Every election season, NJ Pen invites candidates running for local office to tell voters a bit about themselves and their priorities before the ballots are cast.
We produce these profiles in the public interest, but our journalism is possible only through small, regular contributions from our readers — so if you’re reading this for free, it’s because other readers have made it possible for us to offer it to you.
To support our ability to keep doing this work year-round, please become a subscriber.
Three Haddonfield residents are running for three available three-year terms on the Haddonfield Public School District Board of Education: Stephanie Benecchi, Meg Hollingworth, and Matt Ritter.
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.
Stephanie Katsigiannis Benecchi, 41
Lawyer, Adjunct Professor of Law
NJ PEN: Tell us something about your hobbies, interests, and/or family.
STEPHANIE BENECCHI: I swam competitively through college, and remain involved in the sport as an official.
I love to read and to play complicated board games with my husband and our friends.
NJ PEN: What is your philosophy of education?
BENECCHI: I think education is a lifelong process, and curiosity is its foundation. I believe the goals of K-12 education should be to support the development of the fundamental skills that our young people need to support their lifelong learning.
NJ PEN: What personal and professional experiences would you bring to the table as a school board member?
BENECCHI: As a board member, our job is not to administer the schools, but to ensure that they are well-run. I think my legal background leads me to think critically and exercise good judgment. As a parent of younger children, I understand the challenges many of us face and bring that perspective to the board.
NJ PEN: Why are you running for office?
BENECCHI: I believe in public education and in the ideals of a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. I believe as citizens we have the responsibility to serve each other to the best of our ability.
I was asked by several people to consider running for my first term given my background, and I felt a responsibility to serve in this capacity to ensure the continued competent administration of our public schools.
NJ PEN: What are the biggest challenges your school district faces?
BENECCHI: I think the biggest challenge any district faces is how to allocate its limited and precious financial resources.
Our district is uniquely challenged because, unlike some of our regional neighbors, we do not have a robust commercial or industrial property tax base. Good fiscal stewardship depends on the district maximizing federal, state, and outside (grant) support, which is something that I think our current school administration has done very well.
Based on conversations I’ve had with neighbors, ensuring all students and families feel welcomed and valued remains a challenge. Haddonfield is a special community, and it’s wonderful how many families have very deep roots here.
I was raised nearby, in Marlton, to which we moved when I was six without knowing anyone. As a result, I’m sensitive to how important it is to feel a sense of belonging. Our town is considerably less diverse on many measures than other communities in our state, and we need to ensure that all students and families feel welcomed here and connected to our schools.
NJ PEN: What are three key issues on which you will focus if elected?
BENECCHI: As a board member, ensuring our schools are well-run includes setting policy, and expressing community priorities like the three that follow.
For many families, full-day Kindergarten is a necessity. In his Sept. 4 presentation to the board, Mr. Klaus showed how many more thousands of minutes can be added to math and literacy instruction — and, equally importantly, can allow for the addition of structured play — which research overwhelmingly indicates is crucial to long-term academic success.
A perennial issue is school climate and culture. Our work here, like that on student growth, will always require attention. We have wonderful school communities, and there is a lot of student engagement. We need to continue to ensure that there are welcoming places for all of our students to contribute and that all of our student contributions are recognized and celebrated.
Finally, an issue that my family has experienced first-hand is the challenge maintaining our neighborhood schools given near-capacity enrollment. Our neighborhood schools are a precious community resource, and ensuring that resource is allocated in a fair and transparent way, especially given the domino effects caused by lack of full-day K, is a priority for me.
Meg Hollingworth, 46
Product Director, Aetna
NJ PEN: Tell us something about your hobbies, interests, and/or family.
MEG HOLLINGWORTH: With young children and their extracurriculars, a demanding job, and a busy life, I wish I had more time for more hobbies!
I am into weightlifting and fitness, love to travel, and am an enthusiastic spectator at my kid’s many events.
I am engaged with the PTA, work with the South Jersey chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense, and am active with my high school, Moorestown Friends.
And every July Fourth, you’ll see me, my family, and my wonderful Roberts Avenue neighbors marching (usually dancing too!) in the parade, bringing our longstanding tradition of camaraderie to life once again.
NJ PEN: What is your philosophy of education?
HOLLINGWORTH: I am not an educator and have never taught children in a classroom. But I have raised children, talked with, and listened to educators — teachers, staff and administrators — and engaged with other parents every day about what they value in their child’s education. So, my “philosophy” of education is simply that all kids learn differently, and our job is to meet them where they are and support them at every step of the way to excel.
Ultimately, I believe that education should focus on the whole child, emphasizing learning by doing and encouraging critical thinking. Kids will be most interested and engaged when learning about the world around them and topics relevant to their lives with different methods of learning such as projects, team exercises, creative experiments, and real-world problem-solving.
NJ PEN: What personal and professional experiences would you bring to the table as a school board member?
HOLLINGWORTH: I have worked in corporate America for the past two decades in the very challenging and complex world of health insurance. Prior to that, I trained and practiced as a social worker, including in an educational setting with the Philadelphia School District, supporting kids in difficult situations, and then as a Policy Analyst for homeless and housing programs for the City of Philadelphia.
