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Voters on the North Shore of the Town of Huntington will have the opportunity to vote for school budgets and board of education candidates Tuesday, May 17.

Below is a summary of the budgets and BOE races in the Huntington, Harborfields, Elwood and Cold Spring Harbor school districts.

For information on the Commack school district, see page A4. For the Northport school district, see the May 5 edition of The Times of Huntington & Northport or visit tbrnewsmedia.com and search for the article “Northport BOE budget vote, trustee elections set for May 17.”

Huntington Union Free School District

Budget

Those in the Huntington school district will be voting on a school budget that includes no increase in the tax levy.

The proposed budget of $142,968,343 will be an increase of 2.62% over the current spending plan. However, it will not raise the tax levy if approved by residents. According to the district’s website, the lack of an increase to the tax levy is due to a $4,087,007 increase in state aid to $26,253,748, low debt and the district lessening expenditures.

Residents will also be asked to vote “yes” or “no” on a proposition to authorize the expenditure of $6.6 million from building improvement capital reserves. The district aims to complete various projects, including electrical work at two primary schools as well as three gas/carbon monoxide detectors at three primary schools. Funds would also be used to renovate the parking lot and replace tiles at Finley Middle School. A second field is also planned for the high school to be used for sports such as soccer, lacrosse, field hockey and football, and it would also be used for physical education classes and marching band rehearsals.

Candidate information

Trustees Bill Dwyer and Michele Kustera will be running again for three-year terms and will run unopposed.

An account executive for an educational technology company, Dwyer works with school districts throughout the Northeast. He was elected to the board of ed for the first time in 2008. After his first term, he left the board for two years, and then was reelected in 2013, 2016 and 2019.

Kustera is running for her second term. She has been involved in the district on the long-range planning and food allergy committees and as a member of the district’s PTA organizations. 

Voting information

Residents of Huntington school district can vote from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on May 17 at Huntington High School lobby.

Harborfields Central School District

Budget

Residents in the Harborfields school district will vote on a $92,895,995 proposed budget for the 2022-23 school year. The amount is $2,579,731 more than the 2021-22 budget of $90,316,264, which comes to a 2.86% increase. The budget is within the district’s allowed tax levy increase of 2.28%.

Candidate information

Current trustees Hansen Lee and Colleen Wolcott and newcomer David Balistreri will be vying for two at-large seats.

Lee has spent nine years on the board and is a director at Enzo Biochem where he oversees laboratory operations. On his profile in the district’s meet the candidates page, Lee listed “creating an inclusive and welcoming community” as being important to him.

“I currently serve on the Town of Huntington’s Asian American Task Force and was also fortunate enough to be a part of the recognition of the two Muslim holy days as official school holidays, the first district in Suffolk County to do so,” he said.

Wolcott has been a board member since 2016, and she is a case manager with the not-for–profit Angela’s House and owner/graphic designer at Gold Coast Impressions, Centerport.

Wolcott’s past experiences include working as a special education teacher with a dual certification in early education and special education up to age 21. In her candidate profile, she said, “Today’s students need more.”

“Success is no longer solely defined by strong academic achievement, but by life skills learned in a well-rounded, diverse atmosphere with a focus on mental wellness, enriched academics, the arts, elective and athletic opportunities,” she said. “It’s not enough to keep Harborfields among the best academic school districts on Long Island. We must prepare all of our children for life after school and in our competitive world.”

Balistreri works in the financial industry, in his candidate profile he said he is a concerned father who is running for various reasons. He is looking for more fiscal responsibility in the district.

He aims to “improve communication between the board and stakeholders.” Balistreri also listed working “with other school boards to stand up against Albany’s unconstitutional and nonsensical edicts.” In his profile, he said “parents are the best advocates for their children.”

Voting information

Voting will be held at Oldfield Middle School on May 17 from 2 to 9 p.m.

Elwood Union Free School District

Budget

Elwood school district’s proposed budget is $69,181,071. The dollar amount reflects a $2,267,492 increase and 3.39% increase over the previous budget of $66,913,579.

The proposed budget represents a tax levy increase of 2.9% which is under the district’s allowable tax levy of 3.4%.

Candidate information

Incumbent Deborah Weiss is being challenged for her seat by Sean Camas. There is only one three-year term up for grabs.

In his profile for the Elwood Septa meet the candidates event, Camas is listed as a local student “who wishes to bring a new youthful dynamic” to the board. The lifelong resident of Elwood served as a student council vice president when he was in middle school. He has worked part-time as a dishwasher while maintaining a 3.8 GPA and achieving cum laude honors for three years in a row. In the fall, he will attend SUNY Old Westbury and major in political science.

Weiss has served on the board of ed since 2016. In her candidate profile, she said in order to ensure educational equity for all students “while being fiscally accountable” to taxpayers the board must “streamline expenses whenever possible.”

“The last place cuts should be made and felt is in the classroom,” she wrote. “We must continue to provide an exceptional education while pursuing real legislative relief to address the state’s unfunded mandates and restrictions on district finances. I will work hard to ensure that all our budget decisions remain student focused and fiscally responsible.”

 Voting information

Voting will take place May 17 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Elwood Middle School cafeteria.

Cold Spring Harbor Central School District

Budget

Cold Spring Harbor school district is asking residents to vote on a $73,420,423 proposed budget for the 2022-23 academic year. This is a $1,403,005 change from the 2021-22 budget of $72,017,418. The proposed budget reflects a 1.64% tax levy which is below the cap.

Candidate information

Voters will choose among three candidates, incumbent and current president Amelia Walsh Brogan, Alex Whelehan and Bruce Sullivan, for two at-large board of education positions. Incumbent Julie Starrett is not seeking reelection.

Voting information

Voting will take place May 17 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Ralph Whitney Field House of Cold Spring Harbor Jr./Sr. High School.

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Commack HIgh School. Photo from Google Maps

By Amanda Olsen

Commack Union Free School District residents will vote on the 2022-23 budget and select two school board trustees when they head to the polls Tuesday, May 17.

