Election 2023: Barnegat School Board Candidate Colleen Angus

BARNEGAT, NJ —Election Day is nearing, and Barnegat voters will head to the polls to cast their votes for three Board of Education members.

Patch sent questionnaires to all candidates seeking their responses. Here is the response from candidate Colleen Angus.

Editor's Note: Patch sent out emails to all candidates to the email addresses listed for their campaign provided to the office of the clerk. The responses received will be published between now and the Nov. 7 general election. These responses will be published edited only for style. Candidates who would like to participate but did not receive one (for whatever reason) can contact [email protected].

Name: Colleen Angus

Age: 36

Occupation: Nurse

Family: Married to my husband Scott and one 10 year old son in the district

Previous Public Office Experience: I am currently on the Barnegat Board of Education after winning a one year unexpired term last year.

I am running for Barnegat Board of Education in order to continue to help move the district in a positive direction. The district has made great strides academically and needs the support of a BOE that believes in student / staff sucess. I also believe the district needs people who will question where funds are coming from and think outside the box to obtain better fiscal responsibility. I began advocating for improvement in this community when I was only 12 years old, when myself and few others organized a protest at the "Meet the Mayor" night to form the Barnegat Girls Basketball League. I have always wanted to see this town succeed and I believe our school district being outstanding is the first step in reaching that goal.

I believe what sets me apart from other candidates is my involvement n the Dunfee school PTA and then Barnegat Elementary PTA. As a board member for the BEPTA, I receive a window into the issues the district is struggling with post reconfiguration. I have spent countless hours of my time dedicated to helping the district to provide items and experiences that are not in the school budget. I have found that having boots on the ground in the schools with the PTA allows me to view the budget issues through a different lense. I am able to use my vast knowledge of fundraising and grants to work towards giving our staff ideas and avenues to reach goals that do not impact the taxpayer. I find that I am able to view issues and scenarios from many different angles.

I believe the most pressing issue in the district is attendance. We cannot educate students that are not in school. I will continue to encourage administration to come to terms with the WHY and find ways to decrease the truancy issues in the district. This includes exploring ways to connect with students, offer help where it is needed and give a selection of programs that fit each child whether they are college or trade bound.

The issue with sexual education is communication with the community on what that actually means. I believe there needs to be more publication and education on what the Barnegat curriculum is and not what it is misconstrued to be. I would also like to see more publication on the OPT OUT option. I think this issue is wildly misunderstood. Parents need to know that they can opt their child out of the sex education curriculum with just an email. The email does not need to specific and it is a no questions asked scenario. Parents that have questions can view the curriculum on the website, can ask to review any videos that are shown and are provided with the dates that this portion of health takes place on ahead of time. It is in the parents control to choose whether this is appropriate for their children. Students are also not affected negatively for missing this portion of health class. This is a parental right and I will continue to advocate for that option to remain.

If elected, I hope to see our district become a blue ribbon district. This is an honor that is given based on academic growth and our district is on track to complete this. I would like to see us continue to pass QSAC, which was done for the first time ever in Barnegat, last cycle. I would like to see the community continue to become more involved with the schools and for every community member to be proud of the district.

I want the voters to know that I will never vote due to influence by outside sources. I will never allow my personal opinions to outweigh the importance of every student and staff member. I will never lie or embellish in order to win an election or a popularity contest, that's not what I am here for. I am here for the students, staff and community. I have spent my entire life advocating for Barnegat to be the best place to raise a family and then retire. I do Believe in Barnegat and I am asking that you all do the same. Together we can quiet the noise and get back to prioritizing our community.