Hopewell Valley Regional School District (HVRSD) has reaffirmed its commitment and declaration that the school district is a safe space for all students.
Board of Education members passed a resolution at a monthly school board meeting on May 19 reaffirming a commitment to cultivating a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible community where every individual is valued, respected, celebrated, and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.
“We have a wonderful opportunity on occasion to make declarations and statements called resolutions for most boards,” Board President Anita Williams Galiano said.
“… Later in our meeting we are going to also be discussing in the Personnel Committee notes something called the Comprehensive Equity Plan. It is sometimes difficult to understand how the resolution shows up in policy or other areas that we as a school district or as a board think are important. This is one of the ways I want to connect the dots for you all.”
Every child residing in Hopewell Township, Pennington, and Hopewell Borough has a right to receive a free and appropriate public K-12 education in an environment where they are safe, supported, and empowered, HVRSD’s resolution states.
“The district recognizes that diversity is not merely the presence of differences, but an essential strength that enriches learning environments, strengthens our community, and prepares students to engage thoughtfully and compassionately with the broader world,” the resolution noted.
“The district affirms that equity means providing each student with the specific resources, opportunities, and encouragement they need to succeed and thrive, recognizing that treating everyone the same does not always result in fairness.”
The resolution further stated the school district’s commitment “to fostering inclusive classrooms where every student feels seen, valued, and empowered to be their authentic selves, and where all contributions are celebrated.”
“The district affirms that accessibility is a fundamental right, and is dedicated to ensuring that every student, regardless of ability, has equitable access to educational opportunities, resources, facilities, and supports necessary to participate in the school experience fully,” the resolution read.
The commitment is not just for students but also educators and members of the school district community in Hopewell Valley. They are going to continue to implement policies and practices promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.
The Board of Education has declared that the school district a safe space for students and that the school board will protect the rights and well-being of all students and their families to the greatest extent possible.
Board member Dhruv Kapadia thanked Williams Galiano for reading the resolution in full and thanked the school board for passing the resolution.
“I’m deeply grateful to my colleagues on this board for passing this resolution because it sends a clear message that in Hopewell Valley, we do not bend on our core principles,” he said. “We defend the dignity of every student, and we do the hard necessary work of making sure all of us belong.”
Kapadia, who spoke for himself and not on behalf of the board, said they can’t ignore the present moment and noted they are living in a time where marginalized communities across the country are “under attack from political leaders who stoke fear, from unconstitutional actions that undermine civil rights, and from sweeping policies that target the very values that public education should stand for.”
“Let me be clear the Trump Administration has systematically taken a hatchet to our education system, to our fundamental freedoms, to our core values and I think it’s important in times like these to remember these are not abstract federal politics,” he said. “These are executive policies that have real consequences here at home.”
Kapadia highlighted federal Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) officers’ detention of two people in Hopewell Township near the border of Hopewell Borough on April 29 as an example directly affecting district students.
“And when I hear these stories, it makes me think about [these] two people,” he said. “It makes me think about my parents who became naturalized citizens after more than 10 years of navigating our nations arduous (difficult) immigration system.”
Kapadia’s parents emigrated to the United States from India in the 1990s and settled in Hopewell Valley.
“I often think what would they have wanted to hear if they were still seeking citizenship,” he said. “What would they have wanted to hear if they still had young kids in the district. What would they have wanted to hear if their due process rights were no longer enforced.”
Kapadia explained that for him this resolution is not symbolic, it is a reaffirmation of the district’s commitment to stand firm in the face of cruelty and discrimination.
“It is a promise that our schools will remain safe, equitable, inclusive, and accessible to all students regardless of where they come from, what they look like, how they identify or what languages they speak at home,” he said. “Above all else, it is a reassurance to my parents that the community they traveled thousands of miles for will continue to be a sanctuary for people like us.”
The school board’s resolution did not specifically note or detail the Trump Administration efforts or current executive orders signed but does come as the administration has threatened to cut federal funding for public schools with programs for diversity, equity, and inclusion and additionally signing executive orders focused on transgender people and immigration programs.
HVRSD’s school board joins the Asbury Park Board of Education in passing a resolution committed to cultivating a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible community where every individual is valued, respected, celebrated, and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.
