Elect Samuel M. Roth for NJSD Board

Stay warm in this snowstorm! Earlier this week on Thursday, March 12th, 2026 I participated in the League of Women Voters (LWV) Candidate Forum.   League of Women Voters Before writing about the forum itself, I want to share a few thoughts about the LWV. It is remarkable that an organization born out of the  political energy surrounding the 19th Amendment and women's suffrage  continues, more than a century later, to provide meaningful, nonpartisan platforms where candidates can be heard. Even today—over 100 years after its passage—the 19th Amendment’s guarantee of women’s right to vote is  openly opposed by some . In that sense, the organizations and institutions that emerged from the suffrage movement must still carry forward the attention and civic energy that gave rise to them. Institutions like the LWV form part of the scaffolding that supports a free democratic society. We should understand their history, take pride in their work, and actively strengthen a...

  Referendums and Public School Funding Last week’s NJSD Board Meeting was wrenching as Superintendent Harrison proposed freezing annual salary increases for administrative staff . How many people living within the NJSD boundaries would willingly accept their employer freezing their salary while inflation continues to rise? Why would district leadership propose something so personally painful? The answer is simple: they are trying to close a budget gap. And freezing administrative salary increases is only a small part of the picture. Those savings amount to pennies compared to the $1.3 million in cuts proposed through reductions in staff — including more than a 10% reduction in Special Education support positions . At the same time, the Appleton Area School District has placed an operational referendum on the ballot asking voters to approve $15 million per year for the next four years. At last Thursday’s League of Women Voters candidate forum, candidates were asked what happens aft...