Hillsborough School Board Election 2023: Cassandra Kragh

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Hillsborough's general election on Nov. 7 has four candidates running for three open seats for the Board of Education.

Cassandra Kragh is running for one of the three, three-year seats.

Opposing candidates include incumbents Cynthia "Cindy" DeCavalcante Nurse and Paul Marini, and Pritpal S. Phanda.

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.

Cassandra Kragh

Age: 36 (37 on 10/16)

Town of residence: Hillsborough

Position sought: Board of Education

Family: Husband, 6-year-old daughter, and 2 small dogs

Education: Master’s in Human Resources from Rutgers

Occupation: Head of Human Resources

Previous or current elected appointed office: N/A

Campaign website: www.facebook.com/CKforBOE

Why are you seeking election for the Hillsborough Board of Education?

I am seeking election for this seat on the Hillsborough BOE for several reasons. Firstly, my personal experiences parenting my 6-year-old autistic daughter, advocating for her needs and services, and grappling with the IEP process have provided insight into the functions of the school district and how a variety of impactful decisions are made. I have seen firsthand how communication breakdowns can cause roadblocks in this process. If elected, I would like to help improve relationships between Child Study Teams and parents so that the best interests of the children remain the ultimate goal.

Secondly, having a special needs child motivates me to make sure all students in the district are receiving the best education, support, and empowerment that can be provided. I have a vested interest in helping Hillsborough be one of the best districts in the state, and the motivation to be an advocate for our special needs students especially, ensuring they are being well represented when policies are being drafted.

Lastly, my professional experience in Human Resources over the past 13 years has provided me with knowledge and skills that are directly transferable to the role of Board member. This experience includes optimizing budget allocations, establishing best practices, evaluating compensation packages, enhancing operational efficiencies, and boosting employee retention rates. I believe these skills will be greatly beneficial for the district and winning this election will enable me to help bring Hillsborough schools to the top.

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

I am in support of the referendum because it is addressing several important needs of the district. The largest being the additional headcount, including credentialed professionals. We have lost so many staff members over the past 5 years, and it is very easy to see the impact of this loss. Additionally, there is no question that schools across the country have been the target of incomprehensible violence. I am in full support of having staff that are directly responsible for addressing prevention methods, emergency and preparedness planning, and, most importantly, being the immediate response to any threats in our school buildings. This referendum is one hundred percent necessary.

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?

I want to start off by saying that this is a statewide issue because there are not enough bus drivers to go around. That fact impacts every district’s ability to manage this issue effectively. That being said, I think our Board is handling this the best they can, and if elected, I would review the budget to see what other resources could be allocated to ensure all children have safe, reliable transportation. Additionally, I could propose we revisit the idea of courtesy busing- because not only would this be helping our students, it could help alleviate traffic by the high school for commuters, as well.

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?

As I stated in my previous answer regarding the referendum, I believe the plan for adding security staff to our schools is highly necessary. I do not think I could come up with a better plan than having a dedicated team of security professionals directly responsible for ensuring the safety of our students.

What other issues do you feel need to be tackled on the Board?

Addressing the mental health crisis that is impacting children at younger and younger ages is the most important challenge facing all schools across the country- Hillsborough included. There are several ways this can be tackled, but first and foremost, it needs to start being addressed at an early age. We should investigate programs that can be incorporated into the classroom that follow through every grade level and help kids build empathy, perspective taking, understanding differences among peers and how they can truly support one another.

Additionally, we need to have a truly robust ESL program that includes all languages spoken within the district, not just Spanish. Any additional aspects that impact children’s self-esteem need to be evaluated for ways schools can help. Increasing these types of programs would help cut down on bullying, HIB Investigations, and the subsequent mental health issues that impact students and lead to greater suicide rates in youth.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates?

Being a mother to a young special needs child provides a motivation that I do not think can be matched by other candidates. The reputation of Hillsborough schools has taken a hit over the past few years and I know I can be an asset in helping revive it (per my previous answer of why I’m running). I’ve also been able to form relationships within the community by volunteering as a co-leader for Girls Scouts of Hillsborough and spending time with teachers in and outside the classroom.

My professional experience in the private sector is also a differentiator. My expertise is extremely versatile and complements many responsibilities of a Board member. As an example, one of the BOE Committees is strictly dedicated to Human Resources. To be more specific: I am highly experienced in recruiting staff, developing Leadership Development Training programs and classes (aligns with Professional Development for teachers), evaluating budgets and employee compensation packages, managing benefit plans and coordinating Open Enrollment, creating policy and procedures that adhere to legal compliance requirements, and establishing operational efficiencies (new technologies/systems for example). This is not the entire scope of my experience, but a snapshot into what makes me an excellent choice for our Board of Education, and what sets me apart from the other candidates.

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

I grew up in South Brunswick, and over the course of my life I have lived in nine different cities and four counties within this beautiful state of New Jersey. Out of all these different locations, my husband and I chose Hillsborough as the one to settle down in. This campaign is furthering my devotion to that choice of making Hillsborough our home. This town deserves to have the best education provided to our children. It deserves to one day have the kids of this town doing amazing things that change the world and saying it was thanks to the education they received in Hillsborough. I will help get us there.