I am very confident in my ability to communicate well, engage people and partners to rapidly assess ever evolving and complex questions that we face as a district. This all requires commitment and attention to detail so I can keep on helping our Board make smart, data-driven, decisions.
I pride myself on my ability to connect genuinely with others, and my compassion. To listen and learn, to seek out the input and ideas of others, and be willing to compromise when it helps to reach the end goal are all guiding stars in achieving big goals.
I’m determined, patient, and laser-focused on making our schools a place where every child can thrive, feel safe and supported.
NJ PEN: Why are you running for office?
HOLLINGWORTH: I grew up in a family of “do-ers” — people active in their communities, churches, schools, clubs and more; those who stepped up when they saw a problem and raised their hands to get involved.
My Quaker education instilled a focus on community service; that it’s not only a privilege, but an obligation, to serve when you are able. It’s my goal to improve our schools to support the education, growth, safety, and success of every student is my goal.
I have served one full term thus far, and have learned so much along the way. I can see the positive impact that our dedicated Board has had during the past three years, and am very proud to be a part of that.
I am running for re-election today because of the progress we have made and my dedication to build and develop our incredible schools, the foundation of this community.
NJ PEN: What are the biggest challenges your school district faces?
HOLLINGWORTH: We have an incredible school district here in Haddonfield, but even wonderful things can be improved with the right thoughtful and inclusive leadership.
We need to make sure we invest in the future and do so in a financially responsible way. Updating our physical infrastructure and making our school accessible and able to meet the challenge of the continuing growth of our student body is of critical importance. And it’s not just a Bancroft space question. We have to prepare for the future, including full-day kindergarten access, to keep up the standards of academic excellence that the parents and citizens in our town expect and deserve.
We need to make certain our operating budgets are lean and directed towards the most important aspects of our work in academics and supporting students to be as successful as possible. Every line item must relate back to supporting our mission and maximizing our positive impact.
NJ PEN: What are three key issues on which you will focus if elected?
1. Ensuring academic excellence. As chair of the Curriculum Committee, I believe academic rigor and excellence is paramount to our continued success. Additionally, we must adapt to address new challenges, technologies, and academic methods that our students will need in future.
2. Enhancing our culture and climate. I will continue to focus on improving the culture and climate of our schools. Developing the physical spaces our 3,000 students occupy is one essential element of helping them to learn, grow and thrive.
Promoting kindness, inclusion and tolerance for others must also be reinforced in our schools, partnering with students, parents, and the community to teach, model, and support kids being their best selves. Together, we can become even better.
3. Building trust and collaboration within the community. My aim is to bring an inclusive and thoughtful perspective to the decisions and challenges our school district must address. Our schools are, and will remain, the bedrock of our town.
As a Board, we must make fact-based, complex choices for our schools, and this Board has developed a notable track record of working effectively with administrators to equip our schools for success, such as with our capital development proposals and being open to input from across our community.
Even during a global pandemic, and hearty disputes about complex issues throughout my first term, we have strived to listen, remain open-minded, be diligent, consult with experts, and make the best, balanced, decisions for the children, teachers, staff, administrators of Haddonfield while serving the larger community.
I recognize not everyone will be happy with every decision made, but ultimately, we need a Board with members that Haddonfielders can trust. A Board that seeks broad input and makes sound decisions on behalf of our students, our schools, and our community. I am proud to serve this incredible town and look forward to addressing the challenges and fostering the successes ahead for the Haddonfield School District.
Matt Ritter, 54
Sales operations at Subaru of America
NJ PEN: Tell us something about your hobbies, interests, and/or family.
MATT RITTER: I live with my wife of 21 years, Megan; our daughter, Finnley (15), who is a sophomore at HMHS; and our nine-year-old yellow lab, Tilly.
As a family we enjoy attending sporting events and we are a skiing family as well, so we prefer winter over summer.
NJ PEN: What is your philosophy of education?
RITTER: More is better.
NJ PEN: What personal and professional experiences would you bring to the table as a school board member?
RITTER: Previously serving on the Haddonfield BOE from 2017-2020, I would rely on those past experiences to help guide me during this term.
I also tend to listen and contemplate before speaking, I enjoy collaborating with others, and I’m a believer that transparent communication is a strong asset.
NJ PEN: Why are you running for office?
RITTER: I believe one of the most rewarding things someone can do is volunteer in their community, and I’m passionate about ensuring our district remains one of the best and most respected in the state.
I also previously served on the Haddonfield BOE from 2017 – 2020 and I believe my previous experience will enhance my ability to contribute at a high level.
NJ PEN: What are the biggest challenges your school district faces?
RITTER: There are myriad challenges including space constraints, which results in crowded classrooms. The upcoming referendum, if passed, will help address the needs of our growing district.
NJ PEN: What are three key issues on which you will focus if elected?
RITTER: School and student safety; curriculum, finance, communication; and the successful execution of the referendum, should it pass in December.
