With 33 or 33 districts counted, Malini Nayar, Paul Stephan and Meredith Higgins — who ran together on the the Listen Learn Lead slate — have won election to the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education.
“Thank you to everyone who came out to vote in this crucial election,” wrote the candidates in a statement that they sent to media. “To everyone who supported us, by voting, volunteering, donating, or contributing in some other way, we are deeply grateful. To those who supported other candidates, we will work to earn your trust. Over the next three years, we will do our best to carry out our collective vision for more equitable schools that meet the needs of all learners. We will continue to listen to the community, to learn from the past and from our own mistakes, and to lead with clarity and compassion. While this campaign has been hard, the real work of making this school district better for all students begins right now, and we look forward to working with everyone in partnership.”
Malini Nayar, Paul Stephan and Meredith Higgins. Photo courtesy of Chris Sabin.
The opposing slate of Daniel Caplan, Ashley Donahue and Ashwat Rishi sent the following statement on November 5:
“While this is not the result we hoped for, we want to extend our sincere congratulations to Malini, Paul, and Meredith on their victory in this election. Serving this district is an important responsibility, and we genuinely hope the new Board will work with transparency, collaboration, and a student-centered focus.
“To all of our supporters and volunteers – you opened your doors to us, asked us questions, encouraged us, challenged us, and taught us so much throughout these past few months. We are extremely grateful for your time and dedication. Your commitment to our schools and our community is what fueled our campaign and allowed us to run with a positive and focused message. We are especially grateful to the parents, caregivers, educators, students, and residents who continue to show up to make their voices heard. To our spouses and other family members, we recognize your sacrifice; you allowed us to put our best effort into this race.
“We decided to run for the Board for three core reasons: to continue the progress made by the current Board; to foster a stronger, more connected partnership among all community stakeholders; and to fulfill the promise we owe our students – that they deserve an education that helps them reach their full potential. We believe that this can be a district where every student is supported, where our teachers are valued and treated with respect, and where communication with families is clear and proactive. We are proud that we focused on realistic and practical solutions to the challenges that our district faces, which were informed by the conversations we held with the many neighbors we met along the way all across SOMA – from Hilton, to Newstead, to Lightning Brook, to Montrose, to Wyoming, to Seton Village, and everywhere in between.
“Although we will not be serving on the Board next year, our commitment to South Orange and Maplewood is unchanged. We remain here – engaged, collaborative, and ready to hold people accountable. This campaign challenged us in many ways, but we will continue to listen, support, and work alongside all who want to strengthen SOMSD.
“Thank you for believing in us – and in this district. The work continues, and we look forward to doing it together.”
