Countdown to Election Day!

It's October 3rd - 36 days until Election Day November 8th! Mail-in ballots are available and please review both sides. Here's my Q&A from the Hillsborough Patch - thanks for sharing with your friends and neighbors. I appreciate your vote!

Name
Jean Trujillo

Age
51

Town of residence
Hillsborough, NJ

Position sought
Board of Education

Family
I am married with 3 children: HHS Class of 2021 graduate, HHS junior and HMS 8th grader.

Education
BE – Mechanical Engineering
MSE – Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Occupation
n/a
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeantrujillo/

Previous or current elected appointed office
I was first elected to the school board in 2016, and again in 2019. This November 8th, 2022, I am running for my 3rd term on the school board.

Campaign website
https://jeanforboe.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/jeanforboe

Why are you seeking to run for School Board?
I am running for school board because I want to continue to support Hillsborough and Millstone’s children through a strong public school education.

School finances have been an issue raised recently. Do you feel the Board and administration are handling this properly? And why?
In late 2021, there were questions surrounding certain activities authorized by the business office that had been reported to the Board. I was Board President during that time, and the Board notified the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office and the Department of Education. The Board is fully cooperating with the Prosecutor’s Office.

How do you feel about the current sex-ed curriculum in the district?
I have reviewed the updated Hillsborough K-12 curriculum maps and they are aligned with the 2020 New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.

I think it’s great that parents are paying attention to the curriculum and are asking questions. As a parent, I believe it is important to learn proper terminology and age appropriate facts, and that is what the district’s H&PE curriculum accomplishes.

Would you be in favor of a later school start time for students?
Yes, I support later school start times. The book “Why We Sleep” by Matthew Walker is highly informative and explains the importance of sufficient sleep across the life span. I think we need to first ask the foundational question: do we as a community believe it is in our adolescents’ best interest to have a school schedule that better aligns with their circadian rhythm? If we agree (and I do), then we can ask the next question about how does the school district, with support from the community, create this change.

As an aside, often the discussion starts with how difficult it would be to start school later (athletics, after school jobs, caring for a younger sibling, etc.) and the conversation falters. I suggest first defining what we believe about “healthy school hours.” If it is a priority, I am confident in our collective creativity and resourcefulness to develop and implement a plan.

What other issues do you feel need to be tackled in the school district?
The school board’s role is policy, planning, appraisal, communication, plus negotiations with the collective bargaining units, and in my opinion, the most important role is hiring and evaluating a superintendent.

In the next few weeks, the current board will interview candidates and hopefully appoint a permanent superintendent.

After that, I think the board should work to define the community’s aspirations for Hillsborough’s students. What does it mean to be a Hillsborough High School graduate? What do we want our students to able to do? What distinguishes a Hillsborough student? Once we have defined this “profile of a Hillsborough graduate” then the board and administration will be able to develop a plan to make that vision a reality.

Maybe that means a new high school, maybe not. Before we can discuss a physical space, I believe we have to start with these foundational questions. For me, I want for all children what I want for my own kids. I want all our students to feel supported, to explore and discover their interests, to feel their contributions are meaningful, to learn to think, to develop a fulfilling profession, to know their inherent value and to know their values, to feel they belong.

I believe public school education is the community’s gift to the next generation. The school board’s work is all about the kids, and it’s important for us to remind ourselves of our student focus.

The board will also need to develop a long-term plan to address our program offerings in the context of S-2 state aid loss and a budget subject to a 2% tax levy cap. With the new superintendent, the board must work to rebuild the community’s trust in public school education.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates?
In the election for the 3-year board term, I look forward to the opportunity to learn the views of the other candidates, and if I am re-elected, I look forward to working with them.

I am very happy that Ms. Jane Staats is returning to the board in 2023 (she is running unopposed for the 2-year board term.) She is a strong advocate for our children, does her homework, asks questions and is an independent voice.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign?
I have the time, interest and energy to do the work. I educate myself on education and school board issues, and in 2021, I achieved the highest level of individual certification, “Certified Board Leader.” I advocate for Hillsborough at the county and state level through my volunteer work with New Jersey School Boards Association.

Your individual vote is important, and I ask for your vote. Thank you.