The budget for next year is nearly $215 million, an increase of 4.64% over last year. This will result in a tax levy increase of 1.95%, under the tax cap of 3.82%. This includes a state aid package of $43 million.

With the adoption of this budget, the average class size will remain the same or lower at all levels. Phonological, fine motor and writing skills support will be available for all kindergarten students. The new International Baccalaureate career-related program provides relevant learning opportunities for the students’ chosen college or career path. Select music groups will now begin at the intermediate level and continue through the middle and high school levels. It includes enhanced robotic and computer programming enrichment classes at Commack Middle School, opportunities at various clubs, lunch and learn, arts-in-education programs, intramurals, music, honor societies and athletics. There will be an increase in college-level courses with college credit-earning opportunities in all subjects. It also provides for districtwide infrastructure, including additional cyber-security reviews and improvements.

Voters will also vote on a second proposition which would allow the board of ed to decrease the current transportation limits in grades 3-5 from 1/2 mile to 1/4 mile. If approved, the proposition would not increase the transportation budget. 

Candidates

Steven Hartman provided written answers, and Pauline Fidalgo said she was not doing interviews. All other candidates did not respond to requests to be interviewed. Therefore, the majority of candidate information and quotes have been taken from the district’s website.

Pauline Fidalgo

Fidalgo has been a Commack resident for 21 years. She has one child currently attending in the district and another who recently graduated. She is currently a legal assistant. 

According to her candidate profile, she wants to join the school board to support parents and bring unity to the community.

“A member of the board of education’s role is to provide support and leadership for the parents and students in the community, ensure that we are fiscally responsible, and provide programs that will allow students to be successful adults,” Fidalgo said.

She was directly involved in her children’s classrooms and has been attending school board meetings both in person and virtually.

“I think my strengths are that I am open to listening to other points of view and respectful of others,” she said.

If elected, Fidalgo is eager to get started. She plans “to learn as much as I can about how things are currently being done so I can support in the areas where the district is successful. Hopefully, I can bring a fresh perspective and work with the other board members to see where things can be improved.” 

She intends to increase transparency in the classroom with regard to lessons and required texts: “My suggestion would be for teachers in the secondary level to provide a syllabus at the start of each course and all teachers provide a list of books that will be read in the classroom each year. This will allow for transparency between the classroom and parents.”

Steven Hartman

Steven Hartman has been a Commack resident for 25 years and has two children who recently graduated from the district. He is the engagement director of a medical device design firm. 

Hartman has been on the board of the Commack school district for nine years and has been president of the board for the past seven years. He has been on the PTA for 18 years, and is president of the board of trustees for the Commack Public Library where he has served for 17 years.

According to his candidate profile, Hartman brings a commitment to advocacy and fiscal responsibility to the board. “I do not represent any one community-based group as I represent the entire community,” he said. “I have a great understanding as a board member of the roles and responsibilities of a board member including fiscal governance of the district, which is one of the key foundations of a board member. … I want to continue to explore new ways to grow and enhance all our programs so that every student benefits. I have been an advocate for education and will continue to do so. We need to work with our elected officials to continually let them know what makes Commack such an outstanding district and how they can help ensure that we maintain this level of growth.”     

If reelected, Hartman plans to continue supporting the board’s stated goals: “I will continue reviewing and providing feedback to the administration on multi-year financial plan that focuses on fiscal stability.” In addition, “I will work with my board for the continuation of increased growth of new programs for levels K-12. … We want to ensure that all students get a valued education that will make them ready for a career or college after they leave our district.”

When reached for comment, Hartman emphasized the success the board has had in improving the overall outcomes for students. In particular, he pointed out some of the recent accolades the district has been awarded, including the Blue Ribbon award, which recognizes outstanding schools nationally.

“We achieved the Blue Ribbon distinction award this year in the high school,” he said. “This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students and everyone who has supported and contributed to Commack schools over the years. Our program focuses on high-level, project-based academics, creativity, communication, movement, music, art, business, mathematics, humanities, science, engineering, and technical and trade opportunities. This initiative has resulted in unmatched 98% of all graduates taking at least one college level class and an astounding 85% taking three.”

His plan going forward is a renewed commitment to improving communication with the community.

“We have enhanced our communication with the ‘Be in the Know’ weekly update,” he said. “We are providing the community with valuable information from the board about our schools and all the great exciting programs that are ongoing in our district.   We launched a Facebook site as well to provide happenings in our schools.”

Chris Jurkovic

A 10-year Commack resident, Chris Jurkovic has a 6-year-old son in the school system and a 2-year-old daughter. He has worked as a contractor in the HVAC industry for the last 19 years.

Jurkovic is seeking a position on the board in order to unite the community, parents and teachers, and he said to do what is best for the children.

“I offer a unique opportunity to diversify the board’s perspective, as well as represent many parents with young kids and community members who share my blue-collar background,” he said. 

Enhancing communication is high on Jurkovic’s list of priorities: “The board should always seek new ways to get parents and the community involved as they are the taxpayers who fund the great programs Commack schools offer. For example, we could look to bring back the parent committees at the elementary school level.” 

He also plans to encourage the schools to explore alternate post-school training opportunities. “Commack schools have had great success in preparing our students for prestigious universities,” he said. “I would like to broaden this focus to include more emphasis on the wonderful skill-specific training programs we have to offer such as trade schools and other alternative higher education opportunities. Parents and students should be more aware of the high-paying careers available to them at a smaller financial burden and be able to work with the schools in conducting a cost-benefit analysis before making a life-changing decision.”

Justin Varughese

Justin Varughese has lived in Commack for 16 years and has two children in the district. He is a founding partner and senior trial attorney at his firm, Leitner Varughese Warywoda. He has served as a board trustee for two years and board vice president for one year and was involved with PTAs at North Ridge Primary, Burr Intermediate and Commack Middle schools.

Varughese said he has a strong commitment to his community and schools.

“Though times are seemingly more divisive than ever, I believe we serve our children well when we model this ability to learn from one another and grow together, even if we don’t always agree perfectly,” he said. “As a business owner, I also have the skills to cultivate budgetary accountability and effective contract negotiations in the best interests of the district and community.”

