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Four Audubon residents are running for three available three-year terms on the Audubon Public School District Board of Education: Brian Burns, Alison Cox, Danielle Mitchell, and Andrea Robinson. Additionally, Sara Joy Kuhlen is running to fulfill the unexpired term on the governing body to which she was appointed previously.
All candidates have been invited to reply to the same set of prompts, telling voters about themselves, their priorities, and their views of the current state of affairs in their community. Answers have been edited for clarity and length.
Sara Joy Kuhlen, 42
Music Therapist and Behavioral Health Clinician
NJ PEN: Tell us something about your hobbies, interests, and/or family.
SARA JOY KUHLEN: I was born and raised in Audubon, and my husband and I are now raising our two children in the house I grew up in.
As a family, we enjoy playing Rock Band together on the Xbox, playing with our pets, and watching comedies.
I also enjoy reading fantasy series, and providing music meditation groups.
NJ PEN: What is your philosophy of education?
KUHLEN: I believe that any quality educational system provides academic, arts-based, and social-emotional learning in an equitable and effective manner to a diverse community of learners.
NJ PEN: What personal and professional experiences would you bring to the table as a school board member?
KUHLEN: The majority of my career has been spent in mental health settings, including correctional environments and community treatment programs. I have experience working with children and teens in a partial hospitalization program, and see firsthand how their anxiety, depression, and ADHD have impacted their learning and school engagement.
I have also seen the impact of bullying and the lack of faith many of these children have in their school districts to keep them safe. Additionally, I am an active member of the Audubon Celebration Committee, and through that work I have developed relationships with many groups throughout the town.
NJ PEN: Why are you running for office?
KUHLEN: I have attended the majority of Board of Education meetings since the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown, and have made my concerns heard through public comments at those meetings, as well as privately emailing the Board and Superintendent.
I had considered running for the Board for several years, but wanted to wait for my children to be a bit older. When a position opened up on the Board this past spring, I felt the timing was right and interviewed. I was selected for the position, and was sworn in this past May. I have enjoyed my short time serving on the Board and would like to continue that work.
Ultimately, I care very much about the town of Audubon and would like to see our district thrive, not only for the benefit of the students, but also for the property owners and town residents as a whole.
NJ PEN: What are the biggest challenges your school district faces?
KUHLEN: I believe the biggest challenge we currently face is an extremely tight budget.
Decreased state funding, expiring grants and other funding sources from the COVID state-of-emergency era, and increased costs, such as in healthcare and transportation, have stretched our finances very thin.
The district has prioritized the retention of staff, which I agree with, but this means we need to closely examine what we are spending our limited funds on, and seek additional funding streams whenever possible.
Another large challenge the district faces is the need for improving math scores in the Junior/Senior High School. While I don’t believe that those test scores are necessarily an accurate representation of the math skills our students possess, they do factor into our district score card and impact students’ college prospects.
The district successfully implemented a new, evidence-based math curriculum at the elementary schools several years ago with great results, and I have faith that some changes to the Junior/Senior High School curriculum and teaching methods can similarly make a difference for our older students.
NJ PEN: What are three key issues on which you will focus if elected?
KUHLEN: The areas that I have focused on primarily as a current board member, and plan to continue to emphasize, are student mental health, communication with the entire community, and fiscal responsibility.
Especially given the rise of mental health symptoms following the COVID-19 emergency and increased use of social media, having a mental health perspective on the board is very important.
In my current role on the Board, and previously as a member of the public, I have advocated for intentionally adopting trauma-informed practices, tracking “soft” data to better understand the mental health trends of our students during times of change. I also have spoken about the unique needs of our LGBTQ+ students.
In terms of communication, although I believe that our district has largely done a good job communicating with student families and caregivers, I don’t believe that our town residents without children in the district have a good idea of what is going on in our schools.
Taxpayers and homeowners whose property values are influenced by the quality of our schools have every right to be better informed about the quality of education offered and how the district is making use of tax dollars. The reality is that not everyone is able to attend the monthly Board meetings, so I would like to explore other ways to communicate effectively to the community at large.
Finally, as noted previously, the school budget is a primary area of concern. During my short time on the Board, I have identified some language on the Board agenda and proposed policy revisions that carried potential financial implications, and I brought these to the attention of administration. I am a very detail-oriented person, and am willing to question the status quo to ensure that we are spending our limited funds wisely and effectively.
Andrea Robinson, 48
Biology Teacher, Camden County Technical Schools
NJ PEN: Tell us something about your hobbies, interests, and/or family.
ANDREA ROBINSON: My wife and I have been married for 19 years, and have three children aged 5, 14, and 16.
We have lived in Audubon for 16 years.
My hobbies include sailing on the Schooner North Wind, a nonprofit educational sailing program based out of Gloucester City.
NJ PEN: What is your philosophy of education?
ROBINSON: My educational philosophy is that learning needs to be meaningful and engaging for students.
I am a proponent for STEAM education and opportunities for high school experiences beyond the classroom, which might include vocational education, “College Now” programs for juniors and seniors, or internship opportunities.
I believe that students who have a personal connection to the materials being taught understand and further grasp the concepts being presented. That connection can be built through a relationship with the teacher, hands-on activities, flipped classrooms and/or utilizing whatever the current trend is (i.e., TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat).
But above all, creating physically and emotionally safe spaces in schools for ALL students is my primary focus.
NJ PEN: What personal and professional experiences would you bring to the table as a school board member?
I have been a middle and high school science teacher for 24 years. I have a master’s degree in science education from Virginia Tech University, and an undergraduate degree in biology. I have two children in the Audubon Junior/Senior High School, and one who will be entering kindergarten at Haviland Avenue Elementary School in September 2025.
NJ PEN: Why are you running for office?
ROBINSON: I am a teacher, a parent and a community member. I want to serve as a voice for those who might not feel empowered to share their voices.
Perhaps they don’t have family members who mirror their identity because they are LGBTQ+-identifying. Maybe they don’t have someone who shares their racial identity in the school. Maybe they are a student who is marginalized by their peers and doesn’t feel comfortable sharing their experience.
Although I will be proud to represent all the students in the district, I want to be intentional about listening to, and amplifying, the voices of the students, families, teachers and community members.
NJ PEN: What are the biggest challenges your school district faces?
ROBINSON: Making decisions while keeping in mind the tight budget, increasing our scores and ranking on the New Jersey School Performance Report, and increasing opportunities for both college and career options for graduating seniors.
NJ PEN: What are three key issues on which you will focus if elected?
ROBINSON: Accountability and academic rigor — the same focus of the Junior/Senior High School for the 2024/2025 school year.
