-year terms that will be available on the Cranbury Board of Education. 

(Editor's note: We reached Chivate by phone and the others via e-mail. All responses were kept to the same limits, but his profile is formatted slightly differently to comply with common journalistic standards. Lisa Abel, Suzann Fallon and Susan Lloyd did not respond to requests for profile information.)

Name: Pramod Chivate

Age: 44

Profession: Senior manager at Accenture, a global management consulting firm

How long have you lived in town?

Since 2003.

What kind of experience do you have on school boards or in government or volunteer work?

"Currently I serve on the Cranbury Green Housing Board, and was on the housing board in Princeton Junction [West Windsor]. I don't have school board experience, but I do have limited teaching experience; I taught courses at Mercer County Community College… like programming and project management."

Please tell us anything about your family you'd like to share.

"I’m married and I’ve got two kids. They both go to the Cranbury School. My older daughter Rutha is in fifth grade, and Rohun, my son, is in kindergarten."

If elected to the board, what three issues would you most like to tackle, and how would you address them?

Chivate said his main issues are finding a new chief school administrator, addressing the budget and addressing issues in transportation.

Chivate said he would seek “someone who will continue on with the high quality education that we have in Cranbury. We've achieved National Blue Ribbon status twice. They definitely should be continuing that high standard of education that we all believe in and want for our children. Second, he or she should be able to have a long-term vision for the school.”

“I think we have to look at line item budget. First of all, the majority of budget is not discretionary, it’s mandatory, so there’s only roughly about one quarter we even have control over… How do we reduce our fixed costs—that’s something we should look at. Clearly it’s going to be a small-to-medium term problem for us, hopefully not long-term but at least the next three years, so we need to look at creative ways to preserve programs.”

 “I’m not on the board but I’m aware of a few incidents that have happened in the past couple of years. I think we need to evaluate the current contract we have, follow that process, and get a new one if it’s the right thing to do, but most importantly make sure whatever transportation options we provide for our children are safe and very reliable.”

Name: Kevin Fox

Age: 42

Profession: Screenwriter/author

How long have you lived in town?

Six years.

What kind of experience do you have on school boards, or in government or volunteer work?

I have been on the Cranbury School Board for three years and in that time have served on several committees, as well as working with the board as a whole on virtually every issue that we have faced together. My professional career involves a great deal of research and creative problem solving and I have found those skills to be extremely beneficial on the board.

Please tell us anything about your family you'd like to share.

I have two daughters in sixth and third grade in the Cranbury School and I have watched them both grow and flourish there, so I know the great good that a K-8 community school can do. I also know its limitations. My wife, Lynne, is a professional educator and has the ability to notice and see things that I might not, giving me a great sounding board when it is appropriate to discuss issues.

If re-elected to the board, what three issues would you most like to tackle, and how would you address them?

Clearly, budgetary issues will be at the forefront for quite some time, and these impact students, programs, staff morale and by extension, the great feeling of community we have in Cranbury. I would hate to see the rhetoric of the state filter into our town, which I truly believe is centered around our children and doing what is best for them. I mean this not only of the parents, but the people who have no children in the school as well as our teachers. We will also be hiring a new Chief School Administrator, who we will need to transition into a job that is very different here than elsewhere, and be faced with new mandates from the state that are political in nature and do not necessarily put the children first.

Full name: Evelyn Spann

Age: 48

Profession: Industrial chemist by degree/currently staying at home with three children 

How long have you lived in town?

I have actually lived in Cranbury twice. With my husband's job we relocated to the New York area in 2000 from Ohio and moved to Cranbury. After less than 3 years we were relocated again to Paris.  Two years later we were in Geneva. After four months we were relocated back to the New York area again and it was an easy choice to come back to Cranbury in 2005.  Total time in Cranbury is about 9 years.

What kind of experience do you have on school boards or in government or volunteer work?

Since I have returned to Cranbury I have been active as a chemistry volunteer tutor at 's IDEA Center and serving as hospitality co-chair for the Cranbury Education Foundation Annual Craft Show. My most recent volunteer work includes chairing the WWPC Lightning Lacrosse Girl's Playday in May, training the Cranbury Field Hockey Team, and coordinating the parent volunteers involved in producing the Cranbury school play. Prior to living in Cranbury I served as vice-president of a local YMCA Board in Ohio.

Please tell us anything about your family you'd like to share.

My husband of 21 years and I have three children: a son who is a sophomore in college, a daughter graduating from Princeton High School in June, and another daughter that is currently in seventh grade at Cranbury. 

If re-elected to the board, what three issues would you most like to tackle, and how would you address them?

As the facilities chairman for the Cranbury board I would like to see through a project currently underway involving improvements to our HVAC system as well as aligned projects which will make our school more energy efficient.

It is time for the science curriculum to be revised and as a chemist and tutor in the high school I am of course very interested in seeing us strengthen this area.

Finally, the constant shifting sands from the state which affect our budget is, I believe, the biggest issue our district faces. Our Finance Committee does a great job of both short-term and long-term budget planning. So, when anticipated funds are stripped from the budget without warning it creates a situation where decisions have to be made even if there is no supporting data to fall back on. 

Jennifer Cooke

Age: 41

Profession: Speech Language Pathologist, currently home raising 3 children.

How long have you lived in town?  

I moved to Cranbury nearly 6 years ago with my family, just before my oldest child started Kindergarten.  

What kind of experiences do you have on school boards, or in government or volunteer work?  

I am finishing up my first term on the Cranbury Township Board of Education.  I have served on the policy and personnel committees for the past three years.  I been the chair of the personnel committee for the past two years.  This year I also serve on the Technology Committee.    

If re-elected to the board, what three issues would you most like to tackle, and how would you address them?

 I am seeking re-election to the Cranbury Township Board of Education because I would like to continue the job that I have started. Two ongoing challenges we face center around ever tightening budgets and education reform bills in Trenton. It is the desire of the board to continue to maintain high quality programs while being fiscally responsible.  To do this we need to keep a close eye on the changing legislation and we need to continue to look for ways to save money where we can.   Personally, when faced with a difficult choices, I gather facts and listen to the experts before making a decision.  This is how I tackle most issues I face both on and off the board. 

In the short term, we are actively searching for a new Chief School Administrator. I have been involved in this process from the start with my colleagues on the board and would like to be able welcome the new CSA and assist in a smooth transition for that individual and the Cranbury School staff. 

Alice Weisman

Age: 53

How long have you lived in East Windsor? 

I have  lived in East Windsor for 16 years.

Please tell us anything about your family you'd like to share.

I have three children currently in the district (a high school senior, as well as a child in 10th grade and a 7th grader)  and have been on the board for 9 years. I am currently the school board president and have been for several years.

If re-elected to the board, what three issues would you most like to tackle, and how would you address them?

My goals for a new term would be to continue the great progress our district has made over the past 6 years in enhancing the quality of the education our students receive, support the achievements of our amazing administrators, teachers and staff and help foster a better understanding in the community about our school district’s challenges and successes.