The East Brunswick Board of Education forum this week was not a debate but a window into a district wrestling with its future. Nine candidates addressed the community in an auditorium filled with residents, while a ninth, Mary Petersen, was absent and did not provide a biography for the program. Over the course of the evening, the discussion ranged from the trailers at Churchill and the unresolved question of a new high school to redistricting, special education, mental health, and teacher morale.
Opening Priorities
The candidates were first asked to define their short and long-term goals. Dr. Anna Braun, who filled a board vacancy less than a year ago, immediately pressed the high school issue. “I am extraordinarily disappointed that we do not seem to have a goal for what is going to happen with the high school,” she said. “When I sat here a year ago, that was the hot button topic. What are we going to do about the TCUs? I have not heard anything. That is one of the first things we need to address, and we need to see movement with our new superintendent.”
Marianne Tanious, who also joined the board by filling a vacancy, emphasized planning and communication. “I am all about setting people up for success, including our staff, our students, and especially our superintendent who is going to be leading this organization,” she said. “That would include our budget, which is coming up sooner rather than later. Long term goals would include curriculum and improving our test scores. As far as keeping the public informed, I make every effort to ensure there is discussion in public even when I already know the answer, so the community understands why we are driving decisions like we are.”
Jeff Winston, a former board member with more than five years of service in earlier terms, said accountability was overdue. “Our job is to assure that the district runs well, not to run the district,” he said. “If our superintendent truly believes a high school is a priority, my goal is to have our superintendent list the five top priorities they want to accomplish. Those priorities should be published with deliverable dates and accountability. The community deserves that clarity, and it has been absent for at least a decade.”
Neal Shah echoed the need for benchmarks. “We need more than polished presentations and lofty mission statements,” he said. “We need clear, measurable goals tied to outcomes, not just optics. Benchmarks, deadlines, accountability. That is how leadership should be held to the same standards we ask of our students.”
The Trailers at Churchill and the High School Debate
Few issues generated more intensity than the trailers at Churchill Junior High and the question of how to address overcrowding at the high school.
Marianne Tanious cut straight to the point. “Why are the trailers going to Churchill? Why don’t they go to the high school? It seems like that would solve a multitude of problems,” she said. “Our test scores for ninth graders are not being included in the high school, and that drags down our ratings. We need a new high school, but we also need to reassess what that cost looks like. The original numbers were a wish list. What do we actually need, and how do we make it realistic?”
Jeff Winston said the problem reflected years of failed leadership. “Next year will be the fifth year with no plan, and that means the state will start fining us,” he said. “This was poor leadership and poor management. Trailers were predicated on a high school opening this year, when interest rates were far lower. We went from a two hundred and fifty million dollar proposal to a five hundred million dollar proposal. That is what happens when you have a board that does not give a superintendent goals and deadlines.”
Dr. Anna Braun agreed, calling the trailers and architectural work a “ten million dollar investment right down the tubes.” She pressed for accountability. “As a teacher, if I did not perform the goals set for me, I would have been out,” she said. “That is the way we need to move forward with our new superintendent. This cannot continue.”
Heather Guas, the current board president, and Liwu Hong, the current vice president, defended their roles in seeking consensus. Guas suggested the TCUs could be repurposed as a special education academy that could draw tuition revenue from neighboring towns. “People move here for our special education,” she said. “Why not use that to our advantage and generate revenue?”
But for some residents, the fact that Guas has served for six years, including being the vice president and the past year as president, raises questions about why so little progress has been made. The same is true of Hong, who has been on the board for three full terms and now serves as vice president. Their experience brings stability and knowledge of process, but many in the community are frustrated that pressing issues remain unresolved despite their leadership roles.
Redistricting
The candidates then addressed elementary redistricting, which has not occurred in East Brunswick since the early 1980s.
Marianne Tanious spoke about equity. “We need actual numbers, not maps drawn without data,” she said. “Some schools are not resourced equally. Not every school has a gym. Why is it fair that some kids have a school with no gym while others do?”
Maria Mueller, the youngest candidate at the table and a recent graduate of East Brunswick High School, recalled her own experience. “When I attended Hammarskjold, a lot of students compared the different elementary schools, and they noticed that some had more resources and were considered better than others,” she said. “That should not happen. Every elementary school should have equitable resources, and every teacher should have what they need.”
Jeff Winston cautioned the audience not to expect quick satisfaction. “Redistricting is a five year problem before it straightens itself out,” he said. “We have not done this since the mid 1980s. Communication and cooperation are not there, and that has to be fixed before we can make this easier on families.”
