Shi voted Edison Board of Education president at reorganization meeting

By Alvin Wu
Domestic Affairs
Shi voted Edison Board of Education president at reorganization meeting

Rep. Josh Gottheimer administers the oath of office to Jerry Shi, later elected board president, at the Edison Board of Education's Jan. 2 reorganization meeting at the Education Center. EDISON BOARD OF EDUCATION/Livestream

EDISON, N.J., Jan. 10 (ZFJ) — Jerry Shi was voted president of the Edison Board of Education and Vishal Patel was voted vice president at the Jan. 2 reorganization meeting as the winners of November’s elections were sworn in.

Video: Clips from the Edison Board of Education Jan. 2 reorganization meeting. Includes oaths of office, board president and vice president votes, board member comment, and public comment. EDISON BOARD OF EDUCATION/Livestream 　

The meeting began with Ronak Patel, Ralph Errico, and Shi taking the oath of office. Shi, who previously served as board president, and Errico were prior members. Ronak Patel is a newcomer.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District administered the oath to the three men.

BOARD PRESIDENT VOTE

Vishal Patel nominated Shi for president, while Christopher Lugo nominated Joseph Romano.

Jerry Shi (7)Joseph Romano (2)
Vishal PatelJoseph Romano
Jerry ShiChristopher Lugo
Anjana Patel
Ronak Patel
Virginia White
Ralph Errico
Shannon Peng

BOARD VICE PRESIDENT VOTE

Virginia White nominated Lugo for vice president, while Shannon Peng nominated Vishal Patel.

Vishal Patel (5)Christopher Lugo (4)
Ronak PatelChristopher Lugo
Anjana PatelVirginia White
Vishal PatelJoseph Romano
Jerry ShiRalph Errico
Shannon Peng

BOARD MEMBER COMMENT

Lugo, Anjana Patel, and Vishal Patel congratulated the newly elected board members.

Ronak Patel congratulated the new board members, thanked his mentor Biral Patel (last year’s board president), and said that fiscal responsibility is one of his priorities.

Shi delivered a statement where he said that the board formed a “dedicated team committed to the education of our children and the betterment of our schools.”

“Our platform priorities—continuing school expansion, enhancing our facilities, ensuring equitable access to transportation, and enriching educational programs—will be at the forefront of our agenda,” he said.

Shi also discussed training for staff to adapt to new technologies, vocational training and STEM opportunities for students, supporting extracurricular activities, and facilities upgrades.

“Our commitment to air conditioning all classrooms, providing free SAT tutoring, and expanding pre-K seating reflects our dedication to creating an environment where every child can thrive,” he said.

Shi said that he will prioritize transparency and community engagement and also mentioned parental rights, an issue the board tackled right before election day when Vishal Patel moved to abolish Policy 5756, the transgender students policy.

“Our pledge to uphold parental rights is fundamental to building a collaborative and constructive relationship between the school and the community,” he said.

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