The Princeton Public Schools Board of Education last week swore in three new members and appointed a new president and vice president. Debbie Bronfeld, William Hare, and Gregory Stankiewicz, newly elected last November, joined the Board for three-year terms; Patrick Sullivan stepped up to the office of president; and Dafna Kendal assumed the position of vice president.

Priorities on the agenda for the year ahead include opposing the Charter School’s proposed expansion; pursuing the most effective, financially responsible ways to relieve overcrowding; and implementing the Strategic Plan to close the achievement gap and improve education for all.

“Our immediate priority is to fight the expansion of the Princeton Charter School, which is undemocratic, unfair, fiscally irresponsible, and extremely detrimental to our goal offering everyone in our community the best education possible,” Mr. Sullivan said. He went on to state that additional priorities include an expansion of facilities “to provide the best environment for our students” and to continue work to improve overall education “so that our children can become better leaders, better critical thinkers and feel valued for their own talents and capabilities.”

Slated to chair the Board’s facilities committee and co-chair the policy committee, Ms. Kendal noted that her top priority was “to ensure that all student needs are met” and that they will not only be “academically ready for their next chapter, but that they will also be leaders in modeling tolerance, diversity, and respect for all.” She emphasized the importance of the Board’s ”communication with all stakeholders in the community.”

Ms. Bronfeld, who will serve on the personnel and student achievement committees, echoed her colleagues’ concerns and further noted the importance of “good communication and labor relations with our teachers and staff.”

As a member of the finance and policy committees, Mr. Hare indicated his strong focus on “creative solutions to the financial impact of our rapid increase in enrollment.” He cited disadvantages of rapid enrollment growth, advocating closer Board monitoring of new housing developments and their effects. “I’d like to make sure that the governing body of Princeton understands the impact on the students and the schools of each new housing development. And for every approval of a new housing development, I’d want to make sure that the Board of Education knows when the housing will be built and how many students we should anticipate. I expect that anticipated enrollment growth is easier to handle than unanticipated enrollment growth.”

Mr. Hare also mentioned his goal of being a good listener at monthly BOE meetings and of enhancing public participation at those meetings. “I would like to see a constant stream of people taking part in the public comment sessions at the meetings. My goal is that as a first step our residents, especially students, will want to attend these meetings and feel comfortable walking up to the podium to raise their questions and concerns.”

Noting challenges in the current political climate, Mr. Stankiewicz, who will join the Board’s policy and finance committees, warned, “At a time when public education is facing difficulties politically and economically, we need to make sure that our schools have enough resources. We need to see the governor’s proposed state budget for the year, and we also need to protect our school district from changes on the federal level.”

Mr. Stankiewicz highlighted school overcrowding as “an issue we need to address in the near future. The district has undertaken capacity studies and demographic studies, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to find solutions.”

Other members of the Board include Betsy Baglio, Justin Doran, Fern Spruill, and Connie Witter.