Ginsburg Wins Contested Board Presidency After Rival Camp Cites Resignation Threat
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The Glen Ridge Board of Education opened 2026 with its annual reorganization meeting on January 6, swearing in three newly elected members and then splitting sharply over who would lead the board for the coming year. Tricia Akinwande, Luke Franklin and Elisabeth Ginsburg were sworn in after winning three-year terms in the annual school board election, with Akinwande drawing 2,140 votes, Ginsburg 1,916 and Franklin 1,889, ahead of challenger Heather Yaros-Ramos's 1,344.
The presidency contest turned contentious. Darius Dehnad nominated Jocelyn Gottlieb, praising outgoing president Ginsburg's two decades of service but arguing it was time for new leadership. Dehnad then told the board that Ginsburg had informed members the night before that if she were not chosen as president that evening, she would resign the next day, calling it "not leadership" and "an ultimatum" that put the district's stability at risk. Anthony Bonnett countered by nominating Ginsburg, citing the institutional experience she brings during a year of major transition, including the search for a new superintendent. On the first roll call, Gottlieb's nomination failed 4-5, with Akinwande, Bonnett, DeLorenzi, Ginsburg and O'Neil voting no. A second roll call elected Ginsburg president by a 5-4 vote, with Dehnad, Franklin, Gottlieb and Graham opposed. Gottlieb was then elected 1st Vice President unanimously, and Kristin O'Neil was elected 2nd Vice President 8-1, with Dehnad the lone dissenting vote.
The board reported it had received written communications from nine residents -- Katie Stapp, Dawn Miller, Elizabeth Wall, Katilya Humphery, Elizabeth Murach, Barbara Sutcliffe, Cory Dowd, Rachel Patterson and Robert Stomber -- all regarding a personnel matter at Central School; the board said all the correspondence was acknowledged and responded to. The board also accepted the superintendent's recommendations on two Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying investigations involving Glen Ridge High School students, finding in both cases that HIB was not substantiated.
The board accepted a $5,000 donation from the Louis and Virginia Clemente Foundation to the Sharing the Arts program, and approved a $550 conference for teacher Jarrad Nardiello. Fran Wong, chair of the Glen Ridge Educational Foundation, told the board the annual Ashenfelter race was a great success, thanking the administration, custodians and borough departments for their support and singling out a national anthem performance by Grammy winner John Brancy as a highlight.
In her president's report, Ginsburg noted that Governor Murphy is expected to sign a bill January 8 requiring all boards of education to adopt policies on student cell phone and internet-connected device use, effective immediately with full compliance required by the coming school year. Superintendent Winnie Kievit welcomed the community back from a nearly two-week winter break and thanked Bob Gomes and the maintenance staff for coming in during the break to manage snow events. The board also appointed Luke Franklin as its delegate to the New Jersey School Boards Association and Duval Graham as alternate, before adjourning to executive session to discuss personnel, confidential pupil matters, negotiations and possible litigation.
Action items
- Elected Elisabeth Ginsburg board president (5-4), Jocelyn Gottlieb 1st Vice President (unanimous), and Kristin O'Neil 2nd Vice President (8-1)
- Accepted a $5,000 donation from the Louis and Virginia Clemente Foundation to the Sharing the Arts program
- Appointed Luke Franklin as NJSBA delegate and Duval Graham as alternate
- Found HIB not substantiated in two separate investigations involving Glen Ridge High School students