We would like to thank all the members of the community who have supported us over the years as members of the Upper Freehold Regional School Board. It has been both an honor and one of the most enlightening experiences of our lives to serve the community as board members. We are both very happy for Frank Skube, Howard Krieger and Robert Cheff on their recent election to the board. We wish them well in their new endeavor. We are sure they will be up to the challenge of working with the rest of the board as they face the critical issues of increased student enrollment, the need to balance class sizes, building expansion, and local taxes.

Personally, we have really enjoyed serving our community. We sincerely hope we have made a positive contribution to the learning experience of all the students and families who put their trust in us to represent them. We are not going to miss the many meetings and late nights away from our families, but we will miss working with all the members of the board and the atmosphere of solidarity they bring to resolving every issue. We both leave the board as lifelong friends and as better individuals due to our time spent serving the community.

We both agree that the crowning achievement of our tenure on the board was bringing Dr. Robert Connelly to the community. He has brought in-depth knowledge of effective management in a growing school district, leading-edge educational technology, and a sense of professionalism and trust that was much needed when working with a community-minded school board.

Finally, we would like to be the first to congratulate the graduating class of 2003 from the eighth grade and Allentown High School. We sincerely hope that the education you received while students in the Upper Freehold Regional School District will take you higher and further than your wildest dreams.

Shari Burke

Betty Jane Pepe

Upper Freehold