Seven candidates vie for three Millburn school board seats Nov. 3

Seven candidates are competing for three seats on the Millburn Board of Education, and voters will choose among three distinct slates on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The race features two incumbents seeking second terms, a three-person challenger slate and an independent candidate. Each group has staked out different ground on technology in classrooms, extracurricular programs and how the district should measure student success. The winners will serve three-year terms on the nonpartisan, unpaid board that sets policy and oversees the superintendent.

The slates

Incumbents Cynthia Longley Richards and Priya Shivani are running under "Partners for Progress." Challengers Christian Germa, Anna Ostrovsky and Prasoon Saurabh make up the "Listen Educate Deliver" slate. Gyanprakash Mishra is running independently under "Parents Raising Outcomes," according to the Essex County Clerk's Office filing reported by Patch.

Andrew Finkelstein originally filed as a third "Partners for Progress" candidate. A Facebook post by Scott Redler indicated Finkelstein left the race and endorsed Richards and Shivani, but his formal ballot status could not be confirmed.

Partners for Progress: Richards and Shivani

Richards, an educator and mental health professional with two sons in the district, pointed to expanded Advanced Placement, honors and dual enrollment coursework during her first term, according to her Patch candidate profile. She said she wants to bring similar attention to the middle school, particularly around grading, assessments and preparing students for Millburn High School.

Board Vice President Shivani, who has led the Governance Committee, said in her Patch profile that one priority is extending student-centered practices from the high school into the middle school. She also called for stronger relationships with college admissions offices.

Both incumbents said technology should be embraced where it improves learning but balanced with critical thinking and human interaction.

Listen Educate Deliver: Germa, Ostrovsky and Saurabh

Germa, 56, a retired project finance professional who now serves as part-time chief financial officer of a biotechnology company, said in his Patch profile that he wants students to take assessments home so they can learn from mistakes. He also proposed reducing subscription busing fees to ease traffic congestion around schools.

In interviews with The Miller, the Millburn High School student newspaper, Germa said he wants to expand extracurriculars and course options.

Saurabh, 45, who leads analytics for HSBC's U.S. business, outlined five priorities in his Patch profile: an enrollment strategy with public targets, budget transparency showing how spending reaches classrooms, grading consistency across sections, teacher retention and a clear AI policy. He characterized enrollment as having "declined significantly over the past few years."

Ostrovsky, 52, a former Goldman Sachs managing director and Short Hills resident, is part of the slate, according to our Oct. 14 coverage. Her individual platform priorities were not available in public records reviewed for this article.

Parents Raising Outcomes: Mishra

Mishra, 45, a data risk technology professional who has served on PTO boards at South Mountain Elementary School and Millburn Middle School, is running on the most specific technology platform in the field. He called for banning generative artificial intelligence (AI) in grades K through 8 and limiting daily screen time, according to his Patch profile.

He also proposed expanding competitive enrichment programs such as Science Olympiad, Robotics, Speech and Debate and Model UN, along with creating a centralized district information portal.