Mara Franceschi

"I want everybody to find the joy in learning."

Mara Franceschi, the race’s only incumbent, hopes to continue her work to ensure all students can reach their fullest potential in public education.

After receiving an MBA from Columbia, Franceschi has worked in finance for ten years. A mother of three with two children at PHS, she has been actively involved in the schools and town since her move to Princeton 14 years ago.

“In the last 14 years ... I’ve been deeply involved with the school ... I was the treasurer and president of the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) at Johnson Park and then [the PTO Committee]. I’ve also been [an] assistant treasurer at the library,” Franceschi said.

Franceschi plans to utilize her BOE experience to best support quality education in the school district.

“I do think that it’s important to maintain some of the institutional knowledge and experience [of the Board]. I was surprised at how much there was to learn [after being elected], even though I spent a decade before that really involved with the schools ... It’s quite different from just other nonprofit-kind of board experiences,” Franceschi said.

Franceschi emphasized her focus on the district’s budget. She aims to collaborate with other board members to ensure the district remains financially sound, particularly as the student population continues to grow.

“It’s a very difficult fiscal environment with the inflation rate and … costs that have just been going through the roof,” Franceschi said.

Franceschi feels her mission, along with the rest of the BOE, is to solve these financial challenges so students and educators are able to focus more on education.

“My overarching reason for joining the board is that I am passionate about public school and public school education for all children, making sure that every child reaches their full potential ... It’s not a sprint. It’s a marathon. And I want everybody to find joy in learning,” Franceschi said.

Ari Meisel

"There needs to be more opportunities... for people to connect."

Ari Meisel is a business coach and active member of many organizations in Princeton, including the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad, the PMS PTO, and the Princeton Jewish Center. After graduating from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Meisel worked in construction, but after a diagnosis with Crohn’s disease, he was forced to develop a new living philosophy; he has since made these ideas the foundation of his own consulting agency.

“I did a TEDx talk on the entire experience [with Crohn’s disease], and I’ve replicated my results with a whole bunch of other people … Over the last 12 years, I’ve spoken on stages all over the world, consulted hundreds of different companies and individuals ... and published 12 books,” Meisel said.

Meisel hopes to use his experience in the corporate and nonprofit world to address operational inefficiencies in the district.

“[In PPS] there are a lot of staff who are under-resourced, [such as] guidance counselors [with] a 125 student caseload each,” said Meisel. “That’s a New Jersey standard, sure, but there are ways that we could be supporting that with free tools and systems, processes that aren’t necessarily in place,”

Meisel emphasized the value of transparency, especially following the dismissal of PHS principal Frank Chmiel and the resignation of superintendent Carol Kelly. He hopes that making the BOE more accessible to community members will help mend a purported lack of trust in the board.

“One of the things I’ve tried to propose to the board is social media. The board doesn’t use it, and the board should. We have a public meeting once a month, [but] not everybody can do that. There needs to be more opportunities ... for people to connect,” said Meisel. “We need to be in a situation where the community trusts the board ... and [their] decisions.”

Lisa Potter

"I believe that my background being an Asian is a strength."

After immigrating from Taiwan, Lisa Potter received an MBA from NYU Stern and a master’s in Human Resources from Cornell and has since gained experience in human resources and operations. A mother of two with a junior currently at PHS, she has been involved with the Princeton Chinese Language School and the PHS Football and Cheerleading Booster Club since her move to Princeton 15 years ago.

“I believe that my background being Asian is a strength — Princeton itself is close to 20 percent Asian, and, to date, there has not been a board member who is Asian-American. I do believe in being an inspiration, hopefully, [and] a role model,” Potter said.

The dismissal of former PHS principal Frank Chmiel initially drove Potter to join the board. Potter believes that her background in human resources would still be invaluable in helping fill other vacancies moving forward, including the position of superintendent. Potter feels that careful planning during the hiring process can help solve some of the retention issues the district faces. She added that developing a sense of security among staff will allow them to voice their opinions and create a better learning environment for teachers and students alike.

She aims to be a candidate who has the humility to recognize such complexity and collaborate with all stakeholders to find the best solutions for Princeton’s students and schools.

“I would encourage the voters to vote holistically ... Having that spectrum [of Board members] because they’re going to bring a slightly different perspective and opinion [is] just going to make our decision making so much more holistic,” Potter said.

