Hillsborough Board Of Education Profile: Paul Marini

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Hillsborough Township School Board has six candidates vying for three seats in the upcoming election on Nov. 3.

Paul Marini is one of the candidates running. The other candidates include Cynthia "Cindy" DeCavalcante Nurse, Benjamin Wilson Kidd, incumbent Dr. Lorraine A. Soisson, Ann Harris, and Judith C. Haas.

All of the candidates are running for the three, three-year seats on the board.

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

Paul Marini

1. Why are running for Board of Education?

My name is Paul Marini and I am running for a position on the Hillsborough Board of Education. I have two daughters (9 and 11) in the district who are attending HES and ARIS and served a two-year term as Treasurer of the HES Home and School Association. In addition, I have been a member of the Hillsborough Parks and Rec Commission for over two years and have been a resident of Hillsborough since 2010. I am currently employed as the Director of Compliance for Sparta Systems in Hamilton.

When I first ran in 2019, it was out of frustration with the behavior and attitude of the board. Teachers were losing their jobs en masse, bussing was a mess and everyone I spoke with, with school-aged children, was frustrated with the BOE. I felt that if I was going to be the one to complain with them, I also should be the one taking action. I began attending BOE meetings so I could understand just how they operated. This experience only made my desire to run stronger. While last year's election result was not what I had hoped for, I felt my message was well received. I was satisfied with my candidacy and planned not to run again.

Then the teacher contract negotiations got more heated. Then the school improvement "plans" were discussed. Not long after that, the global pandemic hit. With one poorly handled situation after the other, my desire to run again was cemented.

2. What are your qualifications for this position?

As mentioned earlier, I have two daughters in the Hillsborough School District and, while this does not directly qualify me for this position, it is the motivation to make change. As the Director of Compliance at Sparta Systems, I spend a good portion of my time performing tasks which closely parallel those of the board. Whether it be contract negotiation, ensuring compliance to regulations, managing customer audits, or responding to customer issues, many of these tasks requiring basic skills currently lacking from the incumbents running for re-election. These soft skills include active listening, compassion, and empathy. This gap has been made evident by their adversarial relationship with both the HEA and the residents of Hillsborough, as can be seen and heard in almost every Board of Education meeting.

3. The single most pressing issue facing our school district is ____ and this is what I intend to do about it:

When it comes down to it, the role of the Board of Education will be to repair its relationship with both the HEA and its residents. This does not mean saying yes to every request, but to ensure that all sides are heard and that the best interests of all interested parties are met in a fiscally responsible manner. Seeking what is best for students and also being fiscally responsible does not mean disrespecting the staff in our schools. I firmly believe that when staff are valued and our budget reflects what is best, that our students benefit.

4. What are other issues you would like to see addressed in the school district?

The key to the success of this board, and the district, moving forward is the rebuilding of its communication model. It is great to see a wish list of items posted here, but this will only be seen by those who visit these posts. If you look at the past two referendums, there was minimal, and ineffective, communication. Parents of students were pushed information because of their child's enrollment at one of our schools. That said, most residents I spoke to were either unaware of these referendums or, in almost all cases, unaware of what the referendums would accomplish. Only once residents are informed, with their voices heard, will real change be accomplished by the Board of Ed.