4 Locals Run For Bernards Township School Board In Upcoming Election

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Four township residents running under the campaign theme "Education For All" announced they are running for seats in the grades K- 12 Board of Education election on Nov. 8.

The candidates include incumbents Guddia Singh of Deer Ridge Road and Suzanne Schafer of Dawn Drive, who are both seeking re-election. Residents Erica Blackman of Heather Lane and Janice Corrado of Lone Oak Road, two first-time candidates, are joining Singh and Schafer.

"We consider it an honor to serve the community as members of the Board of Education," the candidates said in a press release. "We are fully dedicated to working collaboratively, respectfully and inclusively so that the voices of all who value a thoughtful, high-quality education are represented on the board."

Schafer has been serving on the school board for four years, and currently serves as the board's wellness committee chairperson. She has a career in higher and secondary education, specifically college admissions. Her two children are a graduate of and a senior at Ridge High School.

Singh previously was chosen to fill an open seat in June 2021 but did not get enough votes to gain re-election in November 2021. The Board of Education voted to select her to fill one of the two open seats in January 2022 after Jennifer Korn and Lauren Beckman resigned during the Dec. 20, 2021 meeting.

Singh has lived in Basking Ridge for six years. With a career focused on health and wellness, she has been advocating for the social and emotional well-being of students, staff and their families. She has three children in the school district, in eighth grade, second grade and kindergarten, according to the candidates' release.

Blackman, a teacher with 16 years experience, is a strong supporter of public education. Blackman has been a township resident for five years, and has three students in the school district.

Corrado, a former teacher, has dedicated 17 years to advocating for children and families in the district’s special education programs, most recently serving as vice president of Bernards Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC). Her oldest daughter was graduated from Ridge High School in 2020, and her younger daughter is an eighth grader at William Annin Middle School.

In the November general election, there are three, three-year seats and one, one-year unexpired seat up for grabs.

Incumbents Karen Gray, a former board president who has served since July 2014, and Dinesh Khanna, who was appointed to the board in January, have not yet indicated whether they plan to seek re-election.

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