His plans for the district include supporting students to find their strengths. “We want to develop world changers who are thriving in their strengths and passions, so we must help students discover their path with intentionality and focus,” he said.

He also hopes to help them acclimate to a postpandemic academic environment. “We now have an opportunity … to foster a uniquely healthy school environment that surpasses what it had been in years past,” he said. “It will come about through increased student engagement, professional development and an array of other purposeful approaches. The intended result will be a student body marked by confidence, engagement and social/emotional health.”

It is also important to Varughese to help students relate to those who are different from them. “I hope to continue to work with administrators and teachers to explore how we can increase students’ exposure to diverse perspectives so as to produce generous, gracious attitudes toward others,” he said.

Voting information

Residents of the district can cast their votes May 17 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Commack Middle School and Commack High School.

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Four candidates will vie for two seats in the Three Village Central School District Board of Education race, May 17.

District residents will also vote on a nearly $225 million budget for the 2022-23 academic year. The new budget is $3,798,183 more than last year’s contingency budget of $220,262,435, reflecting a 1.72% increase. The proposed tax levy is $164,954,877.

This year if the proposed budget is defeated, a contingency budget would be adopted and would be reduced by $2.95 million, creating a 0% tax levy. There will be no other propositions on the ballot.

Last year, although 57.7% of taxpayers voted in favor of a $222.6 million budget — 2,286-1,677 — it failed to pass. The proposed budget pierced the 1.37% cap on the tax levy increase, necessitating a supermajority approval, or 60% of the vote.

The district is poised to receive almost $49 million in state aid, a nearly 4% increase of $1.86 million.

Among cutbacks, the district projects that there will be a decrease of 8.6 full-time equivalent positions on the secondary level due to declining enrollment and class consolidation. Among the staffing reductions are the elimination of 4.5 FTE nurses in the wake of declining COVID-19 infection rates.

Candidate information

Four candidates will be vying for two at-large seats May 17. The Village Times Herald conducted phone interviews with incumbent Vinny Vizzo and newcomers Jennifer Solomon, Reanna Fulton and Evan Proios.

Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) will not be running for reelection after serving on the board since 2008.

Vinny Vizzo

Vizzo, a 34-year veteran of the school district, is running for the second time. Vizzo has been both a teacher and administrator in Three Village and a few years ago retired as principal of R.C. Murphy Jr. High School. As someone who has worked, lived in the district and also raised children in Three Village, he said he decided to run again because the community is “his life.”

With changes in the district, including the retirement of superintendent of schools, Cheryl Pedisich, Vizzo said it was important to run again.

“There are a lot of different things that are going to be put on the table, and I want to make sure, if I’m elected, that I’m going to keep what we need to keep and keep a good eye open for the kids in the community,” he said.

Vizzo called the Three Village school district programs “phenomenal” for all students.

“We offer an array of programs for our kids so they can take so many different courses, that they can flourish in many ways,” he said.

He would like to see a foreign language program in the elementary schools, something that he said is done in many districts. He would also like to see a home-based BOCES program.

Since he began his term in 2019, Vizzo has dealt with COVID-19 mandates and the requirement of the HPV vaccine to attend schools before the pandemic hit. He said he feels the board members usually are on the same page despite the challenges and criticism from some parents over the district following state COVID-19 mandates so as not to lose state aid.

He also feels that the board has done well in settling contracts and said they are mindful of saving residents money.

He applauds the new budget advisory committee which includes community members and would like to see it broadened in the future with administrators and teachers. He would also like to see more forums for residents where there can be an exchange instead of people submitting questions before a meeting and not being able to ask questions that they may think of after.

“They want to go back and forth,” he said. “I get it. They want to question the board and they want answers. They don’t want us to sit there mute.”

Jennifer Solomon

Solomon and Vizzo, her former Spanish teacher when in junior high school, are running mates. A graduate of Three Village schools, she is raising four children in the district and is running for the board for the first time. She has worked as a bilingual speech language pathologist in the Riverhead Central School District and is now an administrator in the Riverhead district.

“I am running because I’m a very strong believer in public education,” Solomon said. “I  want to make sure that every student has the opportunity to learn and grow and be prepared for life and to make the world a better place.”

She added sharing a range of perspectives and ideas can help children become more empathetic.

Solomon said she feels that her background as an administrator would be helpful on the board. Working in a district that has a high population of Spanish speakers and her experience as a speech pathologist helps her evaluate students to differentiate between learning disabilities and just needing to learn the English language and provide them with the proper programs they need.

“I’m very committed to making sure that every child has opportunities,” she said.

Solomon said she feels the district and community has done a solid job in supporting student’s mental health, but as a society there is a crisis for adolescents with them being addicted to screens and social media — and feeling isolated. Something that was exacerbated by the pandemic. She feels it’s important to prepare students by supporting their mental health needs before they can work on a rigorous challenging academic career.

She said she feels the community also shares a similar vision to her and described the district as “strong and wonderful.”

“I think that as a community, we, for the most part, share a common vision that we want our school district to continue as a stellar district, but I think that there are differences of opinion in terms of how we got there,” she said.

Reanna Fulton

Fulton is a familiar face in the Three Village community as post commander for the Veterans of Foreign War Post 3054 in Setauket. She is also junior vice commander of the Suffolk County VFW and soon-to-be senior vice commander. She served in the U.S. Navy and was on active duty during the 9/11 era.

Currently, she’s a supervisor of technology for a local school district, and she recently completed a doctoral program in leadership and organizational change.

With two children in the district, this is her first time running for board of ed, and she said she believes her various career and community experiences would be an asset.

“I just wanted to be helpful to the community with my experiences in schools as a teacher and administrator,” she said. “I thought maybe I could offer a perspective and really help to bridge the gap of what’s going on between the community and the district, and some of the differences of opinions and just the lack of conversation.”

She said she feels one of the issues is communication transparency.

“I think that people really need to understand and be able to share what they feel and get a response,” she said. “Sometimes communication is very one sided. So, people don’t trust when there’s no open dialogue.”

She said trust between the community and district has broken down a bit. She added budgets also need to be looked at closer and shouldn’t be “rubber stamped” too quickly.

