BOE Candidate: Incumbent Susan Wolf

Editor's note: Susan Wolf is one of seven candidates vying for three spots on the Bloomfield Board of Education (BOE) in the April 27 election. Bloomfield Patch will be profiling each candidate by alphabetical order every day leading up to the April 20 in the Bloomfield High School auditorium.

Below is Wolf’s biographical information and candidate statement.

INCUMBENT SUSAN WOLF – LINE 5A

FAMILY
Husband of 15 years Marc; Three children who attend Demarest Elementary

GROUPS/ORGANIZATIONS
Current BOE member

STATEMENT
I am honored to have had the opportunity to serve on the Bloomfield Board of Education for the past three years. I am a life long resident of Bloomfield and a Bloomfield High School graduate. I have three children that attend Demarest Elementary School and have been married for fifteen years.

In 2008 when I first ran for the Board of Education, our school district was facing an $800,000 deficit, there was a fence around the high school, and Foley Field was in disrepair. The district was hiring teachers at advanced salaries, there were administrative positions being created, and many special education students were being sent out of district. There were also unethical and overinflated contracts being awarded. These issues led to the public voting down the budgets, and money being taken out of our classrooms.

As a graduate of Kean University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, I was able to lead this district towards fiscal responsibility. I am thankful to the tax payers who have been so supportive of our schools for the last two years, not only passing the budgets but also a referendum for Foley Field. I am most proud that this year we are able to present a budget to the public that has NO PROPERTY TAX INCREASE. This was done without sacrificing the quality of our children’s education. We are using our dollars more efficiently and keeping the money where it belongs - in the classroom. The district is now financially stable.

My main focus has always been class size. Since I have been on the board, we have successfully added more classrooms in every elementary school in our district. We repaired the cornice and removed the fence around the high school. We are currently in the final phase of the Foley Field Project. We replaced old inefficient boilers, are repairing the schoolyards, and are completing other facilities projects that have been put off too long. I look forward to working with our new superintendent Mr. Bing on new initiatives that will keep moving our classrooms into the 21st century.

I am asking for your support when you vote on April 27 so I can continue to work to move this district forward and make sure every dollar is spent efficiently. As always my priority is the children and my decisions will continue to be made with their best interest in mind.