Meet the Princeton Board of Education candidates: Shenwei Zhao
Age: 49
Occupation: Systems Engineer/Business Owner
Your campaign slogan if you have one:
- Openness: It means open to ideas, to suggestion, and to criticism, required for transparency
- Accountability: The willingness to be held accountable is a strength, not a weakness
Campaign website or social media link: https://shenweiforBoE.org
Please tell us about your personal background, including education and work experience:
I earned an undergraduate degree in business and began my career working for an IT company in China. In 2000, I came to the U.S. on a student visa to pursue graduate studies. Over the next five years, I attended graduate schools and worked for an IT firm in Washington, DC. My academic focus was on how technologies impact Communications and Mass Media. I did earn a master’s degree in telecommunications, which opened doors to jobs in DC in and again in 2005 in New Jersey, where I have been a systems engineer in IT. In 2013, I launched my own consulting business and have been self-employed ever since. Throughout my career, I have remained deeply interested in the social impact of technologies — a topic that has become increasingly relevant in today’s world, particularly in the realm of education.
How many years have you lived in Princeton: 8
What is your connection to the Princeton Public Schools? If you have children, what schools did they attend in the 2023-24 academic year?
I have a 12-year-old son attending Princeton Charter School.
Please tell us about your public service background:
As a first-generation immigrant who has worked full-time throughout my career, I do not have a formal background in public service. However, since obtaining my U.S. Green Card in 2010, I have been actively participated in many public discussions. My wife got involved in research projects in a few school districts and I developed interests in understanding how public education policy is formed and how schools operate around that time. After moving to Princeton in 2016, I began regularly attending BoE meetings. I became a U.S. citizen in 2018. Citizenship was more than just a piece of paper by then. It is a milestone that opened the door for me to more active community involvement. That eventually led me to running for public position this year. I am truly grateful for all this country and community have provided me.
Why are you running for a seat on the Princeton Board of Education?
Reason One: The district has faced several challenging years due to a series of less-than-ideal decisions, some of which affected the entire district, while affected only a part of it. I have observed unpaid board members working hard to address problems and have admired their dedication. However, the growing number of new candidates running for the Board of Education in recent years suggested that more people are becoming concerned and eager to engage to contribute. I share these concerns and feel motivated to contribute my time and efforts to help make a difference.
Reason Two: As an Asian parent, I believe representation matters, especially to people who are born and raised here. While I am not a proponent of identity politics, I do hope to encourage younger generation in Asian communities get more involved. We need to start this process today, with the hope of passing the torch to them in the future. I also recognize that immigrants bring unique cultures, values, and perspectives to this country and it is important for these to be reflected in public policies as we integrated into a part of the society. As an Asian American and first-generation immigrant, I believe this starts with involvement in local education. It is also worth noting that Asian values, such as hard work and meritocracy, align closely with American values.
What do you view as the top three biggest issues or policy priorities for the school district?
(My responses are not listed in order of priority)
A. Preparing students for global competitions in the age of AI
B. Leadership stability: Hiring a qualified superintendent that can effectively implement a long-term plan for the district. The cost of the recent superintendent hiring may exceed $1M when everything is settled. We cannot afford another short-term superintendent.
C. Hiring and retaining quality educators across all schools
How do you anticipate coping with any cuts in state aid to the school district and what are your spending priorities when it comes to the school budget?
First, I want to clarify that I am not aware of any state aid cut. In fact, the Murphy administration has done an excellent job supporting most of the districts across the state in recent years. For the 2024 to 2025 school year, there has been an increase of over $900 million increase in total state aid. Specifically for PPS, that increase is $447,449, which represents an 8.93% from $5,348,358 in FY 2024 to $5,825,807 in FY 2025. However, how did PPS utilize this increase? To put it in perspective, this additional amount barely covers the cost of two superintendents’ salaries over the past 12 months. So, the first question I would always ask is: have we been fiscally disciplined, regardless of the level of state aid?
