Beth Kotran for NHVBOE 2025
Hello Clinton Township/Lebanon Borough neighbors. I’m reaching out to you to officially announce that I am running for re-election for the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District Board of Education (the “Board”).
During my first term on the Board, I learned a lot about how our schools operate and the ways in which the Board, Superintendent and Administration work together to enable the teachers, staff and students to grow and thrive. I also gained greater insight into what is still needed to help better prepare our high school students for their futures. I have appreciated hearing from you these last three years and believe that my actions at Board meetings reflected that I actively listened to your comments and concerns. I am proud of what I accomplished in my initial term and believe that I met the goals of my 2022-2025 campaign platform -- Supporting our Kids.
My campaign platform for 2026-2029, Voice of Reason, takes on a renewed, yet evolved focus. I’ve spent the last three years literally fighting for the rights of our children to receive a quality education in our schools and give our staff what is needed to provide that to them. Unfortunately, during my tenure, personal agendas have become too prominent in Board discussions, which have prevented the Board from allocating precious time to addressing important matters facing students and staff. Board members have the responsibility to ensure that they are representing the majority views and opinions of their constituencies. It is in this regard that I proudly support the transparency of the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District (the “District”) matters through dialogue and debate at open Board meetings so that the public can be aware of the matters being discussed by the Board.
This past school year, the District and the Board held meetings with members of the community, staff, and select students to help guide the development of the District’s new 5-year Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan is designed to help guide the Board, Superintendent and Administrators to establish a clear action plan for what needs to be achieved in our District to enable our staff to educate, and our students to learn what is needed to become successful in our changing world. While the final details of the Strategic Plan are forthcoming, I support the implementation of a new Strategic Plan to help pave the way for a more modern learning environment for our students.
Along these same lines, I believe that there needs to be an assessment of whether the current high school facilities meet the needs of what teachers and students will require for the future. North Hunterdon High School opened its doors in 1951, making the school 74 years old. Voorhees High School opened in 1975, making it exactly 50 years old this year. These buildings and associated facilities have seen generations of students and teachers, and we have been fortunate to receive grants and other funding to make repairs and upgrades to our aged buildings. I believe we need to evaluate our budget, look for legitimate savings without jeopardizing the education of our students, and understand what will be needed for the future.
From a substantive standpoint, I reaffirm my position as an advocate for a student’s right to read and will fight against censorship in our schools, with the support from New Jersey’s Freedom to Read Act. I have been a lawyer for 28 years, and in that time, I have never stopped fighting for what is right. Our students should have the opportunity to read all literature, regardless of whether one may oppose its message or content, as this is guaranteed to all by the U.S. Constitution and New Jersey law.
Finally, having received a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Skidmore College, as well as having two sons who actively participate(d) in the music and theater departments at North Hunterdon High School, I believe the performing arts are fundamental to the education of all students. The performing arts programs at North Hunterdon and Voorhees continue to see a decline in participation. The loss of any of these programs at our schools would be detrimental to maintaining a balanced education for all students. I will continue to ask the Board and the Superintendent to raise this issue at articulation meetings with the sending districts and encourage greater outreach by the District performing art teachers to encourage greater participation in these programs.
I have had the immense privilege to serve our constituents on the Board for the last three years. Providing our students with an exemplary education has always been at the forefront of everything I do and will continue to do on the Board should I be re-elected for another term.
There is a long road ahead before election day, but I ask for your vote on November 4th so I can continue to fight for excellence in education for our students.
Sincerely,
Beth Kotran