HVRSD full text of the resolution:
WHEREAS, the Hopewell Valley Regional School District (HVRSD) is committed to cultivating a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible community where every individual is valued, respected, celebrated, and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, immigration or citizenship status, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, ability/disability, socioeconomic status, or other protected characteristics; and
WHEREAS, the District recognizes that every child residing in Hopewell Township, Pennington Borough, and Hopewell Borough has the right to receive a free and appropriate public K-12 education in an environment where they are safe, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential; and
WHEREAS, the District upholds federal and state civil rights laws including the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (N.J.S.A. 10:5-1 et seq.), which prohibits discrimination and bias-based harassment based upon actual or perceived characteristics, and recognizes the guidance issued by the New Jersey Attorney General affirming the legality and importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility efforts in K-12 education; and
WHEREAS, the District recognizes that diversity is not merely the presence of differences, but an essential strength that enriches learning environments, strengthens our community, and prepares students to engage thoughtfully and compassionately with the broader world; and
WHEREAS, the District affirms that equity means providing each student with the specific resources, opportunities, and encouragement they need to succeed and thrive, recognizing that treating everyone the same does not always result in fairness; and
WHEREAS, the District is committed to fostering inclusive classrooms where every student feels seen, valued, and empowered to be their authentic selves, and where all contributions are celebrated; and
WHEREAS, the District affirms that accessibility is a fundamental right, and is dedicated to ensuring that every student, regardless of ability, has equitable access to educational opportunities, resources, facilities, and supports necessary to participate in the school experience fully; and
WHEREAS, the District is committed to supporting educators, students, and community members through evidence-based practices, professional development, and recruitment efforts that embrace diverse perspectives; and
WHEREAS, the District will continue to implement policies and practices that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion for all students, ensuring that every learner can engage fully in a high-quality educational experience; and
WHEREAS, District policy requires the Board of Education to ensure that all students enrolled in the schools of this district shall be afforded an equitable educational opportunity; and
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board declares the District to be a safe space for its students, meaning that the District is a place for students to learn, to thrive, and to seek assistance, information, and support, free from harassment, intimidation, discrimination and bullying; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board will make every effort to protect the rights and well-being of its students and their families to the greatest extent possible.
Dhruv Kapadia’s full remarks below:
“Thank you, Board President Williams Galiano, for reading the resolution in full and thank you to the board for passing this. I want to speak tonight in my personal capacity and not on behalf of the entire board. I want to speak as someone whose life is deeply tied to this district and community. As someone who has spent years fighting for marginalized people in Hopewell and as someone who is especially proud to see this resolution pass.
“My parents emigrated to this country from India in the (1990s) and made the deliberate choice to settle here in Hopewell Valley. They believed this was a place where my older brother and I can thrive. Not only because of the beautifully preserved space or the charming main streets in downtown Hopewell and Pennington Borough or the proximity to Philadelphia and New York City but because of our schools. My brother and I went through this district from Stony Brook Elementary to (Hopewell Valley Central High School) often as some of the only non-white students in our classrooms.
“And yet we were nurtured here. This community shaped us. This school district gave us lifelong friends, coaches, and mentors and for that my family is eternally grateful. But we can’t ignore the present moment. We live in a time where marginalized communities across our country are under attack.
“Under attack from political leaders who stoke fear, from unconstitutional actions that undermine civil rights, and from sweeping policies that target the very values that public education should stand for. Let me be clear the Trump Administration has systematically taken a hatchet to our education system, to our fundamental freedoms, to our core values and I think it’s important in times like these to remember these are not abstract federal politics.
“These are executive policies that have real consequences here at home. Just a few weeks ago, ICE agents detained members of our community right here in Hopewell. Familiar faces were removed from our community. Families were torn apart. Students in our district were directly affected. This is the lived reality of our neighbors, of our students, of our parents, of our community members.
“And when I hear these stories, it makes me think about two people. It makes me think about my parents who became naturalized citizens after more than 10 years of navigating our nations arduous (difficult) immigration system. I often think what would they have wanted to hear if they were still seeking citizenship. What would they have wanted to hear if they still had young kids in the district. What would they have wanted to hear if their due process rights were no longer enforced.
“At a minimum, they would want to hear that the leadership of our school district is willing to stand up for families like mine. For me, this resolution is not symbolic it is a reaffirmation of our district’s commitment to stand firm in the face of cruelty and discrimination. It is a promise that our schools will remain safe, equitable, inclusive, and accessible to all students regardless of where they come from, what they look like, how they identify or what languages they speak at home. Above all else, it is a reassurance to my parents that the community they traveled thousands of miles for will continue to be a sanctuary for people like us.
“I’m deeply grateful to my colleagues on this board for passing this resolution because it sends a clear message that in Hopewell Valley, we do not bend on our core principles. We defend the dignity of every student, and we do the hard necessary work of making sure all of us belong.”
