Colts Neck Board Of Education Election 2026: Alicia Raia-Hawrylak

COLTS NECK, NJ — Candidate Alicia Raia-Hawrylak is running for election to the Board of Education in the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Raia-Hawrylak is running for one of three open full-term seats on the board alongside running mates Thomas Colella and Camila Fernandez-Cohen under the "Act for Excellence" campaign.

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The three will face off against Vincent Rugnetta, Angela Mansour and Alice Dean Finney, who are running under the "Colts Kids First" campaign, as well as David Hauss, Michal Mateusz-Kalisz and Alainah Robillard, who are running under the "Education First" campaign.

Ahead of the election, Patch posed several questions to Raia-Hawrylak about her campaign platform, experience and what sets her apart from other candidates running. Her replies are below

Editor's Note: The following article contains information about one of the candidates running for the Colts Neck Board of Education in 2026. Responses are written as received by Patch and only edited for style.

Patch has contacted all other candidates in this race with the same questions and will post replies as they are received.

Are you running for election in Colts Neck? Contact Sara Winick at sara.winick@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Patch.

Alicia Raia-Hawrylak

Age: 41
Town of Residence: Colts Neck, NJ
Education: PhD., M.A. Sociology, Rutgers University; Masters of Science in Teaching English to Adolescents, Pace University; B.A. Journalism and Mass Communication, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Occupation: Educational Researcher and Consultant

What drove you to seek public office?

My family moved to Colts Neck to grow our roots and raise our two young sons, Ben (10) and Max (6). We believe deeply in the importance of connectedness and service; for example, my husband Jason carves out time from his law practice to coach our sons' baseball and basketball teams, helping to develop kids' skills in sports and life.

As someone whose entire professional career has been dedicated to improving schools and supporting inclusive, high-quality conditions for teaching and learning, serving on the Board of Education is where I can make the most meaningful impact on our community.

I am running because, over the last few years, our school board has become increasingly partisan and politically driven, allowing national rhetoric and culture war politics to distract from what is best for our kids and educators. I want to provide a counterbalance to the current groupthink, prevent rubber-stamping, and restore a steadfast focus on student outcomes.

Furthermore, as our district navigates considerable fiscal challenges, including state aid reductions, rising healthcare costs, and impending enrollment increases from new housing, we urgently need a proactive board that will protect the excellence of our schools while remaining fiercely accountable to local taxpayers.

What sets you apart from the other candidates?

What sets me apart is a rare combination of perspectives: I am an active district parent, a former middle school teacher in both traditional public and charter schools, and a current educational researcher and consultant.

My daily work involves helping districts across the state use data to guide continuous improvement. I have a deep, real-time knowledge of how to translate research-based policies into practical classroom success.

My background also includes involvement in budget management, policy development, and program evaluation. Because I experience our schools in real time as a mother, but understand them structurally as an educator and sociologist, I know how to evaluate complex proposals critically and keep the daily reality of our students at the center of every decision.

I am proud to be running alongside Tom Colella and Camila Fernandez-Cohen as part of the ACT for Excellence slate. As a former teacher, it is an honor to stand side-by-side with distinguished, career educators who want to serve our community.

Given the negative tenor and lack of civility demonstrated by some board members recently, our slate brings courage, conviction, and a unified commitment to restoring civil dialogue and transparent governance to Colts Neck.

We are not political insiders; we are dedicated educators and involved parents who have actively participated in board activities over the last few years because we want to make a local difference.

What are past accomplishments or experiences that make you qualified for this position?

Throughout my career, I have demonstrated measurable results at the classroom, school-wide, and district levels. While teaching special education with Teach For America, my classroom achieved growth in English Language Arts proficiency that ranked in the top three across all of New York City.

Today, I am incredibly proud to work on a statewide project that supports administrators and educators across New Jersey through consultation and professional development. I hold a PhD. in sociology, have completed advanced fellowships in educational research, and have published peer-reviewed articles on school climate, bullying prevention, and student safety.

My greatest strength is my ability to translate complex educational research into actionable steps for practitioners, helping school leaders create measurable improvements. I am also proud of my track record in bridging political divides through my leadership of non-partisan, civic-minded organizations. I know how to use genuine dialogue to move past differences and unite people around a shared goal: building the best possible school experience for our kids in an ever-changing world.

If elected, what will be your top priorities in your new role?

If elected, my top three priorities are:

1. Fiscal Responsibility and Proactive Strategy: Navigating state aid reductions by protecting small class sizes and core programs without overly burdening local taxpayers. We must conduct thorough budget audits, aggressively pursue state and private grants, and invest in capital projects that lower long-term operating costs.
2. Academic Excellence & Research-Based Practices: Keeping our focus squarely on achievement, foundational literacy, and deep learning and thriving for all students. This requires providing our educators with high-quality instructional materials, sustained professional development, and sensible guidelines for classroom technology, in addition to proven strategies that support the whole child.
3. Rebuilding Community Trust: Parents should never have to hunt down basic details about their children's education or wait until the night of a board vote to see proposed policy changes. I will advocate for proactive transparency, constructive two-way communication (such as reinstating the parent advisory committee to replace one-sided information forums), and fair, respectful evaluation of all parental concerns.

Name one thing about Colts Neck that always makes you smile.

I grew up in Monmouth County but went out-of-state for school and my early career. Returning to Colts Neck has felt like coming home to everything that makes this area so unique and special. What always makes me smile is the deep sense of connectedness and "pride of place" in our town.

You can feel this community spirit everywhere, from the sidelines of local youth sporting events, at school gatherings, and during the Fourth of July fireworks at Bucks Mill Park. It serves as a constant reminder of how much we have in common.

When we support one another as neighbors and let our Colts Neck pride transcend party lines and political differences, there is no limit to what we can achieve together for our children's schools.