“We want to be able to have that relationship where people will pass budgets because they trust that the district — and the board — has really overseen the process,” she said. “To say, this is what we’re purchasing, this is how we’re spending our money. And it’s OK, you can trust us that we’re doing what’s in your best interest. But it seems that trust between the community and the district especially is just broken down.”

She added that she would like to see the elementary STEM program be brought back to the district. Fulton said the earlier students start, the more likely they will pursue STEM-related careers.

Fulton’s running mate is Evan Proios.

Evan Proios

Proios has lived in the district for seven years and has a daughter in the district.

A professor and an IT administrator for Suffolk County Community College, he decided to run because he moved to the district due to its great reputation. He said he believes the district could even be better, especially when it comes to communication.

“I do think the connection between the district and the community is lacking,” he said, adding that many parents feel they aren’t heard regarding contentious issues.

“I think everyone wants what’s best for their kids, but I think we do a poor job of communicating everything,” he said. “I don’t think the community feels as involved as they should. I don’t think the parents feel as involved as they should.”

He said as someone who has been in academia for his entire career, sometimes tracking down district information is even difficult for him.

Proios said he understands that the district needed to follow state mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic because it would lose state aid if it didn’t, but he felt that wasn’t communicated to families correctly and therefore caused confusion. However, he was pleased that Three Village was able to return to in-person learning sooner than other districts.

“I really have to commend Three Village for staying open through this,” he said.

The candidate said he also feels when a large number of parents want to attend a board of ed meeting, it should be held in a larger space such as an auditorium instead of the board room. While it has been stated that it’s difficult due to technology issues, he said based on his experience at SCCC he believes a way can be found to accommodate everyone and any technology needed can be provided.

Proios said he believes in curriculum transparency but is not associated with the national movement. Regarding curriculum transparency, he said to him it “means I want to know everything my kid is learning,” adding that parents should be able to question teachers and be happy with the answers.

“Are we making sure that the parents are comfortable with what their kids are learning? I’m not saying burning books,” he added.

Voting information

Voters will be able to cast their ballots Tuesday, May 17, between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. at Ward Melville High School.

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File photo by Rachel Shapiro

Residents of the Smithtown Central School District will once again decide who will sit on the school board after a contentious race in 2021.

Last year Stacy Ann Murphy, John Savoretti and Karen Wontrobski-Ricciardi beat out incumbents Jeremy Thode, Mandi Kowalik and Charles Rollins in a race where the newcomers were inspired to run after disagreeing with the district’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic regarding in-person learning and masks.

This year newcomer Angela Kouvel will go up against incumbent Michael Saidens for his position and first-timer Charles Fisher will challenge Michael Catalanotto for his current seat. Voters will also decide on a proposed $267,786,882 budget for the 2022-23 school year which reflects a dollar change of $5,467,217 from last year’s budget of $262,319,665. The tax levy is 1.2% and is below the district’s allowable tax levy.

This year the district is set to receive $48,731,716 of state aid, an increase of $1.26 million. Residents will also have the opportunity to vote on a proposition to establish a new capital reserve fund. The fund is not to exceed $25 million over a 10-year period. If Proposition 2 is approved, residents will not have an additional tax increase. Funds would transfer from the general fund and would be used to make capital improvements to the district’s schools.

Candidate information

Catalanotto and Saidens participated in phone interviews with The Times of Smithtown for this article. Kouvel asked for questions to be emailed to her so she could answer them after returning from vacation but answers were not received before press time. Fisher did not respond to requests for an interview.

Michael Saidens

Saidens is an elementary school principal in the Sachem school district. Throughout his career he has worked as a teacher, including in the Smithtown school district, as well as a principal in other schools in Suffolk County. He also has experience as a special education administrator.

He is running for the third time.

“I think there’s still work to be done,” he said. “I think right now our community is pretty fractured, and I want to be part of the team to bring us back together to focus on what’s best for our kids in our community.” 

He said the last couple of years the board of education has received criticism from parents about the district’s response to COVID-19 state mandates. There have also been concerns that the district was including critical race theory in its curriculum, which it does not.

“We really need to focus on that every kid in Smithtown should count, and it’s our job as a board of education to make sure we’re not just educating like-minded kids,” he said, adding every child should be comfortable in school.

He said he believes his experience in education is an asset to the board.

“I’m there to focus on our school business and then also understanding that there are mandates that we need to follow, rules that we have to follow, and you’re not always able to do exactly what you want to do,” he said. “You have to work within the parameters and framework that a state education department sets and work toward working on curriculum that way.”

Saidens said that while the board is divided at times there are also issues they agree on.

He said a lot of times subjects brought up by members of the board and the public are “hot button topics that aren’t necessarily a part of our purview as a board of education.”

Michael Catalanotto

An attorney born and raised in Smithtown, Catalanotto is running for his second term. His first term was one that was filled with enforcing state COVID-19 mandates. Despite the controversies that may have followed a few of the BOE’s decisions, he said he is proud of many things the trustees have accomplished. 

“Despite the challenges that we had, we continued to add programs during COVID,” he said. “We made addressing learning loss a priority, and we’ve been able to come in below the tax cap, keep the budget below the tax cap the last two years.”

He would like to see foreign language programs in the elementary schools and the expansion of mental health programs. He said recently the school has partnered with the Suffolk County Police Department to offer programs in the schools.

As an attorney, who primarily deals with divorce mediation, he said he has experience dealing with tax records and getting two people on the same page.

He agrees with Saidens that the board can be divided at times: “There’s been this division on the board, lack of focus on the issues that really affect our children, and instead focused on what we can do to flip the board completely. That’s really been the focus of a lot of what’s going on right now. So, it’s a shame, but we’ve got to get back to what the real issues are and focus on our children.”

Both Catalanotto and Saidens said they were proud of the district’s partnership with Northwell Health that will provide more opportunities for assistance for families seeking mental health support for students.