Chris Santarpio

"I'm very active in the PTO at Community Park Elementary."

Christopher Santarpio is the co-chair of the Community Park PTO. Santarpio received an MBA from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Science degree from Villanova University. He moved with his husband from Cherry Hill to Princeton in 2020 after enrolling his son in kindergarten at Community Park and quickly became involved with the school.

“I’m very active in the PTO at Community Park Elementary,” said Santarpio. “I started out as a room parent, then organized events such as ‘Steam Day’ for the entire school … where the students go [to different rooms] to have a 15–20 minute conversation or presentation [with groups like] the Princeton [University] robotics club and the rocket club.”

As an experienced PTO co-chair, Santarpio understands PPS’s slate of challenges and opportunities. To address these issues, he plans to implement a greater degree of collaboration with outside organizations like Sustainable Princeton.

“Princeton is such an amazing, special town [with] a wealth of organizations that are willing and want to help out,” said Santarpio. “I think a lot of the challenges that the school district faces can tap into [them] for additional help and support.”

As a parent, Santarpio has experienced communications issues firsthand. He plans to use his experience in supply chain operations to bridge communication gaps and ensure the district is running smoothly.

“I think an idea could be … to create a liaison between the district and [its] third party service providers, and that includes after school with the YWCA or the food services or any other outside vendors,” Santarpio said.

However, before putting his plans in action, as a new board member, he wishes to first understand how the board currently operates.

“I think the first thing, if elected, is just [to] observe [the] proven method that [the Board has] found success in … and identify those gaps [in the method] and improve them. And then that’s when we could tap into the local organizations to see if they could [provide] that knowledge base [not] already in the district,” Santarpio said.

Erica Snyder

"It's really important that you find someone who... has a clear vision."

Director of Cherry Hill Nursery School and co-chair of Community Park Elementary’s PTO, Erica Snyder is another first-time candidate for BOE. Snyder holds a bachelor’s degree in education from DePaul University, a master’s in education technology from East Carolina University, as well as a Certificate in eLearning from Texas A&M University. Having frequently moved due to her husband’s army deployment, she wishes to utilize her experience teaching and working with administrators in multiple districts to help Princeton face its current challenges.

One of Snyder’s main focuses is the search for a new permanent superintendent to replace Dr. Kathleen Foster, who has been interim superintendent since October 2023.

“I think it’s really important that you find someone who wants to stay in the district and has a really clear vision on how to make changes and unite the district from pre-K all the way through 12[th grade],” Snyder said.

Additionally, Snyder plans to address a purported communication gap between the district and parents, particularly by making information about the PPS curriculum more available and facilitating contact between parents and relevant district officials.

“Sometimes it’s difficult to really understand [the] scope and sequence of … the middle school to high school pathway,” Snyder said.

Snyder plans to better support students with knowledge gaps that put them below grade level, particularly black and brown students. She would work to create alternative post-secondary pathways to success for students whose plans do not immediately involve college.

Shenwei Zhao

"I really want to hear from students."

Shenwei Zhao, a first-generation immigrant and IT professional, is running on a platform of openness and accountability. Zhao received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Shandong University, Master of Science degree from Ball State University, Zhao plans to use his backgrounds in both business and IT to help the board.

“I think there are some trust issues ... to be fixed I think the way [the BOE makes] decisions, and then the process they get input from the community, needs to be adjusted,” Zhao said.

Zhao cited the abrupt dismissal of former PHS Principal Frank Chmiel as a reflection of a lack of understanding between administration and students.

“We had a good principal in the school,” said Zhao. “Most people liked him, and nobody really knows what he was punished for. The superintendent left, and most people don’t know [why].”

Zhao believes that the diversity he would bring to the board would improve understanding between the board and Princeton community.

“I’m a first generation immigrant from China. The Asian population in the town and in school … 20 percent or even higher in the school, and I believe there needs to be some representation,” Zhao said. “Even though I don’t really support identity politics ... I think there are some cultural values that need to be collected in the decision making for the board.”

Most importantly, he hopes for increased communication about the student experience. To facilitate this process, he encourages all PHS students to reach out to him.

“One thing that we’re missing as candidates is [recognizing] what [students want] ... The most important thing is the educational goal,” said Zhao. “I really want to hear from students. Regardless if I get elected or not, my message to everyone will be to go back, focus on what our kids need and provide the best environment.