Statement on Mayor and Commissioners' Plan for Partnership Proposal from Team Collingswood Candidate Becky Sieg
Like most parents in Collingswood, I’m feeling a deep sense of relief this week as our Borough and Board of Education have come to an agreement that helps us retain our teachers for next school year and provides time for us to come together as a community to determine how we want to invest in our schools in the coming years.
Educators play a vital role in shaping our children's growth and helping them achieve their goals. While we must continue working to ensure they are truly valued for their dedication, I’m grateful that this agreement prioritizes keeping them in our classrooms.
I also want to recognize the incredible efforts of community members who have spent the past year bringing school funding issues to the forefront. Their dedication and advocacy have sparked much-needed conversations across our town. Communities all over New Jersey are grappling with similar challenges, and it’s clear we must work together to find sustainable solutions that prioritize our students and educators. We are fortunate to have such committed, thoughtful individuals in Collingswood who are interested in strengthening our schools and our community.
Looking at the future, I am most excited about the potential for a long-term partnership between the Borough and Board that ensures decisions made by our elected officials are made with everyone in mind, from our youngest learners to our seniors who want to remain in the community they love. This includes considering fiscally responsible options such as sharing office space as well as the commitment to a joint advisory group that assesses the role our facilities play in addressing issues of educational equity for our students.
Issues like determining how to keep our schools whole without placing an undue burden on taxpayers require not just creative thinking but also deep expertise in municipal finance and community engagement. Crafting a proposal of this scale takes more than a simple funding offer—it requires a strategic plan to achieve the goals we’ve all been discussing for years. This is an exciting moment for our community because, for the first time, we have a comprehensive roadmap that reflects not only financial solutions but also the ideas and concerns of our residents.
Make no mistake, the proposal from the Borough to the School Board was made possible by the experience, knowledge, and solutions-oriented approach of our current Mayor and Commissioners. Their expertise and leadership enabled them to bring together the necessary components to develop a “big picture” plan that serves the entire community—going far beyond just providing financial support to schools.
Importantly, this plan was shaped by community input, ensuring that residents' voices, priorities, and concerns were incorporated into the approach. Our commissioners have also ensured that residents will continue to have a voice—not only in major funding decisions that could impact taxes but also in shaping the long-term vision for our schools and community. This is the kind of leadership you can count on—one that considers both what is possible and what our community needs.
I am excited about the opportunity to bring a new voice to Team Collingswood and build upon the incredible work they’ve done. The dedication of this team to our community is what drew so many of us here, and I look forward to contributing alongside Jim and Morgan to keep that momentum going.