A few final thoughts as you enter the polls...

In this, my last Letter to the Editor before the election on Tuesday, I wanted to share a few final thoughts before you head into the voting booth and make your voice heard in this election.

If elected, I will work hard within the current school board to continue and build upon the great leaps in communication with the community we’ve seen these last few months – the effort the School Board has shown this budget cycle has been commendable, and should be expanded to more topics. School Busing should be funded by the School Board, and I propose to work with the New Jersey School Board Association and other School Boards to try and bring sanity to the funding process. Our Special Needs students deserve opportunities equal in every way possible to those offered to our mainstream students, and I believe their education should be funded by the state to ensure there are monies for every need. I believe the Practical Arts classes are vital, not so much for the subjects they teach, but for their ability to connect with students that may otherwise feel like outsiders at school. I also feel our curriculum may need to be reviewed, to ensure the offerings we have mesh with the needs of the students – I fear our students are studying topics for the sole reason of passing mandated tests. I believe that if we need to assess Activity Fees to fund after school activities, we should see an increase in the activities offered – not just maintain the status quo at an increased price. I also believe that were I elected to the School Board, I would do my best to represent the interests of all the residents, those with students in our schools, those with students in private schools, and also those families that have already sent their children to school in all three municipalities, not just Hopewell Township. My extended thoughts can be found on my blog, at http://hansen2007.blogspot.com/.

With 7 candidates vying for two open spots representing Hopewell Township on the School Board you have numerous viewpoints to choose from – I encourage you to vote for the candidates you feel best reflects your views and opinions. In an election like this one, it is important not to vote for just anybody on the ballot – the spread of votes across so many candidates will (I expect) cause the winners to be determined by just a handful of votes – if only one candidate appeals to you, consider voting for just the one candidate (this is called a “bullet vote”).

This has been a fascinating experience for me, and over the last few weeks I’ve learned about the hopes and frustrations of many in the Hopewell Valley regarding our School Board, and win or lose, I’ll cherish each and every conversation with my extended neighbors.

So please, get out and vote on Tuesday – I hope all will vote to accept the School Budget and second question as proposed, and vote for the candidate (or candidates) that best reflect your views and opinions.

Thank you,

Ken Hansen
Hopewell Township