Jericho voters need to pay attention. On Tuesday, May 20th, they are being asked to elect Jenn Camhi to the Board of Education. But this election is not about fresh leadership. It is about consolidating power for the PTA and JTA.
Jenn Camhi is not an independent candidate. She is a carefully positioned extension of the same interests that have dominated Jericho’s school board in recent years. The same groups that brought us Jill Citron and Divya Balachandar now want to install a third vote to lock in full control of the board.
Her campaign materials tell the story. She claims to be “involved and experienced,” but what she really means is that she has spent years working within the very organizations that are now backing her campaign. The PTA and JTA have already made clear that they are supporting candidates who align with their priorities, not with the broader community.
One line in her flyer says it all: “Jericho board members should have a history of involvement and be educated on how a successful district functions.” On the surface, this sounds like a call for qualified leadership. In reality, it is a statement of exclusion. It suggests that unless you have spent years inside PTA committees or aligned yourself with the JTA, your perspective is not valid.
This is not about experience. It is about control. It is about maintaining a narrow pipeline to leadership where only insiders are considered worthy. It is a message to the community that unless you have the right endorsements and relationships, your voice does not matter.
The truth is, our board should reflect the entire Jericho community. That includes parents, taxpayers, and residents who may not have spent years on PTA rosters, but who care deeply about education, fiscal responsibility, and accountability. Saying that board members should be “educated on how a successful district functions” is code for keeping decision-making in the hands of a select few who already hold power.
Camhi’s campaign is being propped up not only by the PTA and JTA, but also by sitting board members who are already behaving as if she has been elected. In an April 29 article in the Long Island Press, both Board Vice President Jill Citron and Trustee Divya Balachandar issued public statements presuming Camhi’s victory before a single vote had been cast.
Citron declared, “She will be a great addition to the board and I look forward to working with her.” Balachandar went even further, saying, “I am overjoyed to welcome Jenn Camhi to the board.”
Balachandar went even further: “I am overjoyed to welcome Jenn Camhi to the board. She brings with her a longstanding commitment to our community.”
This is not harmless enthusiasm. These are declarations of outcome by sitting trustees during an active election cycle. They did not say “if elected.” They did not leave space for the possibility that the public might feel otherwise. They made it clear that the decision had already been made. In doing so, they undermined the most basic principle of democratic elections: that outcomes belong to voters, not insiders.
Board Policy 1350 explicitly instructs trustees to avoid any action that creates the appearance of using public office for unwarranted influence. These statements violated that standard. They reinforced the perception that this election was orchestrated behind closed doors, with the result prearranged and the community expected to play along.
Camhi’s election would not bring balance to the board. It would give Citron and Balachandar the majority they need to control board leadership, set agendas, and operate without resistance. That is not a healthy board. It is not public service. It is unchecked consolidation of power.
On May 20th, voters should reject this. Jericho needs trustees who think independently, who earn their seat through public trust, and who understand that elections belong to the people. Jenn Camhi is not that candidate.
Jericho does not need another puppet. It needs accountability
