RED BANK BORO BOARD OF ED CANDIDATE Q&A: CHRISTINA BRUNO

Name: Christina Bruno

Age: 41

Street: Elm Place

Where did you attend elementary/middle school?

Kernsville Elementary in Orefield, PA and Troxell Junior High School in Allentown, PA

Where did you go to high school?

Parkland High School in Allentown, PA

Did you graduate from college? If so, which school, what degree?

Yes, Pomona College in Claremont, CA with a BA in psychology. I also have an MBA from Yale University.

What do you do for a living? (Title, employer, brief description of your responsibilities)

I’m the Director of Growth & Product Strategy at Spotlight PA. I help introduce the work of our online, independent, and nonprofit newsroom to new audiences through digital channels (like search and social media) and new products (like newsletters and interactive databases).

How long have you been a resident of Red Bank?

six years

Do you own real estate in town?

Yes

What boards/committees have you sat on or volunteer positions have you held in town? If you are in incumbent, how long have you been on the board of ed?

I have been on the board of education since June 2023, and I’ve served on the curriculum & instruction, community relations, and negotiations committees of the board.

Do you have children?

Yes – two.

Do they/will they/have they attended school in the borough? If so, which schools?

Yes, they both started in the Pre-K program. Lena is in her second year of Pre-K at the UMC location and Oscar is in 2nd grade at the primary school.

Why have you decided to run?

My reason for running is the same today as when I initially joined the board: I believe deeply in public education and want to be an advocate for our students, staff, and families. I also love Red Bank – the people here, our community events, local businesses and organizations. I want to help ensure our schools are the best they can be for our community.

What should Red Bank residents expect of a BOE member?

First and foremost, residents should expect board members who are actively involved – not just at meetings, but also at school and community events. Board members should be excited to learn, understand our unique student body and the issues our schools face, and hold one another accountable through questions and comments. Board members should support the hard work of school staff and administration while also making information accessible to the community and listening to community feedback.

What are some things the Red Bank Primary School and Red Bank Middle School do very well?

Our schools (including our excellent Pre-K program that serves 140+ kids in two locations!) are committed to excellence. We have small class sizes, exceptional student attendance, strong support for multilingual learners and students with disabilities, award-winning teachers, excellent financial oversight, and last year we were named a high-performing school by the NJ Department of Education. Just as important, our schools are warm, welcoming places where students’ unique needs are met and our kids learn what it means to be a good person, not just a good student. I could go on, but I always tell people all you need to do is visit our schools to see what wonderful places they are.

What are some things the schools need to improve?

Every district can improve, but on the whole I believe this district makes the most of everything we have and offers an excellent education with the support of partners, grants, and community investment. Improvements are mostly in the margins. I’m always interested in ways we can improve family engagement, focus on mental health, support our teachers and staff, and expand opportunities through grants and community partnerships. I’m also interested in ways our board of education can improve communication about what we do and why, keep our policies current, and make better use of data in our decisions.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the district? How specifically would you address that issue?

The biggest challenge our district faces is financial. The district was chronically underfunded for more than a decade. Just as that gap has started to close, we face rising costs, including health insurance premiums rising more than 30 percent, and unpredictable state and federal aid. Many of these challenges stem from decisions made in Trenton and Washington. But as a local board member I am committed to starting the budget process earlier, engaging in scenario planning so we aren’t caught off guard by state aid figures, comparing the state health benefits plan with available alternatives, advocating directly with our state and federal legislators for fair and predictable funding and better health care options, and explaining our budget decisions to residents in plain language.

The board of education has approved relatively large tax increases over the past two years of ten percent and 9.5 percent. Health insurance costs – the main driver of the tax increases – are expected to rise by more than 30 percent again this year. What more can be done to prevent putting a greater burden local taxpayers?

I know these increases have been hard on Red Bank households, including my own. I believe the best thing we can do to combat rising healthcare costs (which are largely out of our control) is continue the work the district is already doing to reduce the financial burden elsewhere. Things like making smart staffing decisions that reduce the need for layoffs, pursuing every grant available to support our programs, and using capital and maintenance reserves strategically so facility costs don’t spike. While the state funding system makes it hard to plan beyond a year, we need to do as much long-term planning as we can. And we need to be as clear as we can with the community about which expenses are essential for our kids and staff, and which ones can wait.

What is your approach to fiscal issues such as budgeting, taxes and debt?

Every budget has to balance what our kids need with what our community can sustain. I’ll push for budget planning that starts early, includes multiple scenarios, and looks for efficiencies before asking taxpayers for more. I’ll also push for transparency, so residents know what we decided and why. Our district already makes many smart decisions to avoid significant debt, and I will support plans that continue on that path. At the end of the day I think our schools are one of the best investments a town can make, and I think it will benefit both taxpayers and our public school families if we continue to budget wisely.

Do you think it makes sense that New Jersey has 590 school districts? Would you be in favor of more regionalization and consolidation?

This is probably a better question for our state legislators than the local school board. But with declining enrollment, the rising costs of health insurance, transportation, and other services are not sustainable for many public districts. I’m open to exploring any option that eases the financial burden on our schools while maintaining high quality education for our kids – both for the short-term and long-term.

Red Bank has a publicly funded charter school. The board of education recently passed a resolution asking the state to deny its renewal in 2027 and has done so several times in the past.

If you are incumbent, why did you vote for that? If you’re not, would you have supported it? Why or why not?

I voted for the resolution because operating two parallel school systems in a town this small isn’t sustainable. It is a direct cost to an already underfunded district that serves the vast majority of Red Bank’s children. And it fragments a town that shouldn’t be fragmented. The reality is tax payers are supporting approximately $3 million in pass through funding that could be consolidated in the district. Both the charter school and the district are facing declining enrollment and skyrocketing costs. This means both will face increasingly tough decisions that impact everyone if something doesn’t change. This isn’t a criticism of the charter school or the families who attend. I’m sure we all want to offer a great education for Red Bank’s kids. I just believe we can provide that best as one school community.

Last year you proposed discussing ousting a fellow board member for missing too many meetings over the past several years. Why did you decide to propose that? Has that situation improved to your satisfaction or does the issue remain? And should the board allow members to attend virtually in some cases as a way of making it easier for folks to attend?

The reason I motioned for a vote on Ms. McArthur’s attendance was for accountability. Board policy 0145 and state law (NJSA 18A:12-3) permit the board to take action if another board member misses three consecutive meetings without good cause. As a parent and taxpayer I expect the people governing our district to meet the basic standard of being present for the work and taking appropriate action to implement board policy – especially during the critical time of year when we discuss the budget. This was a long-standing issue that involved three consecutive absences in early 2026 and previous years. I can’t say whether it will continue moving forward, but ultimately it is up to the board, not an individual member, to decide whether to take action on this issue and/or whether virtual meeting attendance is acceptable.

Your final thoughts, or anything you’d like to add in 75 words. Go.

The school board election is uncontested this year, like it is many years. That doesn’t mean it’s not important. The board oversees more than $40 million a year in spending and sets policies that affect nearly every family, teacher, and taxpayer in Red Bank. Please get to know the candidates, ask us questions, and vote by November 3! Learn more about me @bruno4boe on Facebook and Instagram.