Dr. Anna Braun offered a reminder of history. “In 1983 the board suggested closing Lawrence Brook, Memorial, and Irwin,” she said. “Parents rose up and said no, and they were right. Eventually Irwin was closed, and then three years later it had to be reopened. What a waste of money and time. We cannot repeat that.”
Special Education
On special education, candidates spoke from both professional and personal experience.
Heather Guas, a veteran special education teacher, emphasized keeping students in district when possible. “We need to keep our students in their neighborhood schools with their peers whenever possible,” she said. “That is important not only for cost, because out of district placements are extremely expensive, but also for the emotional and social wellbeing of our students.”
Jeff Winston shared the difficulty of advocating for a child with an IEP when decisions felt driven by budget. “There is nothing more degrading than having to fight for your child when you know the conversation is being led by budget rather than need,” he said.
Dr. Anna Braun recalled her own child’s challenges. “His diagnosis was not even available when he was young, and he went through his school career without proper recognition or support,” she said. “We need to provide early interventions and make sure out of district placements are available when appropriate, with the goal of bringing students back when they are ready.”
Antoinette Evola added, “Parents need to know they are heard. Too many parents feel ignored or like they are being annoying when they advocate for their child. That cannot continue.”
The Budget
Budget pressures dominated the evening. With state aid cuts continuing to reduce funding, the candidates were asked how they would balance competing priorities.
Jeff Winston pointed to inefficiency. “You can either decrease costs or increase revenue. Where is the creativity? Why are we not working with neighboring towns to buy basic supplies together and save money? Why are we not seeking sponsorships for our facilities?” he asked. “The accounting department is antiquated. This is solvable with more discipline and vision.”
Dr. Anna Braun recalled being handed a list of seventy seven cuts with no supporting data. “I asked how many teachers were being cut, and I was told we did not have those numbers,” she said. “How is that possible? Decisions of this magnitude require data, transparency, and foresight.”
Marianne Tanious said the problem was avoidable. “When the S2 formula was introduced in 2018, we knew cuts would be phased in by 2025. If you know a storm is coming, you should start planning for it. This was not properly planned for,” she said.
Neal Shah agreed that budget planning should not be an annual panic. “There should be institutional knowledge and preparation so that families are not surprised each spring,” he said.
Mental Health
Mental health was another recurring theme. Maria Mueller said students should be taught that it is acceptable to make mistakes and learn at different paces. “We need to destigmatize mental health and start those conversations in elementary school,” she said.
Jeff Winston argued that guidance counselors should be proactive. “Guidance counselors should be asking every student how they are doing, how things are at home, and what can be done to help. That was rejected in the past, and it was a mistake.”
Dr. Anna Braun criticized the district for cutting the very programs that help. “We worry about students’ mental health, yet we were ready to cut arts and sports, which are the very things that give many of them belonging and purpose,” she said.
Teacher Morale
The forum closed with a question on teacher morale and retention.
Antoinette Evola said teachers need job security. “Stop trying to fire them every single budget crisis,” she said. “Teachers should not wake up in September wondering if they will have a job in June. That is the number one issue.”
Jeff Winston argued that morale comes down to culture. “People do not quit their jobs. They quit their bosses,” he said. “We need to create an environment where teachers want to come to work and where they are recognized and respected.”
Marianne Tanious said teachers need autonomy. “Education is not one size fits all. Teachers know what their students need, and we should stop dictating every step. That is how morale is crushed,” she said.
Dr. Anna Braun described what she has seen as alarming. “Never in my career did I see so many tenured teachers leaving. That tells you something is very wrong,” she said.
Closing
By the end of the evening, voters heard both fresh ideas and familiar frustrations. Newer board members like Marianne Tanious and Dr. Anna Braun highlighted transparency and accountability. Longtime figures like Heather Guas and Liwu Hong pointed to their experience, though their tenure left some residents questioning why problems remain unresolved. Jeff Winston leaned on his past board service to press for sharper accountability and creative budgeting. Neal Shah called for measurable goals and stronger planning. Antoinette Evola focused on fiscal discipline and protecting teachers from recurring job insecurity. Maria Mueller, the youngest on stage, framed her answers through the lens of a recent student’s experience. Kimberly Conetta emphasized communication and collaboration with families. One candidate, Mary Petersen, did not attend and did not submit a biography to the program.
In November, the voters of East Brunswick will decide whether experience or change is the better answer for a district that can no longer afford to postpone the hardest choices.
