To the Editor:
My name is Dhruv Kapadia, and I am excited to announce my candidacy for re-election to the Hopewell Valley Regional School District Board of Education. I am running for the 3-year Hopewell Township seat in the upcoming November 2024 election. As an incumbent Board member, HVRSD alumnus, and proud public servant, I am dedicated to advancing equity in the Valley and across our home state of New Jersey.
Since beginning my term in January, I have brought a progressive perspective to our school board. As a member of the Policy committee, I have ensured equity within our District by:
- Abolishing the ineffective and costly random drug testing program;
- Amending policies to use gender neutral language and inclusive pronouns;
- Advocating for protections for cultural attire and natural hairstyles into prospective dress code policies;
- Codifying restorative justice practices in the student code of conduct for non-violent infractions.
As a member of the Education committee, I have addressed curricular gaps by:
- Lowering the unrealistic and burdensome TMS Math placement cutoffs to 90% and instituting a qualified waiver of 87% for students on the cusp;
- Advocating for the inclusion of agricultural curricula into HVRSD science classes in collaboration with community farmers;
- Approving the additions of diverse learning materials to high school Language Arts and Social Studies curricula, including “The Price of Silence” documentary on slavery in NJ and All My Rage, a South Asian coming-of-age novel; and
- Working with District administration to create targeted interventions that address the academic achievement gap between Black and Latino students and their white and Asian peers.
Beyond our school board, I have gained extensive policymaking experience in government offices at the local, city, state, and federal levels across the East Coast. Currently, I serve as a Legislative Aide to State Senator Andrew Zwicker (LD-16), where I conduct research on legislative affairs, assist constituents with policy concerns, and engage community stakeholders in policy development. My previous roles include serving in Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman’s District Office, the New Jersey Attorney General Office’s Division on Civil Rights, and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s Planning Advisory Council. These experiences have equipped me with a deep understanding of policy impacts and the importance of constituent-centered public service.
Above all else, I am a proud graduate of HVRSD. Growing up in Hopewell Valley, I have been a student at every level of our school system, from Stony Brook Elementary to the Central High School. Throughout my time as a student, I was an advocate for our community’s marginalized voices – successfully recognizing Diwali and Chinese Lunar New Year as District holidays, fighting against racial and religious prejudice in our schools, and studying the cycle of segregation in Mercer County, NJ. Following my time at HVRSD, I graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Political Science and Economics and a minor in Statistics from Boston University, where I was elected to serve as the 93rd Student Body President of 17,000 undergraduate students.
After serving on the Board for the past year, I have decided to run for re-election on the same guiding principles from last year’s campaign: Equity, Community, and Success. To learn more about my platform and candidacy, please visit tinyurl.com/dhruvforhvboe24. You can also follow my campaign on Instagram at @dhruvforhvboe and Facebook at Dhruv Kapadia for HVRSD Board of Education.
I know what it takes to create change in the Valley, and I am committed to spending the next three years fighting for Hopewell’s next generation.
With power,
Dhruv Kapadia
