Bridgewater-Raritan School Board Election 2026: Inderpreet Banga

Why are you seeking election for the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education?

Before anything else, I am a father. From the day my children were born, I have wanted what every parent in Bridgewater wants: for our kids to have every opportunity to thrive, learn, and build a good life. My decision to run for school board started at my own kitchen table.

My son was seven years old, a second grader at Hamilton, and he was part of advanced learning experiences the district offered. These unique experiences changed him. Not his grades, but his posture and enthusiasm for learning. The way he came home with a big smile talking about what he had learned before anyone asked. He had found a room where he belonged.

Then our opponents on the school board voted to dismantle it without any explanation or public consideration. Kids spoke and wrote letters to BOE, parents spoke and explained why these programs made a difference in their kids' lives, but the decision was already made. I couldn't really explain to my seven-year-old that adults he had never met decided his classroom was going away, why his and all other kids' pleas were dismissed, why us parents couldn't do anything about it. But after seeing how our elected officials were indifferent to families like ours, I knew I could not stay on the sidelines. Because at the end of the day, BOE members are elected by us, the parents, and us the parents should have a voice in our kids future!

I have a record of standing up for this town. We didn't just talk. We took on QuickChek and won. We brought more than 300 residents to a single hearing, a record turnout. Today I'm still working alongside neighbors to protect against senseless overdevelopment and help preserve Melick's Farm. When something isn't right for our community, I show up, I do the homework, and I get people involved.

That work led to the appointment to the Bridgewater Township Planning Board, where I've served since 2022. I've always been an advocate for residents, standing up to Big Developers.

Eugene and I are stepping forward to run because our kids deserve independent advocates on the board who are genuinely invested in our schools. Every child is unique, and we will fight to make sure our school system meets students where they are. Transparency matters: we promise never to rubber-stamp decisions in secret, and we will always advocate for parents to have a seat at the table. When the system falls short, parents have a responsibility to lead, and we are ready to be that voice for every family.

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

No. Right now, parents are treated like obstacles to manage rather than partners in education. When it comes to transparency, this election is a choice between transparent and secretive government, and our opponents have consistently chosen secrecy. They voted twice to reduce the number of public board meetings.

They voted against measures to expand parental notification and opt-outs. They voted against expanding public participation in the budget process. And they eliminated a successful forty-year program behind closed doors, setting aside the recommendations of the district's own hired consultant, with no parent survey and no town hall.

Here is how we will change that:

• Restore bi-weekly public meetings so parents and taxpayers always have a regular venue to be heard.
• Expand parental notification and direct communication, and make it simple for families to access and exercise opt-out choices. We believe parents know best and involved, informed parents boost student achievement and outcomes. Parents should have the final say.
• Publish all budget documents well in advance, with annual budget surveys and public workshops so residents can weigh in before a final vote.
• Require sixty days of written notice to parents and the board before any major restructuring of advanced academic programs can be considered.
• Report publicly on outcomes. When the district invests in new programs or curricula, the community deserves regular reporting on whether student results are actually improving.

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

I approach the school district budget the same way I approach my own family budget, because every single dollar comes directly from the hard-working taxpayers of Bridgewater.

For many local families, property taxes already feel like a runaway expense. While rising healthcare and operational costs are real challenges across the state, it is the school board's fundamental duty to provide independent oversight, ask tough questions, and ensure every dollar is directed into classrooms and student instruction rather than central office bloat.

Protecting your household budget while funding excellent schools requires genuine discipline, transparency, and independent leadership.

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

The other issues all come down to action versus the status quo. Our opponents voted to defund advanced academic pathways for different grades and voted to reduce transportation services jeopardizing our kids safety. We will change that.