Charles Fisher

During a Meet the Candidates Night via Zoom, Fisher said he is an attorney who deals mostly with real estate law. He and his wife moved to Smithtown when their oldest of three was 5 years old and beginning kindergarten 15 years ago, because they felt the Smithtown school district was a good one. He said he and mostly his wife have volunteered for many extracurricular school activities, which he said enables him to be familiar with what is involved in the school programs.

“I volunteered to run for school board out of concern due to the great slowdown of 2020,” he said, adding the pandemic revealed problems in the district describing them as when a river dries up you see what is laying at the bottom.

He said he feels he needs to be part of the board to address issues that were unforeseen before the pandemic.

Angela Kouvel

Kouvel, who is the mother of two, also moved to the district to provide her children with a better education. During the Meet the Candidates Night, she said she is married to a police officer, and she oversees contracts for a plumbing company.

With children in the district, she said, “I see now more than ever just how important a proper education is. They’re not only the children of today but they are also the children of our future and community.”

She added she believes in equality for every student, and the importance of enrichment and special education programs in every school in the district. Kouvel said she is not only a candidate for the students but also the community.

Voting information

To view the Meet the Candidates Night, visit https://youtu.be/w0iokgmcoEQ. Voting will take place Tuesday, May 17, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. For information on polling places, visit the district’s website, www.smithtown.k12.ny.us/boardofeducation/budget_information.

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By Chris Mellides

Shoreham-Wading River Central School District

Shoreham-Wading River High School will serve as the polling site for this year’s school budget and board of education election. File photo

The proposed budget to be voted on is $83 million, an increase of 2.87% and a tax levy hike of 1.70%, within the district’s limit. There will also be a Proposition No. 2 on capital projects of $2,898,040 with no tax levy increase.

Incumbents Thomas Sheridan and Meghan Tepfenhardt are running unopposed for reelection as trustee candidates.

Only Sheridan responded to a request for interview. He has been serving on the board of education for the past three years. His dedication to the district comes from a determined perspective to help ensure that his school district continues to build on its accomplishments and to better enable it to be recognized and celebrated for its points of pride. Sheridan said that the biggest challenge facing Shoreham-Wading River is the commitment from New York State to continue its funding for the district’s schools.  

The budget vote and board of education elections will be held Tuesday, May 17, at gym from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

Mount Sinai Union Free School District 

The proposed budget of $63.8 million with a 2.02% increased tax rate, does not exceed the tax cap. District funds are being earmarked for renovations, replacements and upgrading infrastructure. 

Mount Sinai Elementary School will serve as the polling site. File photo

Voters will be asked to vote for any two of the four candidates on the ballot, who are Alice Samantha Dreyer, Alexis Fliller, John Hnat and Anthony Mangione. Incumbents AnneMarie Henninger and Lisa Pfeffer (incumbent) are not seeking reelection. Only Dreyer and Mangione responded to requests for interviews. 

Alice Samantha Dreyer

Dreyer is a first-time candidate running for a seat on the board of education. A doctor of psychology, Dreyer’s focus if elected will be on mental health, as it relates to the rise of depression, anxiety and suicidality among students nationwide. Dreyer sees the importance in recognizing the needs of her district’s students and believes in inclusivity when it comes to students of all ability levels. She said that the biggest challenge facing her district stems from the COVID-19 pandemic and its ill effects on students’ learning and anxiety levels. Dreyer hopes to see her district continue to provide a broad-based, foundational education for all its students. 

Anthony Mangione

Mangione has never sat on the Mount Sinai board of education. The first-timer said that a large group of local residents take to social media to and ask why their voices aren’t being heard. This is the driving force behind what made Mangione run. His goal is to reverse the loss of learning that school students experienced while learning remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, Mangione promises to fight to end or prevent unfunded or underfunded mandates. 

The budget vote and board of education elections will be held Tuesday, May 17, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Mount Sinai Elementary School.

Rocky Point Union Free School District

The proposed budget to be voted on totals $88 million, an increase of 2.72%. Voters will also be asked to elect two trustees. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes will fill the seat for three years and the second seat will fill the seat immediately following the election, expiring June 30, 2023. 

The following candidate information was obtained from the district’s website.

Nick Contes

Contes has been a Rocky Point resident for the past 15 years, has two daughters in the school district and is risk and insurance manager at Henry Schein. Contes and his family have contributed to an array of local youth programs, including soccer, tee-ball and cheerleading. He has openly spoken at many BOE meetings and is an advocate for parental choice, improved school lunches and highlighting areas of cost savings for the district. 

Nicole Kelly 

Kelly is a Rocky Point resident and mother of a child attending Rocky Point High School. As a senior administrator at Brookhaven National Laboratory, her work experience includes project management, contract administration and compliance on the state and federal levels. She’s been critical in implementing various interactive events within the district to enhance learning and opportunity for students of all ages. If elected, Kelly plans to include increased strategic planning, safety and security for increased community communication. 

Jason Ford 

Ford has been a community member for 10 years and a father of three children who attend Rocky Point schools. Ford serves full time in hospitality management and volunteers his time throughout the community. He is an active PTA member as well as being a baseball coach for St. Anthony’s CYO and is a volunteer for both North Shore Little League and Rocky Point Youth Soccer Club. Ford would like to work collaboratively with fellow board members, teachers and administrators to provide the best education for the district’s students and be a voice for the community during these challenging times. His goal is to help bridge the gap between parents and educators. 

Susan Sullivan 

Incumbent trustee Sullivan has been a resident of Rocky Point for 37 years and retired from the district after serving as a teacher and administrator for a total of 40 years. She holds a B.A. in education, a master’s in liberal studies and a master’s in education. Sullivan said that it has been an honor to serve on the board for the past nine years. She looks forward to continuing as a trustee, representing the entire community, keeping in mind that she serves as one of a team. Sullivan will work together with her fellow trustees to offer an educational program that supports the needs of all students and is mindful of the fiscal responsibility to the community. 

Erin Walsh

A veteran of the U.S. Army Reserve, catechist, PTA volunteer and legal secretary, Walsh has recently completed her paralegal qualifications to bolster her advocacy and knowledge in law. Walsh, a 14-year Rocky Point resident and mother of two, looks forward to serving the students and families of the district through transparency and communication along with parental involvement in the schools. She focuses on making certain that every dollar in the budget delivers enthusiastic learning along with smaller class sizes, while eliminating administrative waste in her district. 

