PASCACK VALLEY—Park Ridge voters will choose among four candidates for three school board seats Nov. 3, while Hillsdale voters will select two of three candidates to represent their borough on the Pascack Valley Regional High School District Board of Education.
Rising costs, maintaining educational programs and strengthening communication with families are recurring themes in the candidates’ statements. Park Ridge candidates also address enrollment, development and technology spending. In the regional race, candidates emphasize financial oversight, preparing students for life after graduation and selecting the district’s next superintendent.
Pascack Press asked candidates in the contested races to identify their top concerns and outline their campaign platforms.
Park Ridge: Four candidates for three seats
Incumbents Rachelle Browne, Shanai Jensen and Amara Wagner face newcomer Josephine Hunt. According to the Bergen County Clerk’s Office, no petition was filed for a separate, unexpired one-year board term.
Rachelle Browne: Long-term planning and community involvement
Browne said her priorities include maintaining school quality while addressing rising costs and the potential for overcrowding from ongoing development.
“I believe in thoughtful, long-term planning rather than short-term reactions, and I am committed to strong community involvement and respecting parents’ voices and choices in their children’s education,” she said.
According to her online biography, Browne joined the board in January 2024. A Park Ridge High School graduate, she earned a bachelor’s degree in administration of justice at Rutgers and has worked in child advocacy for more than 20 years. She has also volunteered as a volleyball coach.
Browne and her husband, Dan, also a Park Ridge High School graduate, have two children attending district schools.
Josephine Hunt: Protecting programs and reviewing technology costs
Hunt said she wants to preserve academic, arts and extracurricular programs while maintaining fiscal responsibility. Reducing teaching staff or eliminating student opportunities should be a last resort as healthcare costs rise, she said.
She supports reviewing recurring technology expenses for potential savings and evaluating developmentally appropriate screen time in elementary schools.
Technology, she said, “must support, not replace foundational literacy, writing, critical thinking, resilience and student well-being.”
Her priorities also include retaining educators, supporting student mental health and strengthening partnerships among families, schools and the community.
Hunt said she has more than 20 years of experience in public education, two master’s degrees, and principal and supervisor certifications. A Park Ridge resident for more than 20 years whose three daughters attended the public schools, she has volunteered as a class parent, youth sports coach, Girl Scout leader and PTO volunteer, among other roles.
Shanai Jensen: Family engagement and student retention
Jensen was appointed to the board in April 2026 to fill Christopher Amitrano’s unexpired term following his resignation.
“My priorities as a school board trustee center on student success, family engagement, transparency, and the long-term strength of the Park Ridge School District,” she said.
Jensen supports exploring family focus groups, a committee focused on student persistence, and feedback from families who have left or are considering leaving the district. She said that feedback should lead to action, follow-up and measurable progress.
She also identified her work on the board’s Policy Committee as a priority, emphasizing policies responsive to students, educators and families and clearer explanations of board decisions.
According to her online biography, Jensen has 15 years of education experience and works as an enrollment manager for a public charter school in Newark. A seven-year Park Ridge resident, she has two children attending East Brook Elementary School.
Amara Wagner: Managing costs while maintaining school quality
Wagner said her top concern is protecting the quality of education while managing rising health insurance costs, anticipated enrollment growth from development and maintenance needs in aging facilities.
“The challenge is finding practical ways to be smart with taxpayer dollars and make the strategic, sometimes difficult choices required to ensure our classrooms, teachers, and facilities have what they need and are sustainable for the long run.”
Her platform emphasizes students and families, budgeting and community collaboration. She said she wants to build on communication with parents while respecting teachers’ educational expertise.
Wagner said her knowledge of the district and more than 20 years of business experience would help her make financial decisions that manage costs without cutting essential programs. A local parent and former PTO leader, she said she would work collaboratively to move the district forward responsibly.
Hillsdale: Three candidates for two regional seats
Beth Kornblatt, Patrick Farley and Robert Stephen Oosting are seeking two Hillsdale seats on the Pascack Valley Regional High School District Board of Education. Incumbents Gini Varghese and Kristin Martin are not seeking reelection.
The district operates Pascack Valley High School in Hillsdale, serving Hillsdale and River Vale, and Pascack Hills High School in Montvale, serving Montvale and Woodcliff Lake.
The board approved an agreement Sept. 28 with New Jersey School Boards to conduct a superintendent search during the 2026–2027 school year, with fees and expenses not to exceed $15,500. Interim Superintendent Dirk Phillips’ term expires April 30, 2027, according to an Oct. 21 email from Debra Kradjian Stephans to Pascack Press.
Kornblatt’s campaign flyer identifies Farley as her running mate.
Patrick Farley: Financial oversight and preparation for life after high school
Farley said his two main priorities are fiscal responsibility and preparing students for a rapidly changing world.
“Our district faces real financial pressures, particularly rising healthcare and operating costs. I believe we need to take a thoughtful approach to managing those costs, balancing our responsibility to taxpayers with maintaining the quality of our schools.”
He said financial oversight requires asking difficult questions, considering the long-term consequences of decisions and being transparent with the community.
Drawing on his career in finance and business leadership, Farley said students need skills including critical thinking, communication, adaptability and collaboration. He wants curriculum and student experiences to evolve with changes in the workplace.
His platform also emphasizes student engagement: helping students explore their interests, develop practical skills and find paths toward future success.
Beth Kornblatt: Leadership selection and access to student support
Kornblatt said her priorities include strong academic programs, equitable access to opportunities and support, better communication with families and responsible long-term planning.
“One of the Board’s most significant responsibilities in the coming year will be selecting the district’s next Superintendent.”
Following a period of interim leadership, she said, the district needs a superintendent committed to providing stable, long-term leadership and working with students, families and staff.
A 15-year resident with a son in his junior year at Pascack Valley High School, Kornblatt said raising a deaf child has given her firsthand experience with special education services and family advocacy. She served for two years as president of the school’s Special Education Parent Advisory Group.
Kornblatt has worked for construction and engineering company Kiewit for 34 years and currently serves as development director for its eastern district. She said she would bring professional leadership experience and parent advocacy to the board.
Robert Stephen “Steve” Oosting: Budget scrutiny and retaining teachers
Oosting said the district’s most important challenge is finding ways to fund needed programs. His priorities include careful financial oversight and attracting and retaining excellent teachers.
In a letter published in Pascack Press’s Oct. 12 issue, he wrote, “That means reviewing the budget line by line, asking whether every expense actually improves student outcomes, and being open with taxpayers about where their money goes.”
He said his experience as a department chair at Montclair State University for more than a decade included managing budgets, recruiting faculty, making hiring decisions, developing curricula and holding department members accountable for results.
Oosting has spent more than 30 years in higher education, including work at William Paterson University and Montclair State. He earned his doctorate at the University of Rochester’s Eastman School.
He said three of his grandchildren attend elementary and middle schools, giving him a personal stake in the regional district’s decisions.
Other school board races
Local school board races in Emerson, Hillsdale, Montvale, River Vale and Woodcliff Lake are uncontested.
Also uncontested are two Washington Township seats and one Westwood seat on the Westwood Regional School District board, and one Montvale seat and one Woodcliff Lake seat on the Pascack Valley Regional High School District board.