Diverse Candidates Announce Bids for 2025 New Jersey School Boards Amid District Challenges

Candidates across several New Jersey school districts are running for Board of Education seats with a shared focus on protecting student programs, supporting teachers, and improving communication amid budget pressures and district changes. Kimberly Conetta, president of the EB Arts Coalition and mother of three, is pushing for stronger supports for general and special‑education students after her youngest lost services mid‑year, and she joined SEPAG to advocate for families while pressing for resources during budget cuts and a superintendent transition. Anna Braun, a retired East Brunswick music teacher and current one‑year board member, cites her classroom experience in opposing cuts that led to staff losses, larger classes and reduced services, and she wants to help the new superintendent, find new revenue, and address facility issues such as temporary classrooms and the future of EBHS. In South Brunswick, alumnus Kunal Athreya and tech CEO Abhay Srivastava emphasize balancing academic excellence and extracurricular opportunities with fiscal responsibility and transparent, data‑driven redistricting as enrollment and funding challenges grow; Srivastava also seeks to restore professionalism after recent board turmoil. Cranford candidate Joseph Braxton frames his run as community service born from local resilience, calling for greater transparency and communication, expanded access to evaluations without out‑of‑pocket costs, and scrutiny of special‑needs transportation spending.