UPPER FREEHOLD — Longtime Board of Education member Laura Dreifus will be stepping down now that the election is over.

Dreifus, who also serves as the Millstone representative to the Upper Freehold Regional Board of Education, decided not to seek another term on the board. She began her service to the board in October 1999.

When asked to recall some of the board's most important accomplishments during her time of service, Dreifus cited a stronger curriculum supported by increased staff development.

"[Superintendent of Schools Mary Anne] Donahue has been extremely instrumental in updating the curriculum," Dreifus said. "The expectations at each grade level are clearly defined through curriculum mapping."

Dreifus noted that teachers work in teams so the curriculum is delivered consistently in every classroom at each grade level.

"Staff development was significantly increased several years ago about the time that differentiated instruction was introduced," Dreifus said. "Differentiated instruction allows the teachers to modify the lesson to meet the needs of each student and challenge them accordingly. We have never had funds in the budget for a true gifted and talented program, but this approach has been successful."

The construction of the new middle school, which opened in 2007, was one of the most challenging projects for the board.

"For so many years, it seemed like it would never be completed," she said.

Dreifus served while the board had to acquire the land for the school, hire the architect and other professionals, agree on the school configuration, pass the referendum, and deal with issues affecting the project's budget. She was involved in the project from conception to construction, and feels that it has proven successful.

"The overcrowding at the other schools was unacceptable," she said. "The current learning environment has improved the educational experience for all the students and teachers at each school building."

When asked if there was anything she wished had been done differently during her tenure, Dreifus said she wished that the regionalization studies done years ago had recommended the regionalization of the Upper Freehold, Allentown, and Roosevelt school districts so the process would have been completed by now.

"Now the board is faced with this issue again as the county superintendent is requiring a new study to consolidate districts throughout the county," she said. "If this consolidation happens down the road, both [the Millstone and Upper Freehold] districts will have new middle schools and an older high school."

Dreifus said if the merge had already occurred, the Roosevelt Public School may have been used for an early learning center, or Millstone may not have needed the middle school.

"Perhaps we could have built a new high school together instead," she said. "These were lost opportunities because the results of the previous regionalization studies showed increased taxes for several communities."

Dreifus said she looks forward to seeing the results of the upcoming regionalization study.

"Hopefully, it will paint a more positive picture so Millstone can finally have true board representation at the high school level," she said. "The only way we will ever be able to contain costs at the high school level is by having more votes on how the money is spent."

Dreifus provided some advice for new board members and said they should listen carefully to all the issues, ask questions, and take time.

"It's never as simple as you wish it was," she said. The board is a policy making body so take some time to read through the policies of the district," she said. "Find areas that you are passionate about and get involved in ad hoc committees that are formed to address them. Take advantage of the training classes offered by New Jersey School Boards Association. There is so much to learn about public education."

Dreifus, whose daughters are Girl Scouts, has been a troop leader for years and serves as treasurer of the Millstone Girl Scout Service Unit.

"I enjoy working with this fantastic group of ladies," Dreifus said. "They do so much for the young girls in our community. I hope to continue to support them as long as I can."

However, Dreifus does not see serving in any other elected position in her future. The politics involved in serving on the Board of Education were never her favorite part of the job, she said.

"Improving what goes on in the classroom was always the priority for me," Dreifus said.

She will use her newfound free time to focus on her husband and three daughters.

Board member Sergio Galindo, who served one term, also decided not to opt for reelection, citing work travel as his reason for deciding against running again.