With in mind, here’s how I would approach this hypothetical situation:
Coping with cuts:
Seeking external and non-traditional funding sources: Exploring alternative funding sources is essential to supplement traditional state aid
Making Cost-Conscious Decisions: budgeting accordingly. The schools do not have blank checks from anyone
Stop Leakage and Waste: I strongly believe in addressing inefficiencies and eliminating waste as a first step
Spending Priorities:
- Educational necessity
- School operational necessity
- Long terms financial stabilities for the district
As the school district grows, what are your ideas on how to control costs and property taxes?
Controlling cost has become increasing challenging with the inflations we have experienced in recent years. I fully acknowledged financial pressure on school operational presented to our school board and school administrators.
That being said, my approach to controlling costs always begins with cost-conscious budgeting, keeping a clear focus on achieving educational outcomes. Here are some ideas that could help from an operational standpoint. These are general suggestions based on common business sense, some may already be under consideration or implemented by the district:
- Always: Reduce waste, stop leakage
- For operations: exploring sharing services with township and other institutions, leverage green energy, turn off or dimming lights, change AC settings, preventative maintenance over reactive repairs.
One Specific Example: The district’s annual budget shows a significant increase in annual transportation costs. One potential solution would be exploring options for EV fleet, possibly through leasing or buses from Princeton University’s EV fleets.
Staff and Teachers Efficiency, save paper and stationary, encourage digital textbook
Class size: Review evidence on class size and learning outcome. Instead of hiring more, adjusting classroom size to optimize resources
Community Involvement: Adopt classrooms, donation to endowment fund, donate expertise and time
Parents Engagement: Be a lecturer/coach and spend time with your kids in school
Revenue generation as permitted by law and regulation: Lease out spaces (swimming pools, sports facilities, performance centers)
Business partnership: Form partnership with educational startups, if/when feasible, the school gets lower technical adoption cost and may even have potential profit-sharing opportunity
What is your position on payments in lieu of taxes agreements made to housing developers and what should the school board do about these agreements?
This is a complex issue that requires extensive discussions, much of which extends beyond the scope of the BoE. While there are strong oppositions regarding the PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) program, the township views it as a necessary solution to meet its legal obligations and secure steady revenue for other needs. Many towns in New Jersey utilize the program, and Princeton may not have better alternatives
What PPS BoE should do: First and foremost, I agree with the New Jersey School Board association’s recommendation that local school boards should get involved in the discussion of PILOT as early as possible to ensure they have a seat at the negotiation and decision-making table.
For the benefit of property taxpayers, the school board should advocate for revenue-sharing from PILOT programs. Princeton is highly sought-after, largely due to the excellent public schools, which are primarily funded by property taxpayers. PPS’s contribution to the community needs to be financially recognized, where possible. The PILOT programs present opportunities to improve PPS’s operational budget for many years to come. Not sharing revenue generated by PILOT with the school district effectively penalizes property taxpayers and could eventually impact the long-term economic diversity of the community.
Should the school district purchase Westminster Choir College? Why or why not? I would not prioritize this issue for the district at this time. As far as I know, the topic was taken off the table by the board back in 2017 and I am not aware of any recent discussions or new evidence that would justify reconsidering it, either from a financial or enrollment perspective:
- Financially: There have been 5 referendum proposals since 2017. Such purchase would inevitably be adding more
Year Proposed | Amount (in Million) | Status |
Discussion 2017-2018 | $139 | Board decided not to move forward with proposal |
December, 2018 | $27 | Passed |
January, 2022 | $17.5 | Passed |
November, 2023 | $13 | Passed |
January, 2025 | $85 to $89 | TBD |
Princeton taxpayers have been generous in supporting schools. But I don’t think it is wise to re-consider this purchase at this time.
- Enrollment: Are we really expecting an increase in enrollment that justifies this type of expansion?
In 2019, PPS’s actual enrollment was 3,855. That number has decreased to 3,721 in 2023. A recent projection published in February 2023 suggests a medium enrollment of 4,154 students for PK-12 in the 2027 to 2028 school year. Previous enrollment predictions for the same school years have all been on the higher end: 4,820 in 2017 projection, 4,273 in 2020 projection, and 4,226 in 2021 projection. This trend matches CDC data showing a national fertility rate.
