Princeton Board of Education selects Kendal for president, Kanter for vice president

The school board for the Princeton Public Schools held its annual reorganization meeting Tuesday evening, swearing in incumbent Mara Franceschi and newcomers Ari Meisel and Christopher Santarpio for three-year terms. The 10-member board also welcomed new Cranbury representative Katherine Lara.

Board members voted 9-1 to appoint Dafna Kendal to serve as president of the school board for the fourth consecutive year. Adam Bierman was the lone board member to vote no, but did not state the reason for his vote or nominate another candidate. No other candidate was nominated by a board member.

School board member Deb Bronfeld nominated Kendal for president again, saying she has done an amazing job moving the board and the district forward. Bronfeld credited Kendal with suggesting several interim candidates for positions so the district could move forward while continuing to interview people for full-time staff jobs.

“Her continued focus on ensuring that every board member has the same information so we can all make informed decisions, her effort to keep our monthly meetings short (well maybe not so short), and her depth of knowledge and leadership through several successful union negotiations, the upcoming referendum, and the hiring of a new superintendent, and Dafna’s respect for our staff make her the right leader to help transition the Princeton Public Schools to a new superintendent in June,” Bronfeld said. Whenever Dafna does, she always keeps students front and center. Dafna is a tireless advocate for students, and her intensity about keeping the focus on students is matched only by her sense of humor.”

Kendal welcomed Franceschi, Meisel, and Santarpio, and said they were the right people to serve on the board, making decisions in the best interest of children.

“We want to focus on children. That’s why we’re all here. The children have to be the center of our orbit,” Kendal said. “What we do matters…There’s no more important service that someone can do for their local community, and I’m so glad to do it with all of you. And we’ve been through a lot, many of us, over the last few years. This is going to be a great year, and we are going to have a lot of fun. And I’m so excited to lead one more year.”

Susan Kanter, who has served on the board since 2020, was unanimously chosen to serve as vice president of the board. Board member Beth Behrend nominated Kanter.

“Susan has demonstrated thoughtful and balanced consideration of differing viewpoints over her years with us. In her service as committee chair and on many different committees, she has been careful and strategic in her approach to decision-making,” Behrend said. “She has a tireless willingness to pitch in and move the work of the board forward, and she has an unwavering devotion to our students. I look forward to having her in leadership.”

The board is slated to hold a special meeting this evening, Jan. 8, at 5:30 p.m. at the Valley Road School Building to appoint Michael LaSusa as the new superintendent of schools. The meeting is open to the public and will include a meet-and-greet along with refreshments.