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Branchburg Township School District

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  2. About the Board

About the Board

Board Members

13 Things School Board Members Wish People Knew About Them

 

The Board of Education is comprised of nine residents who volunteer their time to serve the children of the Branchburg Township School District without compensation.

Elected board members each serve a three-year term. Three members are elected annually in the general election in November. Newly elected board members begin their term at the annual reorganization meeting held during the first week in January.

Board meetings are held in the Large Board Conference Room at Branchburg Central Middle School. All members of the community are encouraged to attend the public portion of the meetings which usually begins at 7:30 pm (please check for exact times of each meeting). Agendas are posted on this website prior to the meeting.

Meetings are streamed live on YouTube and are available on the district website for later viewing.

  • Vince has resided in Branchburg since 2000, and he and his wife have a son at Whiton Elementary School.  He is a graduate of BCMS, Somerville High School, and has a BA Degree in Political Science from Pennsylvania State University.  Vince is also a volunteer on Branchburg’s Parks and Recreation and Youth Services Committees.  He has a passion for being active in the community and giving back to the town that he holds so dearly.

    Professionally, Vince has over ten years of work experience in the telecommunications sector.  He currently works as a software developer where he designs dashboards and tooling, and implements automation.  In his spare time, he enjoys watching and playing sports, running, his dog, and playing video games.

    As a member of the Board of Education, Vince is looking forward to working with the existing board to maintain the great standard of education Branchburg has grown accustomed to.

    Term Expires: 2027
    vcarpentier@branchburg.k12.nj.us

  • Bio coming soon.

    Term Expires: 2026
    pdesai@branchburg.k12.nj.us

     

  • Ken, his wife Ashley and his first born moved to Branchburg in 2018. Since then, he and his wife have had the pleasure of welcoming two additional children into their family; the oldest of his three children is currently attends Whiton Elementary School.

    He has a Masters in Labor Relations from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (“IUP”) and has spent the majority of his career managing construction for various large corporate clients. Over the past several years he has specialized as an EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) infrastructure expert. He is currently hired to assist a large multinational utility company in their effort to convert their fleet vehicles from ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicles to EV (Electric Vehicle).

    As a parent of three young children who will all be attending Branchburg schools, Ken is personally invested in the long-term success of our educational system. Ken was appointed to the Branchburg Board of Education in April 2024 and looks forward to many years of serving the community in this role.

    Term Expires 2028
    khallenbeck@branchburg.k12.nj.us

  • Terri has been a resident of Branchburg for over 23 years. During that time, her children both attended all three Branchburg schools and Somerville High School. Terri has worked as a parent volunteer in all four schools starting with the Whiton Family School Council in 2008, the PTO in each Branchburg school and the Somerville High School Music Boosters Association. Terri is also on the board of directors for a local non-profit organization.

    Terri was appointed to the Branchburg Board of Education in 2011 and has been serving continuously as an elected member of the board since 2012. She has been a member of each board committee and board vice-president and has served as board president.

    Terri is a former IT and communications professional with a passion for learning and giving back to her community.

    Term Expires: 2026
    tjoyce@branchburg.k12.nj.us

  • Nat has lived in Branchburg with his wife, Anita, for over 21 years; yes, we chose the best town in NJ!  He has a 23 year-old son living in Philadelphia as a Paramedic (U Pitt grad); a 19 year-old daughter attending her second year at Harvard; and a 6th grade son attending Branchburg Central Middle School.

    He volunteers in many Branchburg community activities, including coaching basketball, football and soccer; Country Fair; and going under cover as needed (as the Grinch or the Easter Bunny) for various events.  For fun, he still plays indoor and outdoor basketball weekly with a great group of fellow Branchburg and non-Branchburg residents.

    Nat was recently a CFO of a publicly-traded company and has over 25 years of experience in Finance, Strategy, IT and HR in a variety of industries, including as an auditor with the New York City Board of Education.  He has an MBA in Finance and Accounting and is a CPA.  

    Nat and his wife love all kids and he is here to work with our community and the administration to help "inspire our children to learn, think, grow, and excel in life," as per our mission statement.

    Term Expires 2028
    nkrishnamurti@branchburg.k12.nj.us

  • Bobby has been a resident of Branchburg for 6 years with his wife, Alison, and two children.  He currently has a son at Stony Brook School and a daughter at BCMS.  Bobby volunteers in town as both a soccer and baseball coach.

    Bobby graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Communications and attained his J.D. from Seton Hall School of Law.  Bobby works as an attorney at his law firm in Nutley, New Jersey, where he is an active litigator and trial attorney.  He enjoys advocating for all of his clients.

    Bobby was elected to the Branchburg Board of Education in 2020 and looks forward to helping our school district continue to excel.

    Term Expires: 2027
    rmaider@branchburg.k12.nj.us

  • Bindu has been a resident of Branchburg since 2008. She and her husband are raising 3 boys in Branchburg, with the eldest in Somerville High School and their younger two sons within the Branchburg School District.

    Bindu is originally from Massachusetts, earning her Bachelor's in Biology at Brandeis University and a Masters in Medical Sciences at Boston University.  After moving to New Jersey, she completed her MBA in Marketing from Rutgers University School of Business. Professionally Bindu is a senior executive at a global consumer packaged goods company.

    Bindu and her family have a passion for giving back to underserved communities through volunteering, service, and financial support. Her husband Rishi has been an active volunteer in our beloved in-town recreational sports, helping to coach baseball, basketball and soccer over the past 9 years. Bindu looks forward to supporting the Branchburg community through the Board of Education, enabling our children, teachers and staff to thrive academically and be their personal best.