Susan Wilson 

Wilson is a retired teacher and administrator who has been part of the Rocky Point community since the 1960s. She is a married mother of two local Point graduates. She holds a B.A. in accounting, an M.A. in liberal studies/technology and an advanced degree certificate in educational leadership. She has served on the boards of the PTA, Rocky Point Civic Association and the North Shore Beach Property Owners Association. Wilson’s goals will be to continue being an advocate for a nine-period day, while also supporting districtwide improvements with a focus on increasing the graduation rate. She also seeks out perspectives on the issues helping in her consideration of the financial impacts of the budget on the taxpayer. She supports decisions that have the interests of the school community at heart.  

Rocky Point High School will serve as the polling site. File photo

The budget vote and board of education elections will be held Tuesday, May 17, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Rocky Point High School. 

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Earl L. Vandermeulen High School, above, and Comsewogue High School, below, will serve as the polling sites for this year’s school budget and board of education elections. File photos. 

By Raymond Janis

Next week, community members will have an opportunity to weigh in on the direction of their local schools.

On Tuesday, May 17, the Port Jefferson and Comsewogue school districts will hold public votes seeking approval of their proposed annual budgets and trustee elections. 

Port Jefferson School District

The proposed budget of $46,114,331 has a tax levy increase of 1.74%, which falls below the district’s allowable tax cap limit of 2%. State aid has increased from $3.8 million to $3.84 million.

According to a newsletter from the school district, the proposed 2022-23 budget is designed to maintain and expand upon robust educational initiatives for students while being fiscally mindful of the impact on taxpayers.

The budget allows for the addition of new high school electives, including the introduction of the AP Capstone program. The budget also expands the district’s pre-K program to full day and extends the Integrated Co-Teaching program for grades K-2.

Residents will also vote on projects to renovate the elementary school pool ($533,612), high school athletic event bleachers ($561,000) and high school roofing ($105,387).

Also on the ballot is a $2,335,000 proposition to use the district’s capital reserves to address drainage and retaining walls at the middle school. This second proposition is at no cost to taxpayers and does not affect the tax levy limit.

Voting takes place May 17 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the high school cafeteria.

Comsewogue Union Free 

School District

The proposed expenditure budget for the 2022-23 academic year totals $102,117,258, a 3.7% increase from the previous year. State aid has increased to $35.6 million from $33.2 million, a 7.2% change. It is estimated the average homeowner will pay an extra $162 in annual taxes. 

According to minutes from a May 5 budget hearing, the stated goals of the proposed budget are to increase student learning and maximize student potential by enhancing the quality of instruction throughout the district. 

Through this budget, the board also hopes to ensure a safe, secure and orderly environment that supports student learning. Additionally, it seeks to ensure fiscal responsibility, stability and accountability through a transparent process that has the support of the community, developing a school district budget that is taxpayer sensitive and aligns with the district’s student learning objectives. 

Also on the ballot is Proposition Two, which if approved will reauthorize capital appropriations not exceeding $500,000 to finance health and safety items from the buildings conditions survey, drainage, sidewalks, among other capital investments. It is anticipated that there will be no increase in taxes due to this proposition.

The vote will be held from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the gymnasium of Comsewogue High School, located at 565 N. Bicycle Path, Port Jefferson Station. 

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Commack Union Free School District

Commack school district residents passed the $205,126,576 budget, 1,981-620.

Challenger Gustave Hueber beat incumbent Jarrett Behar. Hueber received 1,465 votes, while Behar garnered 1,085.

Comsewogue School District

Comsewogue residents passed the $98,479,289 budget, 643-203.

Margaret Mitchell (699), Richard Rennard (695) and Corey Prinz (670) ran unopposed.

Elwood Union Free School District

Elwood school district residents passed the 2021-22 budget of $66,913,579.

Yes – 1,294

No – 481

Incumbents James Tomeo and Heather Mammolito won back their seats on the board with 1,056 votes and 940, respectively. Bryan Johnson received 709 and Amy Kern 758.

Harborfields Central School District

The 2021-22 Harborfields school district budget of $90,316,264 passed.

Yes – 1,422

No – 346

Susan Broderick with 1,012 votes, incumbent Suzie Lustig with 1,019 and Eve Meltzer Krief with 963, won seats on the board of ed. Incumbent Joseph Savaglio received 601 votes, Freda Manuel had 342 and incumbent Steven Engelmann 812.

Hauppauge Union Free School District

The $119,963,719 Hauppauge school district 2021-22 budget was approved.

Yes – 1,154

No – 415

A resolution to repair the Forest Brook Elementary School roof at a cost of $675,000 was adopted, 1,291-270.

Gemma Salvia and Colleen Capece won the two seats on the board, with 767 and 883 votes, respectively. Incumbent Michael Buscarino received 735 and Megan Asseng 585.

Huntington Union Free School District

The $139,315,854 2021-22 school budget in the Huntington school district passed, 993-250.

Residents reelected Christine Biernacki to the board of ed with 914 votes and newcomers Theresa Sullivan and Thomas Galvin received 856 and 786 votes, respectively, to win seats on the board. Incumbent Lynda Tiné-D’Anna lost her seat with 721 votes.

Kings Park Central School District

The Kings Park school district budget of $98,054,941 passed.

Yes – 1,458

No – 642

Incumbents Kevin Johnston and Diane Nally retained their seats with 1,169 and 1,102 votes, respectively. Challengers Cynthia Grimley and Clayton Cobb received 962 and 826, respectively.

Johnston in an email said he was pleased that he and Nally were reelected, “especially after a contentious campaign.”

“Most important was the passing of the budget,” he said. “Diane and I are proud of the accomplishments Kings Park Central School District has made, over the past six years, including lowering class sizes to more manageable levels; adding school psychologists and social workers; having a graduation rate of 99%, with 94% of students opting for post-graduation education; and the return of students, during the COVID pandemic, in a safe and responsible manner. Together, Diane Nally and I look forward to overcoming the financial and educational challenges in the next three years. Finally, we are cognizant of the community’s ability to finance the students’ education, as we kept the [tax cap levy] below 2%.”

