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Princeton Board of Education elects officers, swears in three new members
Summary
At its Jan. 6 organizational meeting the Princeton Board of Education sworn in three newly elected members, elected Daphne Kendall as board president and Susan Kantor as vice president, approved minutes and a consent agenda, and scheduled an introduction for the new superintendent.
Daphne Kendall was elected president of the Princeton Board of Education and Susan Kantor was elected vice president during the board’s organizational meeting on Jan. 6, 2025. The board also swore in three newly elected members — Mara Franceschi (re-elected), Chris Santarpio and Ari Meisel — and approved the consent agenda and the Dec. 17 minutes.
The meeting, opened by Board Secretary Mr. Bolden, followed requirements of the Open Public Meetings Act, N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 et seq., and included acknowledgment that meetings are recorded under Board Policy 168. Mr. Bolden read the results of the annual school election and administered oaths to Franceschi, Santarpio and Meisel before taking roll call and proceeding to organizational business.
The board moved quickly through procedural items. During the vote for president, board members cast votes recorded on the record; the tally shown on the roll call recorded nine votes in favor and one opposing vote from Adam Bierman, electing Kendall president. In the vice president vote, the board unanimously approved Susan Kantor. The board adopted the minutes from the Dec. 17 meeting with seven votes in favor and three abstentions (Ari Meisel, Chris Santarpio and Catherine Lara), and later approved the consent agenda by unanimous vote.
Kendall, after her election, emphasized student-centered decision making, saying “the children have to be the center of the orbit,” and thanked fellow board members for their support. Kantor, after becoming vice president, thanked members for their confidence and said she looked forward to supporting Kendall and the board during the superintendent transition.
Board members discussed logistics including newspapers and legal advertising now that changes to state practice were ongoing; the board noted the Trenton Times hard-copy edition will cease in early February and that The Star-Ledger remains a listed paper for advertisements. The board also deferred its required annual ethics training to a later meeting (members discussed February 4 as a likely date, with some flexibility).
The board reminded the public that Dr. Michael Souza, the district’s incoming superintendent, would be introduced to the community at a public event at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 7. With procedural business complete, the board adjourned shortly before 6 p.m.
Votes at a glance - Election of board president: Daphne Kendall — Outcome: approved; tally: yes 9, no 1 (Adam Bierman). (Motion/second: not specified on the record.) - Election of vice president: Susan Kantor — Outcome: approved; tally: yes 10. (Motion/second: not specified on the record.) - Adoption of minutes (Dec. 17): Outcome: approved; tally: yes 7, abstain 3 (Ari Meisel, Chris Santarpio, Catherine Lara). - Consent agenda: Outcome: approved; tally: yes 10.
The meeting record shows routine organizational actions and officer elections with minimal debate. Several items on the agenda — including committee appointments, detailed committee work and the annual ethics training — were scheduled for forthcoming meetings.