    Term Expires: 2026
    bshah@branchburg.k12.nj.us

  • Megan has resided in Branchburg since 2005. She and her husband raise their three kids in the Branchburg/Somerville Districts. Her family is active in the community through recreational and travel sports, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and other township activities.

    Professionally, Megan has over 27 years of experience in the healthcare software marketplace. She has held many roles, from Technical Support Advisor to Software Developer to Data Analyst. Megan is passionate about finding solutions for issues that arise and analyzing data. Megan enjoys playing in the Branchburg Women's Volleyball League, knitting, and baking.

    Megan looks forward to supporting the community as a Board of Education Member. She is invested in ensuring Branchburg schools are a great place for our children to get the best education possible.

    Term Expires 2028
    msmith1@branchburg.k12.nj.us

  • Charlie has been a resident of Branchburg for over 10 years and resides with his wife Mariane and 2 children. His son is currently a PhD candidate at NJIT and his daughter was a member of the class of 2024 at Somerville High School. Charlie holds a BS in Finance and an MS in Management Information Systems. He is currently a finance director for a FinTech company and has extensive experience in both the financial services and insurance industries. Charlie is also a current member of the Branchburg Township Parks, Recreation & Youth Services Committee and previously served on the Board of Education from 2018 to 2020. He sees great opportunities for synergies with his work on the Board and the recreation committees to serve the youths of our community and to provide them with top notch educational and recreational experiences.

    In his free time, Charlie enjoys sports, volunteering in the community and generally being outdoors. He is a strong advocate for parental rights and fiscal discipline.

    Charlie thanks the residents of Branchburg for the trust they have placed in him and looks forward to working with board members and district leadership to provide the best education possible for our children.

    Term Expires: 2027
    ctuma@branchburg.k12.nj.us

School Board Election - Candidate Information
Information has been updated for the November 2024 Election - Deadline for Nominating Petitions has Passed

Committees and Liaisons

  • Charlie Tuma - Chair
    Kenneth Hallenbeck 
    Nat Krishnamurti
    Puja Desai - alternate 

  • Kenneth Hallenbeck - Chair
    Vince Carpentier 
    Megan Smith
    Puja Desai - alternate

  • Terri Joyce - Chair
    Nat Krishnamurti
    Charlie Tuma
    Vince Carpentier - alternate

  • Puja Desai - Chair
    Nat Krishnamurti
    Megan Smith
    Vince Carpentier - alternate 

  • Bob Maider - Chair
    Bindu Shah
    Charlie Tuma
    Vince Carpentier - alternate

  • Vince Carpentier - Chair
    Nat Krishnamurti
    Charlie Tuma  

  • Somerville Liaison/Board Member - Bindu Shah
    Somerset County Educational Services Commission - Vince Carpentier
    N.J.S.B.A. /S.C.S.B.A. Representative - Megan Smith
    Branchburg Township Liaison - Charlie Tuma
    Parent Teacher Organization - Bon Maider
    Branchburg Education Foundation - Nat Krishnamurti
    Branchburg SEPAG - Special Education Advisory Group - Vince Carpentier

  • Board of Education Goals
    2023 - 2024

    Goal Area 1: Fiscal & Financial Health

    1. Work with administration to develop a plan for fiscally supporting the implementation of long range facilities plan projects.
    2. Engage in professional development in the areas of finance with a special focus on the referendum process.
    3. Determine future use of Old York School property to provide a financial benefit to the school district while also serving the needs of the community.

    Goal Area 2: Board Operations

    1. Work with administration to improve board operations by:
      1. developing a board calendar of regular and committee meetings integrating the budget and superintendent evaluation processes and identifying regular items to be included in each;
      2. ensuring consistent use of district internal information repository (Google Apps) to share board information;
      3. educating board members on the committee process including roles and responsibilities and sharing of agendas and minutes
    2. Complete the superintendent evaluation and board self evaluation process in a timely manner with 100% participation.
    3. Negotiate contract with Principals and Assistant Principals Association.

    Goal Area 3: Board Relations

    1. Form New Board Member Orientation ad hoc committee to create a process for welcoming and training new board members.
    2. Engage in professional development focusing on diversity, bias and equity.

  • Code of Ethics for School Board Members

    18A:12-24.1

    A school board member shall abide by the following Code of Ethics for School Board Members:

    1. I will uphold and enforce all laws, rules and regulations of the State Board of Education, and court orders pertaining to schools. Desired changes shall be brought about only through legal and ethical procedures.
    2. I will make decisions in terms of the educational welfare of children and will seek to develop and maintain public schools that meet the individual needs of all children regardless of their ability, race, creed, sex, or social standing.
    3. I will confine my board action to policy making, planning, and appraisal, and I will help to frame policies and plans only after the board has consulted those who will be affected by them.
    4. I will carry out my responsibility, not to administer the schools, but, together with my fellow board members, to see that they are well run.
    5. I will recognize that authority rests with the board of education and will make no personal promises nor take any private action that may compromise the board.
    6. I will refuse to surrender my independent judgment to special interest or partisan political groups or to use the schools for personal gain or for the gain of friends.
    7. I will hold confidential all matters pertaining to the schools which, if disclosed, would needlessly injure individuals or the schools. In all other matters, I will provide accurate information and, in concert with my fellow board members, interpret to the staff the aspirations of the community for its school.
    8. I will vote to appoint the best qualified personnel available after consideration of the recommendation of the chief administrative officer.
    9. I will support and protect school personnel in proper performance of their duties.
    10. I will refer all complaints to the chief administrative officer and will act on the complaints at public meetings only after failure of an administrative solution.