The votes determining SB’s new Board of Education members are officially in. As of November 4, Laura Hernandez, Alisha Khan, Deven M. Patel, and Barry Nathanson are the new, but familiar, BOE members. Nathanson will serve the final two years of the term that was originally won by Mrs. Lisa Rodgers, who retired last spring. The other three members will serve the full three-year term. These re-elected members will join the rest of the continuing Board at the next meeting on November 20, along with new Superintendent Dr. Bernard Bragen who was appointed at a special BOE meeting on October 27.
For voting this year, only one two-year spot was available, with voters needing to choose between Magesh Kamalakannan and incumbent Barry Nathanson. Three spots were also up for grabs for full, three year long terms. Seven nominees had a space on the ballot, including incumbents and winners Mrs. Hernandez and Miss Khan. Outgoing board member Ms. Julie Ferrera chose not to run for re-election this year.
Mrs. Hernandez is the current BOE President and an English as a Second Language teacher (ESL). Mrs. Hernandez seems to put the theme of this year’s vote, stability, into words when speaking on why she was seeking to keep her seat on the BOE. “I am in the center of all of these changes and I believe that continuity is crucial and I would very much like to see all of these transitions through their entirety” said Mrs. Hernandez in an interview with Patch.com.
Miss Khan is the current BOE Policy Chair, having served since 2023. At only 24 years old, the youngest member on the Board, she works as a Vice President of a construction consulting firm.
Mr. Patel, while not an incumbent, is a familiar face to SB residents. He served on the BOE previously for almost a decade from 2011 to 2020. Currently, he works as a Civil Engineer for the Department of Transportation.
Mr. Nathanson had served on the BOE for 23 years, with his two children getting their education through the SB district, and he will now hold the interim position for the unexpired term.
