Herpreet 'Guddia' Singh: Bernards Township School Board Candidate

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — The Bernards Township School Board has seven candidates vying for four seats in the upcoming election on Nov. 2.

Herpreet "Guddia" Singh, an incumbent, is one of the candidates running for one of the three-year seats. The other candidates include:

• Timothy Salmon -incumbent,
• Kirsten Light
• Carl Bird
• Robin McKeon - incumbent

Those running for the unexpired two-year seat include:

• Ruchika Hira - incumbent
• Lawrence J. Nastro

Are you running for office in Basking Ridge? Contact Alexis Tarrazi at alexis.tarrazi@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Basking Ridge Patch.

Herpreet "Guddia" Singh

Name: Herpreet "Guddia" Singh

Age: 41

Town of residence: Basking Ridge, NJ

Position sought: Board of Education board member, three year term

Family: Husband; Manik Singh, 12-year-old daughter; Gia Singh, six-year-old son; Daya Singh and four-year-old daughter; Maiya Singh

Education: I went to the State University of New York at Stony Brook for undergraduate, where I studied Liberal Arts. After that, I went to the Institute of Culinary Education for Culinary Management and Culinary Arts. After that, I went to the Institute of Integrative Nutrition for Certification in Holistic Health Coaching.

Occupation: Chef and Integrative Wellness Coach; I teach, cater and coach people to become healthier through food in a sustainable way.

Previous or current elected appointed office: Appointed to Bernards Board of Education in June 2021.

Why are you seeking to run for school board? I strongly believe having a school board representing diverse backgrounds, professionally and personally, is imperative to the success of our community in Bernards Township. I have been fortunate enough to be on the board since this past June, when I was unanimously appointed to fill a vacant seat. It’s been quite a humbling experience as I continue to learn from our community and other board members.

My husband and I moved to Basking Ridge five years ago for its impeccable school system and I can confidently say we made the best decision for our three children. I am completely invested in the district’s continued success, academically and within the scope of social and emotional wellness. We have been nothing but impressed at how resilient our dedicated staff and administration have been to the success of the students. I am proud to be a part of this team and plan to continue to support our community to my full capacity.

What is your stance on masks in schools? To be completely honest, I don’t like masks and my kids don’t want to wear them. Unfortunately, it’s not an option right now due to the current executive order; we are under a mask mandate per the governor. Fortunately, masks are a fleeting issue, that we are currently dealing with, but I am hopeful that in the near future, this becomes obsolete. I also feel that I would rather have kids in schools, masked, vs. learning virtually from home, as we did last year.

Should schools offer a virtual option? I believe children learn best when in person. As my family dealt with virtual learning last year for our three young kids, it was quite a challenge. I think social and emotional learning occurs best when kids are provided with live instruction. I want to see all our children thrive and I strongly feel they need to feel connected to learning in a live setting. On the contrary, if there is a circumstance where a child is quarantining, I support a temporary virtual option until the student receives his or her medical clearance to safely come back in person.

What other issues do you feel must be tackled in the school district?

1. The biggest challenge we are facing right now is to create a "normal" environment for our community; keep our kids in school, safely (and unmasked when we are able). We want to see our students happy and thriving, socially and emotionally. This year has been so challenging and we are still facing many side effects of covid, including a shortage of labor in various avenues, including teachers/substitutes, bus drivers and food personnel.
2. Prior to the pandemic hitting, our district was starting to discuss later start times for our schools. I am supportive of this movement, as I feel our kids are under enough stress with school responsibilities and a lack of sleep and rest exacerbates instability of mental and physical wellness.
3. Our community is comprised of people from a range of diverse cultures and backgrounds. I believe it’s imperative that everyone feel safe and included in and out of school. I am dedicated to encouraging diversity, equity and inclusion for all our students, staff and parents.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates? Since we are still in the midst of a global pandemic, our district, along with many others, are still facing challenging decisions. I think having a holistic point of view is imperative. I come with a wellness filter on. My entire world consists of ensuring social and emotional wellbeing of the people who entrust me to do so. When someone is looking to move here, the first thing they might see is our high ranking against comparable districts. And rightfully, the district continues to receive accolades. I would like to create opportunities where we can support and align our high productivity with social and emotional support for our students. When it comes to education, thriving communities should be free from any political ideology involved in these decisions. Having such young children, I am planning on being on the board for the long haul.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign? I am running for Board of Education along with incumbents, Ruchika Hira, Robin McKeon and Tim Salmon. Please follow along on our Web site for updates: hira-mckeon-salmon-singh.com.