Failed Promises and Missed Opportunities: Evaluating Donna Carey's Tenure
When it comes to leadership on the Hardyston Board of Education, the community expects a few basic things: responsibility, transparency, and a focus on student success.
Unfortunately, during Donna Carey’s time on the board, what we’ve gotten instead is a masterclass in how not to lead.
Let’s walk through the lowlights.
🔒 Voting Against School Security
When students’ safety was on the line, Donna Carey voted against a budget that funded security personnel.
In a world where school safety is non-negotiable, she said no.
It’s a reckless choice-one that raises serious questions about where her priorities actually lie.
🤔 Contradictory Stances on Educational Programs
Carey has a pattern:
- Push for certain programs publicly
- Turn around and vote against funding them when it matters
That kind of flip-flopping confuses parents, disrupts planning, and hurts students who are stuck waiting for leadership that never shows up.
Leadership is about follow-through. Carey keeps dropping the ball.
💸 Lack of Fiscal Responsibility
Fiscal responsibility isn’t just a buzzword-it’s the core of running a school district well.
While other board members fought for cost-effective solutions, Carey consistently blocked sound financial plans.
- Opposed critical infrastructure upgrades
- Fought against balanced budgets that supported students
- Chose obstruction over problem-solving
If you’re looking for fiscal responsibility-look somewhere else.
🔹 Failure to Support Growth and Enrollment Initiatives
When Hardyston needed creative leadership to survive declining enrollment and funding cuts, others stepped up.
- Formed an Ad-Hoc Committee
- Built shared services agreements
- Saved money by bringing special education programs back in-district
Donna Carey?
Missing in action.
She failed to contribute meaningfully to one of the most important initiatives Hardyston has seen-costing the district valuable momentum.
🏛️ Hardyston Deserves Better
The decisions made by the Board of Education ripple through our entire community. They impact our kids, our teachers, our future.
Leadership isn’t about showing up for photo ops or delivering soundbites. It’s about doing the hard work when no one’s watching.
Time after time, Donna Carey has:
- Undermined security initiatives
- Voted against student programs
- Failed on financial stewardship
- Ghosted when leadership was needed most
Hardyston doesn’t need more empty promises.
We need accountability. We need leadership that actually leads.
Because our kids deserve better. And frankly, so do we.