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Debbie Bronfeld announces she will seek another term on the Princeton Board of Education

Debbie Bronfeld will seek another term on the school board for the Princeton Public Schools.

Debbie Bronfeld, a first-term school board member who has been an independent voice on the Princeton Board of Education, announced Tuesday that she is seeking a second three-year term on the non-partisan board. Three seats on the 10-member board will be on the ballot in the general election this November.

As a member of the school board, Bronfeld has not been afraid to vote against the majority on some major issues. Last week she voted no on approving the $100 million school district budget that includes the elimination of more than 20 classroom positions. She also voted last year against renewing the sending and receiving contract with Cranbury for 10 years, saying a a five-year contract made more sense. This spring she voted against hiring the same construction management firm that was used for the 2001 bond referendum projects. She also voted against renewing the contract for Superintendent of Schools Steve Cochrane because the term was for five years, and she thought the contract should be for a shorter term.

“My main goal has been to ensure that every student is educated in an environment that is conducive to their individual learning style, while continuing to support our strategic mission, and looking at cost savings across the whole district,” Bronfeld said. “I know there are great cost saving ideas that staff, students and the community have, and I have proposed the creation of an ad-hoc cost savings committee that will not only hear ideas, but investigate and implement those potential savings.”

Bronfeld volunteers at a mobile food pantry in town, serving meals to more than 40 families every week. She also serves on the board for Housing Initiative of Princeton, assisting families in locating housing and employment opportunities in the community. She previously served as a program associate at the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank, and was the founding executive director for Dress for Success of Mercer County. She has also worked at Church & Dwight, Teradyne and Raytheon. She earned her master’s degree in business administration from the Franklin W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College, and her bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Both of her sons attended the Princeton Public Schools and graduated from Princeton High School.

“I look forward to continuing to support the students, staff, parents and the community as I seek re-election,” Bronfeld said. “Every time I hear Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos remark about education, I know I have my work cut out for me to ensure our students can continue to receive a meaningful and unrestricted public education.”

Bronfeld has served on the school district’s student achievement, finance and equity committees. She has served as chair of the personnel committee, and as an alternate on the finance committee.

“I have enjoyed my three years on the school board, and know that I have made a difference in our district. I want to continuing making a difference by interlacing health, wellness and equity as cost effectively as we can,” she said. “People always say being on the school board is a thankless job, I did not run for the school board to be thanked. I ran and I am seeking re-election to ensure every student in Princeton receives the education they deserve.”