It is estimated that new developments in town could bring up to 460 additional students. Can we accommodate them? We might find solutions within our existing facilities rather than investing in new infrastructure for the entire district, and the taxpayers to absorb. For instance: From what I have learnt, PHS and PMS, they are operating at a utilization factor of 75-80%t. If that’s accurate, what if we increase that to 90%?
What is your opinion on the curriculum taught in the Princeton schools and what would you change?
PPS has been a high-achieving district, and I am confident the overall curriculum is robust. The Dual Language Immersion (DLI) and the extensive list of AP classes are rigorous. The school board should continue working with the district’s leadership and curriculum experts to keep these curricula updated and refined to better prepare students for a rapidly changing world.
However, I recommend the district proceed with extra cautions in making any major changes in curriculum to avoid confusions and concerns within the community. Last year’s exploration of math curriculum changes did lead to negative reactions. The key takeaway from that experience highlights the importance of the how to make changes, other than what change to make:
- Subject supervisor should have full ownership of the proposed changes, defending them with evidence, rather than outsourcing to 3rd parties, which also involves additional costs
- Enough community outreach, engage communities with open minds
A few suggestions I have on PPS curriculum:
- STEM Education: Some resources could be shifted from teaching STEM concepts to focusing on applications of STEM. AI-driven tools have made it easier for younger generations to enter STEM-related fields. While not everyone may become a computer programmer, many can leverage AI technologies in their unique areas of expertise. For example, a student with a talent for music may not be a strong coder, but she can excel in helping others design better AI-driven music applications or navigate these applications.
Humanity-related subjects: Provide students with balanced perspectives to foster critical thinking skills rather than dictating specific viewpoints. Given Princeton’s diversity, the school curriculum should consider the background of each family. For instance, discussions around racial literacy, gender identity, and sex education should align with state mandates and involve comprehensive community outreach before, or even after, the course is offered. This will prevent unnecessary divisions within the community.
Is there anything else you want voters to know about yourself, your campaign, or the issues you care most about?
Rebuilding Trust
I understand that our schools face many complex issues with no easy solutions. And I am always grateful to school board members who volunteer to serve our community. However, it’s fair to acknowledge that some incidents over the past few years have unfortunately damaged the trust between the district and the public, and some of these issues are indeed very costly. While the district has eventually aligned with the public’s initial expectations on most issues, the decision-making processes were not always exemplary in fostering community unity. With everything starting to quiet down, it is important to reflect on these processes and seek improvement for the future. That aligns with my slogans, Openness and Accountability, matter.
Keep public school focused on educational and keep every child safe
Princeton is a diverse community, and our promotion of kindness should apply universally. In school context: If we truly value diversity, we must avoid divisive topics when selecting teaching materials or initiating new courses. Students from different backgrounds sit together, and our goal should be to teach in a way that does not amplifies their differences.
As a parent and first-generation immigrant, I firmly believe that public schools should remain focused on their core educational mission, emphasizing foundational skills and evolving competencies for the 21st century. My experience in environments where ideology heavily influenced education taught me that teaching ideology-driven materials to school-aged children often does not work well or can even be damaging. For people who are one generation older than me, teaching ideologies led to significant issues for the entire generation. For my generation, mandatory ideology-driver materials were taught from middle school all the way to high school, they were never well received. Ideologies can shift dramatically over time, but what truly benefits young people are challenging STEM classes, critical thinking developed through open debates based on a solid foundation of balanced facts.
Therefore, I stand firmly for the principles outline on my website (https://ShenweiForBoE.org)
- Upholding academic standard
- Using age-appropriate teaching materials
- Providing factual-based knowledge
- Presenting Balanced viewpoints
- Encouraging genuine debates
- Ensuring schools act as community connectors
Other educational topics worth discussion:
- Cell phone use in school: With new cell phone guidance from NJ DOE, PPS needs to address the issue
- Student/teacher ratio
I am looking forward to any open discussions in the next couple of months and hope to earn your vote in November.
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