Toms River School Board Election 2022: Kevin Kidney

TOMS RIVER, NJ ? When voters go to the polls Nov. 8, they will be asked to choose people to serve on the Toms River Regional Board of Education.

The seats open this year on the school board are representing Pine Beach, Beachwood and Toms River.

In Pine Beach, Kevin Kidney and Arley Kuehl are seeking the three-year unpaid term on the board.

Patch asked each candidate to answer questions to give voters information about who they are and their stances on various issues. We are printing their responses in full, unedited except for spelling or punctuation.

Here are the answers for Kevin Kidney, who is 41 years old.

Tell voters about your family: I am married to a wonderful woman and father to a daughter and son. My daughter is a student in the Toms River Schools. My son is only 2 years old, but is very much looking forward to joining his big sister at school when he is old enough.

Tell voters about your education: I graduated from Georgian Court University in 2003 with a bachelor of arts in history and secondary education. I graduated with my masters of educational administration in 2009, also from Georgian Court.

What is your occupation? I am a teacher in the Brick Township school district. I have been employed with them since 2004. I teach civics, financial literacy, and world history.

Previous elective office, if any: This would be my second term as school board representative if elected. I have never held any other political office.

Do you or anyone in your family work for the state, county or local governments? No.

Why are you running for the Board of Education? I am running for 2 main reasons. First, I believe in community service and if I am able to do something to help, then I believe it is my responsibility to do just that. Secondly, I believe my background in education and educational administration gives me good insight into policy, curriculum, and personnel.

What do you feel is the most pressing issue facing your school district and what do you want to do about it?

The most pressing issue facing our district right now is without a doubt funding. S2 specifically has really done our district a disservice. As this state law (specifically its funding formula) is currently being contested in court right now, I believe that we are doing all that we can to affect this change. We have a fantastic finance team with award-winning experience, as a board member I feel that we should be working together to proactively communicate our needs to the state via our central office and hopefully gain back some financial assistance through other avenues until such time as the funding formula is rectified. It is my sincere hope that the state sees the error it made and works with all districts involved to fund not just Toms River but all school districts.

The Toms River Regional schools continue to suffer cuts under S2. These cuts could cost the district dozens of teachers? jobs in the next two years. What do you think the district should do to address the financial crush the cuts are creating?

While there is nothing outside of the court system that can be done to change S2 at this point, I feel the most logical course of action is to work with the state in acquiring alternative sources of funds through financial aid. Our administration has worked very hard to keep the teachers in the classrooms, however S2 makes it harder each year.

The school district ? like districts all over ? has dealt with vocal criticism of curriculum, including social-emotional learning, which has been part of education for years. As mental health concerns and bullying continue to skyrocket, do you feel efforts to address kindness and empathy in school are misplaced?

I feel that Toms River takes a child-centered approach to children in all aspects from curriculum to social and emotional needs. Administration, faculty, and staff work tirelessly and collaboratively to find solutions to ever-increasing needs of our children and their families. No effort to care for children and families is ever misplaced. While it's understood that some efforts are more effective than others, administration, faculty, and staff are always evaluating the effectiveness of any approach and sharing that with one another and the board as a whole. Professional development of all our employees starts with the needs of our students and families.

If you could change one thing about how the Toms River schools are being operated right now, what would it be?

At this point in time, I think Toms River Schools are being stretched to untold lengths. I feel both administrators and teachers are going above and beyond to do more with less each year. I would like to see increased unity throughout the district. With funds growing tighter each year, unity costs the district nothing and gains it so much more. I want the kids to know that they are supported by parents and teachers, I want teachers to know that they are supported by parents and administration and that parents are being supported by our district as a whole. I think our superintendent is doing a phenomenal job creating a positive and unified culture in his short time at the helm, and I hope it only keeps getting better.