Bernards Township School Board Election 2026: David Shaw

Why are you seeking re-election for the Bernards Township Board of Education?

I still have work I want to finish. Over three years on the board, I've chaired both the Finance Committee and the Policy
Committee and made a point of serving on every board committee at least once, so I understand every part of how the board operates, not just the budget. Professionally, I'm a Senior Vice President of Finance for a publicly traded company, and I bring that hands-on budgeting and financial controls experience to how we steward taxpayer dollars. I've also advocated directly with state legislators on health-benefit costs and Extraordinary Aid funding, because so much of our budget pressure starts in Trenton. Just as important to me is keeping our focus squarely on students. From day one, my priority has been making sure the board and community work together and that every stakeholder, students, staff, administrators, parents, and neighbors, has a voice, the same approach our administration takes. I'd like to keep helping the district navigate what's ahead: real facility needs, staffing transitions, and preparing every student for whatever path they choose after graduation.

Transparency in government is important for the community. Do you feel the BOE is transparent, and how would you increase transparency?

We do a lot of things right on this front. Board meetings are open to the public, agendas and minutes are posted online, and
our Finance Committee meetings, where the budget gets real scrutiny, are posted as well. We recently held a public 'State of
Our Schools' presentation laying out academic performance, enrollment trends, and our 10-year capital plan in detail, and
we're committed to continuing that kind of regular public reporting. Transparency isn't something any board gets to declare finished, so we're building on that foundation with more proactive, plain-language communication around the budget and the capital plan, getting information in front of residents rather than waiting for questions to come to us. As we move into detailed conversations about funding our facility needs, our goal is for residents to see the numbers, the options, and the trade-offs clearly before any decisions are made, not after.

With rising healthcare costs and inflation, how do you propose keeping tax increases to a minimum?

Health benefits are our fastest-growing cost, and it's also where my finance background has made the most difference. We self-fund our medical plan, review claims against projections at every Finance Committee meeting, and push our broker hard on prescription rebates. That's kept our medical cost growth to roughly half the state average. We've also redesigned busing into a 3-tier system, and moved maintenance staff in-house, which improved our buildings while lowering costs. When reductions are necessary, we prioritize attrition and retirements over layoffs, and we look at administrative and operational costs before anything that touches the classroom. Just as important, we plan multiple years ahead rather than budgeting year to year, so we can see cost pressures coming instead of reacting to them.

There are several projects listed in the 10-year facilities plan, including roofs, HVAC, etc. How would you propose covering the expenses for these projects?

Our 10-year capital plan identifies 104 projects and roughly $82 million in needs, and we've been deliberate about treating
that as a prioritized list, ranked by condition and return on investment, not a wish list. In New Jersey, capital projects like these are typically financed through bonds, because bonded projects can typically qualify for state debt-service aid, currently around 34 percent, which still meaningfully reduces what falls to local taxpayers. Alongside that, we're pursuing tax-neutral financing strategies, grant funding where available, and new revenue streams like advertising and naming-rights agreements to help offset costs further. Our recent BT Connect session shared our plan and funding approach in detail and gave residents a real chance to weigh in before anything is finalized, so we don't want to get ahead of that process on specifics like scope or timing. Our goal is for the community to see the full picture, costs, priorities, and funding options, before any request goes before voters.

What other issues do you feel need to be tackled in the Township?

Beyond our own budget and facilities work, I think a lot about how the Board and Township work together. We already
collaborate on several fronts, sharing services for engineering and facilities/maintenance work where it makes sense, renewed annually through a Board-approved agreement, and contracting with the Township police department for school resource officers in each of our six schools. I'd like to see that collaboration continue to grow. Closer to home, newly approved housing development in town could shift our enrollment over the next several years, and the Board needs to plan for that rather than be caught off guard. And after several years focused on student wellness and mental health post-pandemic, our next step is building executive-functioning skills into instruction from kindergarten through 12th grade, so students leave us not just knowledgeable, but organized and self-directed.

What is your favorite thing about being a part of Bernards Township Schools?

Honestly, it's watching the district live up to its reputation up close, as both a board member and a parent. My wife is a teacher herself, so I don't take for granted how much our staff puts into this work. Seeing my own kids thrive, one at Cedar
Hill Elementary and one at the middle school, in a district that's consistently among the state's best academically while also investing seriously in student wellness and support, is what makes this worth the time it takes.

Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself or your campaign?

I'm grateful for the chance to keep serving this community, and I don't take it for granted. This work only happens because of the teachers, staff, and fellow board members who show up for our students every day, and because of a community that
stays engaged even when we don't all agree. If re-elected, I'll keep bringing the same financial discipline, collaborative
approach, and focus on what's actually best for students to every decision in front of the board. I'd be honored to earn your vote this November.