Bridgewater-Raritan School Board Election 2023: Hector Menendez

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Bridgewater-Raritan Regional Board of Education general election on Nov. 7 has seven candidates running for three open seats representing Bridgewater and one open seat representing Raritan.

Hector Menendez is running for one of the three, three-year full-term seats representing Bridgewater.

Opposing candidates include Rebecca Hassouna, Jarrett Hahn, and incumbent Barry R. Walker. Harini Rajagopalan withdrew her name and will not be running this year anymore.

There is also one, three-year unexpired seat representing Raritan open. Candidates include Umesh Agrawal, incumbent Michael M. Pepe, and Jeffrey McNally.

Additionally, there is a referendum question on the ballot. Voters previously approved the first part of the District's referendum in March to make significant renovations to district-wide schools and to have full-day kindergarten.

The second question appearing on the ballot in November will ask the two communities to approve the total operating costs of the full-day kindergarten for $2.46 million.

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

Hector Menendez

Age: 51

Town of residence: Bridgewater

Position sought: Bridgewater Raritan Regional School District Board of Education

Family: married, 3 children

Education: DMD

Occupation: Dentist

Previous or current elected appointed office: N/A

Campaign website: www.forbridgewaterkids.org

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

I am volunteering along with my running mate Jarrett Hahn in order to help the community at large. I understand the important role that education plays in the proper development of children and adolescents. I believe the ultimate goal of education is to encourage and foster independent thinking and learning. Jarrett and I have spoken about and agree on many important issues including giving parents a voice, ensuring quality of education, health, wellbeing, overall development, and student safety. We would like to encourage parents to get more involved and informed on the curriculum. Our slogan sums it up best “For Bridgewater Kids”.

The second portion of the referendum will go up for a vote in November. Are you in favor of this? Why or why not?

I believe it’s important to understand what the referendum is all about. There are three questions, separated in two portions. The first portion had two questions and the vote happened in March. The first question in the March vote was a districtwide renovation of all schools which passed.

The second question is related to full day kindergarten and middle school expansion, and this question has two parts, one part was voted on this past March and the other part will be voted on this coming November. Both parts need to be approved by the public in order to proceed. The first part is the infrastructure expansion of the middle school, which passed conditionally in March, pending approval of the second part in November.

The second part is for the recurring operational costs of full day kindergarten, including teachers, supporting staff, material and other associated costs. Currently, seven (7) elementary schools host grades 4 and below including half day kindergarten, two (2) intermediate schools host grades 5 and 6, one (1) middle school (BRMS) hosts grades 7 and 8, and one (1) high school BRHS hosts grades 9-12.

According to the referendum, the grade alignment would be: elementary schools with grades 3 and below including full day kindergarten, intermediate schools with grades 4 and 5, middle school with grades 6-8, and high school stays the same.

I think it would have been more straightforward for the public to understand, if all parts were presented at once to be voted on.

Bridgewater is a diverse community with people and families in all stages of life. This comes down to what is best for our community as a whole and I encourage everyone to learn more about this proposal and vote.

Transportation is a statewide issue. Do you feel transportation issues are being handled well by the Board? Why or why not? If not, how do you propose improving it?

At the past few board meetings, there have been parents voicing their concerns about the quality and safety of transportation. Buses being late, several instances where buses have missed a child’s stop and occasions where students have been left on the bus. This is a problem that should not happen. I believe we could consider a better system and protocol based on precise logs, education and awareness on the part of drivers and students, strict adherence and reinforcement. On the equipment and infrastructure side, there could also be improvements. A recent board meeting approved GPS equipment on the buses.

We also need to realize that with the statewide shortage of bus drivers, and overall higher cost of operation there are inherent challenges in transportation.

Security at schools remains a high priority. Are you happy with the district's security plan for students and staff? If not, what would be your alternative?

Student safety and security is of the utmost importance. If I am elected as a BOE member I would expect the security force to be the best trained and equipped to handle emergencies. They should have all of the necessary resources, and a clear chain of command.

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

I believe we should remain focused on academic achievement. We need to continue to maintain our tradition of a high performing blue ribbon school district. Our rankings have been declining and we should strive to improve our performance. Test scores are not everything, and we should strive for a well-rounded education for children with physical fitness and mental health in mind. A well-rounded education cannot be achieved with sub-optimal academic preparedness.

We need to provide a strong foundation for the students to succeed in life. I recognize the efforts and actions the district makes to communicate and would like to improve upon it, and increase transparency, so that all residents, whether they have children in the school district or not are aware of important issues.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates?

I’m a father to three great children who are currently attending or recently graduated from our public school system. Professionally I am a small business owner and worked as a healthcare provider for over 20 years and have maintained long lasting relationships with my patients. I also apply best practice from an evidence-based approach. I believe these qualities will help me serve on the board of education.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign?

After I graduated college in 1994, I spent two years teaching part time at Essex County College and tutoring science courses for undergraduates. I’m aware of the many challenges involved in developing lesson plans, engaging students and I admire and respect the important role teachers play in all of our lives.

I am running with Jarrett Hahn, under the slogan of For Bridgewater Kids, for more information about our campaign or get in touch, please visit campaign website: ForBridgewaterKids.org.