7 Millburn School Board Candidates File For 2026 Election

MILLBURN, NJ — The race for three open seats on the Millburn Board of Education has begun.

Millburn is among the New Jersey towns holding a school board contest as part of the 2026 general election. According to the Essex County Clerk's Office, seven candidates have filed to run. Terms last for three years.

Subscribe

The candidates and their slogans are:

• Anna Ostrovsky - "Listen Educate Deliver"
• Prasoon Saurabh - "Listen Educate Deliver"
• Christian Germa - "Listen Educate Deliver"
• Gyanprakash Mishra - "Parents Raising Outcomes"
• Cynthia Longley Richards - "Partners for Progress"
• Priya Shivani - "Partners for Progress"
• Andrew Finkelstein - "Partners for Progress"

New Jersey's general election will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Early in-person voting will take place from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1. The voter registration deadline is Oct. 13.

Learn more about voting in New Jersey here.

SERVING ON A SCHOOL BOARD

In New Jersey, school board members are nonpartisan and do not declare political parties when running for office. They do not receive pay or benefits for their service.

According to the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA), the main responsibilities of board of education members are:

"The board of education adopts policies under which the school district operates; oversees the budget; approves the curriculum; hires and evaluates the superintendent; represents the public during contract negotiations; and serves as a communications link between the community and the school system."

"The school board does not operate the district on a day-to-day basis; that is the job of the superintendent, who is the district's chief executive," the NJSBA states. "Rather, the school board sets the policies, goals and objectives for the district – and it holds the superintendent responsible for implementing the policies and achieving the goals."

A survey by the National School Boards Association found 63 percent of board members spend 11 to 50 hours a month on board duties, with some dedicating even more time to the position.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.