Middle Country Central School District

Middle Country residents passed the $269,080,958 budget 1,758-643.

“On behalf of the Middle Country Central School District Board of Education, administration, teachers and staff, I would like to thank our community for their passage of our 2021-2022 school district budget,” said Roberta Gerold, superintendent of schools. “The community’s continued support reinforces our students’ efforts and is a direct reflection of the community’s confidence in the quality of education in our district and the programs and services we provide that ensure the needs of all our students and families are met and exceeded.”

Karen J. Lessler (1,914) and Arlene Barresi (1,893) ran unopposed. John DeBenedetto (1,197) defeated Robert Hallock (779) and Mario Nicoletto (290); Deborah Mann-Rodriguez (929) defeated William Ferraro (879) and Sandro Fernandes (498) for the two-year term remaining on the seat of Dina Phillips, who resigned in the fall and was replaced by Ferraro.

Miller Place Union Free School District

Miller Place residents passed the $76,520,451 budget, 903-257.

Bryan Makarius (609) defeated Desiree O’Neil (490).

Mount Sinai School District

Mount Sinai residents passed the $62,581,830 budget, 656-191.

Karen Pitka (678) and Paul Staudt (665) ran unopposed.

Northport-East Northport Union Free School District

The Northport-East Northport school district 2021-22 budget of $174,704,748 did not pass.

Yes – 1,902

No – 2,069

Incumbent Victoria Buscareno, 2,126 votes, retained her seat on the board and Carol Taylor won the second open seat with 2,079 votes. Warner Frey received 1,356 votes and Tammie Topel garnered 1,534.

Port Jefferson School District

Port Jefferson residents passed the $45,009,729 budget, 579-120.

“The district is extremely grateful to our Port Jefferson community for their continued support of our schools,” said Jessica Schmettan, superintendent of schools. “With the approval of last night’s budget vote, we are poised to further our tradition of academic excellence and ensure our students are prepared for future success.”

Tracy Zamek (473), Ryan Walker (456) and Rene Tidwell (408) defeated Shannon Handley (384).

Rocky Point Union Free School District 

Rocky Point residents passed the $85,692,726 budget, 477-124.

Ed Casswell (472) and Michael Lisa (463) ran unopposed.

Shoreham-Wading River Central School District

Shoreham-Wading River residents passed the $80,687,584 budget, 669-215.

“We are again pleased that we are part of a community that wholeheartedly supports our students and school district,” said Gerard Poole, superintendent of schools. “Our longstanding tradition of students’ academic, artistic and athletic success is reflected in our community’s expectations and moving forward with this approved budget enables us to continue with Shoreham-Wading River’s mission and goals while maintaining our commitment to fiscal responsibility.”

Incumbents Robert Rose (689) and James Smith (670) ran unopposed.

Smithtown Central School District

Smithtown school district residents approved the budget of $262,319,665.

Yes – 5,180

No – 3,245

The incumbents Jeremy Thode, Charles Rollins and Mandy Kowalik were voted off the board as residents chose challengers John Savoretti, Karen Wontrobski-Rollins and Stacy Murphy for the three seats up for grab.

Seat of Charles Rollins:

Charles Rollins – 3,868 votes

John Savoretti – 4,645 votes

Seat of Jeremy Thode:

Jeremy Thode – 4,000 votes

Karen Wontrobski-Ricciardi – 4,504 votes

Seat of Mandi Kowalik:

Mandi Kowalik – 3,854 votes

Stacy Murphy – 4,651 votes

The 2020-21 school year began with a tumultuous start for the Smithtown school district when local parents rallied in front of the administration building before various board of education meetings demanding schools to be opened five days a week for in-person learning during the pandemic. The charge was led by the Facebook group Smithtown Parents Watchdog Group, which was founded by Murphy, a guidance counselor in the Amityville school district.

In an email Thode said the “community support of the budget” was the number one priority.

“This was a highly contested election that sparked a great deal of dialogue,” Thode said. “Conversation is good. Community engagement is good. I hope they both continue.”

Thode said he believes he made positive contributions during his two terms on the board.

“I have learned that we have great students, staff and families,” he added. “The district is in great hands. We have excellent schools and a passionate community. I congratulate the new BOE members and wish them well. Ultimately, the community wants what is best for children. I am sure this new BOE will unite in that goal. I look forward to watching our children thrive.”

Savoretti, Wontrobski-Ricciardi and Murphy emailed a joint statement the day after their victory.

“We stepped up to the challenge to run for Smithtown Board of Education to make a positive change for our kids and their parents, many who have felt voiceless, unhappy with the current situation in our schools and frustrated with the lack of response to our concerns,” the winners said. “In addition, we firmly believe that our children and youth should be provided a quality education where they are only taught how to think, as opposed to what to think.”

The three acknowledged stumbling blocks along the way despite the support they received from parents in the district. Their campaign page on Facebook had nearly 900 followers.

“Although this campaign was a very positive movement, we were faced with divisive and hurtful tactics by many who disagreed with or assumed we stood for something very different,” they said. “Many false stories spread about us related to ideologies we did not embrace.”

Savoretti, Wontrobski-Ricciardi and Murphy added, “Moving forward, we choose to be leaders in healing this community. We look forward to working with the existing board members and extending our hands to find common ground, prioritizing the needs of every student. At the end of the day, that’s why we got involved … for the children of this community and future generations to come.”

Three Village Central School District

In Three Village school district, the $222.6 million budget did not pass as 60% approval was needed to approve the budget that pierced the 1.37% cap with a proposed tax levy increase of 1.85%.

Yes – 2,286 (57.68%)

No – 1,677

Deanna Bavlnka retained her seat on the board with 2,076 votes, while Sue Rosenzweig and Shaorui Li won the other two open seats with 2,202 and 2,326 votes respectively.

David McKinnon received 1,917 votes and Karen Roughly 1,754.

