The general election race for the three, three-year term open seats for the Palmyra Board of Education will be uncontested on Nov. 4.
Cara L. Broadbelt, Erika Starr Celley, and Kate Allen-Yoakum are running for reelection. The candidates were asked to complete a questionnaire. Answers have been lightly edited for space.
Name: Cara L. Broadbelt (no photo available)
Age: 49
How many years have you lived in Palmyra? Almost 15
Family: Husband Jason, two sons.
School/degree: Two years of college
Profession: Retired
Community involvement: I have been heavily involved with the Palmyra school district since moving here from Philadelphia in 2011. I was an executive board member of the PTA and multiple sports organizations for a number of years. I chair our Post Prom event, I am a member of our high-school sports booster clubs and am a trustee of the Palmyra High School Foundation for Educational Excellence. We raise money to support Palmyra’s high school student’s needs.
Why are you running for reelection?
I want to continue supporting the students, community and the hard-working staff and administration of the Palmyra district. We have a fairly new administrative team and I love the energy. We are also in the early stages of a referendum. We made promises to ourselves, the community and our students and it is important to me to see it through. I will shamelessly add that I would love the opportunity to work with my son on the board.
What is one area you would like to concentrate on if elected?
We are in the process of developing our next strategic plan. We have a new team with a fresh perspective and collaborating with this group would be amazing. I truly believe that Palmyra is already a great school district, but I know, as with anything, we can only get better. I would love to be a part of that.
Name: Erika Starr Celley
Age: 39
How many years have you lived in Palmyra?: Six
Family: Husband John, two children, ages 10 and 7.
Education: I earned a bachelor’s in U.S. history from Barnard College and a master’s in education from the University of Pennsylvania.
Profession: After 17 years in the classroom, this year I’ve moved into a role as a math teacher coach for the school district of Philadelphia
What is your involvement in the community?
I love so many things about our town, but I’m most connected to the schools in Palmyra. I’m a member of the PTA at Charles Street School and love supporting all their amazing work as well as all the incredible staff led events for our children. We also love going as a family to the concerts and performances at the high school; we have so much talent in our community. My children are both involved in Palmyra Scouting troops, and I’m a part of a local bike team that participates in the City to Shore MS (Multiple Sclerosis) fundraising ride.
Why are you running for reelection?
I’ve felt so grateful to sit on this board of truly dedicated members of our community. I’m running again because I believe in the work we’re doing and have loved supporting the direction we’re moving as a district. I hold a deep belief in the value of public education as a force for good in society and credit Palmyra schools for aiding in the development of thoughtful, empathetic and well-rounded young people who make our community Palmyra Proud.
What is one area you would like to concentrate on if reelected?
We are in a very exciting time for the Palmyra district. As part of the Strategic Planning Committee, I’m ready to focus on developing our five-year plan with the leadership of our amazing new Superintendent, Dr. (Florencia) Norton, in conjunction with a committee of community advocates. Another major focus area is the ongoing construction projects that have revitalized our facilities thanks to the town’s support of the referendum. The arts and math education are two additional priorities that are always top of mind for me.
Name: Kate Allen-Yoakum (No photo provided)
Age: 42
How many years have you lived in Palmyra? Ten in March.
Family: I live with my husband, James, and two daughters, 11 and 6.
Education: I have a BA in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s in Language and Literacy from Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Profession: For the last five years, I have worked for the Department of Education in New Jersey, helping school leadership teams in specific districts improve academics, attendance, and culture in their schools.
Community involvement: In addition to serving on the board of education, I am active with the Palmyra PTA. I also co-lead a Daisy/Brownie troop. I have volunteer coached for Pal-Riv soccer in the past, and I volunteer when there are youth productions at Burlington County Footlighters.
Why are you running for reelection to the board?
Palmyra has accomplished incredible things in the last five years. The district wrote an ambitious strategic plan with key goals we wanted our district to achieve for our kids; won the 2023 Lighthouse Award, awarded to five districts in New Jersey; expanded the Pre-K program, allowing free universal Pre-K to all youngsters in Palmyra; transformed facilities, constructing updated spaces for our scholars, athletes and artists to thrive, thanks to community support for the referendum; hired administrators, teachers and staff who are some of the best in the county. I am running because we have momentum, and I am excited for Palmyra to keep getting even better.
What is one area you would like to concentrate on if elected?
It is time to create the next strategic plan for the district, which will help us map out how we will get even better in the next five years.