• Supporting special education families: No parent of a child with special needs should walk into an annual review meeting unprepared while six district staff members have already reviewed the file. We will mandate that draft support plans, evaluation reports, and proposed goals reach parents at least five business days before any meeting, and we will protect a parent's right to audio-record those meetings.
• Investing in the basics and the middle: We will invest heavily in basic skills interventions, special education services, and the students in the middle who are so often overlooked.
• Removing roadblocks for driven students: If a motivated student is ready for Honors or Advanced Placement coursework, an arbitrary administrative cap should not stand in their way. We will eliminate enrollment caps and cut the red tape around advanced summer courses and testing. Our opponents voted against removing these roadblocks, choosing to defend the status quo instead of supporting student ambition.
• Restoring advanced academic pathways through grades 1 to 12: Schools should help every child reach their full potential, not dismantle pathways that work. We will take action to restore advanced learning opportunities for our children and protect rigorous instruction. We will also guarantee that no student is removed from an advanced course without prior written notice and a structured intervention plan lasting at least one full marking period.

What is your favorite thing about being a part of Bridgewater-Raritan Schools?

What I love most about being part of Bridgewater-Raritan Schools is the incredible community we've built over the years as my kids have grown. Being a parent in this district is deeply rewarding because it has given my children the space to explore their own interests and truly find their place in this wonderful community. I've been fortunate to cultivate wonderful relationships with teachers and families alongside him as he's made new friends across different schools, including Van Holten and Hamilton.

With my mom having been a teacher for 30 years, I understand firsthand the foundation and values educators instill in our children's lives. Watching my son embrace new opportunities, challenge himself, and grow into his own person across different schools has been incredible to see. Those shared experiences, relationships, and sense of belonging are what transform Bridgewater-Raritan from a collection of schools into a place that truly feels like home.

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

I never expected to run because I used to believe in the Board and trusted it to represent our community. That trust has been broken by our opponents.

Eugene and I stepped forward because of what happened to our children and to hundreds of other students across this district from grades 2 through 12. My son was seven when he made his own "Save AI" newspapers by hand and handed them out on the bus and in his classroom.

Nobody told him to. A second grader decided that if the adults would not defend his classroom, he would. That is the picture I cannot shake: not the policy, but my son a year out, sitting in a classroom that had stopped asking anything of him.

My time on the Planning Board taught me that details matter, process matters, transparency matters, and, above all, residents' voices matter. People can tell immediately whether officials are genuinely listening or just going through the motions. When the Ethicon redevelopment came up, I voted "no" and stood up to Big Developers. That is the exact same independence and action I promise to bring to our Board of Education.

The contrast in this election is straightforward, and it is a matter of public record: Barry Walker is currently under an ethics investigation for aggressive behavior and threats directed at board members and their families. Our community deserves respectful, honest leadership.

• Advocates vs. Indifference: We are running to replace indifference with genuine advocacy, and to treat families as partners rather than obstacles.
• Independent vs. Followers: We will question administrative proposals, demand fiscal discipline, and make certain tax dollars reach classrooms rather than central office growth. Our opponents have blindly supported budgets and voted against expanding public participation in the budget process.
• Action vs. Status Quo: We will take immediate action to restore advanced learning opportunities for every child and remove numerical caps on Honors and AP classes. Our opponents voted to defund advanced academic pathways and voted against removing barriers for high-achieving students in all grades.
• Transparent vs. Secretive: We will restore bi-weekly public board meetings, deliver draft support plans to special education families five business days before meetings, and expand parental notification. Our opponents voted twice to reduce public board meetings and voted against policies to expand parental opt-out choices and notifications. We believe an elected official's votes must match their public promises. Rebecca Hassouna publicly claimed to support parental opt-out choices, but then voted against the exact amendment that would have protected those rights for families.

We will own every vote we cast and explain our reasoning in public. We will respect your household budget, keep you informed, and always treat parents as true partners in education. We are asking for your vote because together, we will put BR Kids First and be the independent advocates for action and transparency our community deserves. If you want to join our movement, sign up to volunteer at brkidsfirst.org/volunteer and donate here at donorbox.org/br-kids-first every voter contact and dollar goes a long way.