Bavlnka, Li and Rosenzweig campaigned together. Bavlnka is a corporate director of human resources. Shaorui Li is a principal engineer and research group manager at a national laboratory as well as an adjunct faculty member at Stony Brook University, while Rosenzweig is a former anchor at News 12.

Li ran last year unsuccessfully.

“I’m very proud of our Three Village community with so many people dedicated to supporting high-quality public education,” Li said. “Together we will assist our young generation toward a brighter future.”

Additional reporting by Julianne Mosher

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For the 10th straight year, the Northport-East Northport Union Free School District budget is under the tax levy.

According to the district’s newsletter, the 2021-22 budget will increase by 1.13 percent and has a tax levy increase of 0.75%. The savings is due to school reorganizations, which includes the Aug. 31 closings of Bellerose Avenue and Dickinson Avenue elementary schools.

Residents will also vote on two propositions. Proposition 2 is to establish a capital reserve fund not to exceed $20 million over a 10-year period. If the proposition is approved, there will be no tax implications. Proposition 3 will be to vote on altering the transportation boundaries. If approved, students in grades 6-8 will be able to take the bus if they live within a 0.75-mile limit as opposed to the current 1-mile limit. The boundary limits for grades 9-12 will change from the current 1.5-mile limit to a new 1.0-mile limit.

In the race for two open trustee seats on the board of ed, four candidates are running. The candidates shared information in biographies in the district newsletter that is also found on its website.

Victoria Buscareno

Victoria Buscareno

Incumbent and Syosset school district special education teacher, Buscareno has lived in the district for 46 years and has four children, three in college who graduated from the high school and one child in Northport Middle School.

In addition to attending board meetings regularly, she also attends PTA evening meetings and the Drug and Alcohol Task Force meetings. She also is a member of the Ocean Avenue, NMS, NHS PTA and SEPTA and sat on the NMS subcommittee and is currently the co-chair of the Audit Committee.

Buscareno said being a board member for the past three years and being an educator is an asset.

“The greatest asset an individual can bring as a board member is compassion, kindness and the ability to work with others to come to a consensus on the best possible decision,” she said. “Listening to different perspectives and allowing movement and growth is what allows a board to work together to make important decisions for all of our community.”

Regarding school closings, she lists them among the most pertinent issues facing the Northport-East Northport School District. She also wants to maintain strong dialogue with the community.

“We are looking to maximize our buildings’ usage while providing enhancements for our students in a cost-effective way,” she said. “Maintaining our buildings and making sure every space is well taken care of and safe for all children will always be a priority. School safety is essential. We must be prepared and well trained for any emergency situation.”

Buscareno said the district like many others is revisiting policies to ensure they are inclusive to all students.

Warner Frey

Warner Frey

A 50-year resident, Frey has three children in district schools. He was a coach with the Northport Youth Center Soccer from 2013-17 and a den leader with BSA Pack 400 East Northport from 2015-22. He’s also a team manager for Northport Cow Harbor United and from 2011-21 has served as a member of Dickinson Avenue PTA.

The retired NYPD captain believes his work experience will be an asset to the board.

“I served 23 years in the NYPD which taught me the value of critical thinking, diversity and problem-solving unforeseen challenges,” he said. “As a captain, I led people and formed relationships with community leaders and elected officials to achieve goals.”

If elected, Frey said he aims to create “policy that strives to maximize the talents of all students through inclusion.” He also aims to work on budgets that will enhance current district programs while being affordable to taxpayers.

The candidate said it may not be necessary to have as many brick-and-mortar assets currently and it’s important to reinvent building usage.

“The current review of building usage is an important undertaking,” he said. “As this community evolves, we must assess ways to achieve cost savings while continuing to enhance our student programs. We must be open to new ideas and solutions to achieve cost savings while growing our curriculum.”

Carol Taylor

Carol Taylor

A resident in the district for approximately 20 years, Taylor is planning to retire as a Northport-East Northport teacher next month. Her two daughters are graduates. She was a volunteer for the district’s Steering Committee and has served on several instructional committees. In addition, she has been in leadership with the United Teachers of Northport, a New York State United Teachers delegate and a New York State Teachers Retirement System delegate.

“I’m a problem-solver with an open mind,” she said. “I take little at face value. Rather, I listen and then research. I’m candid and put the needs of my students and their families first. I am unafraid of discourse and will continue to work tirelessly for our families as I have done for the 20 years I’ve worked for our wonderful district.”

In addition to the two elementary schools closing, Taylor said another issue the district faces is “the reality of the LIPA lawsuit with a settlement.” She would also like to see the district hold “councils” instead of having committees. Taylor said she feels that while committees have selfless volunteers, in the end, the decisions still rely on administration.

“Perhaps a policy could be crafted to return to the prior practice to promote earnest collaboration,” Taylor said. “It is becoming increasingly challenging to provide the quality of education that the Northport community expects, given increasing costs and the 2% tax cap limiting the ability to raise local revenue.”

She also said there should be a pause in excess spending with homeowners struggling to make ends meet, and with the LIPA and COVID-19 economic fallout.

Tammie Topel

Tammie Topel

A nearly 30-year resident of the Northport-East Northport area, Topel is a special education advocate and founder/director of K.I.D.S. Plus, which provides sports programs and therapeutic recreation programs for children and young adults with developmental disabilities. Both of her children have attended schools in the district, even though her son with autism did receive a high school education outside of the district.

Topel has been outspoken about the closing of the two elementary schools and she said she’s not afraid to speak up.

“My beliefs are my own which I develop after listening to all sides, especially the community that placed me on the board,” she said. “I do not waiver in the face of bullying, smearing and grandstanding.”

Topel has also been a Northport Rotary Club member and in 2010 was honored in the Times of Northport and East Northport as Women of the Year. She is involved in various community organizations including Drug and Alcohol Task Force member, founder/administrator of Just For Kicks Soccer Club, chairperson for the Northport Youth Soccer League, past PTA president of Norwood Avenue Elementary School, past special education chairperson for Suffolk Region PTA and past SEPTA president.

Topel lists the closings of the elementary schools and the raising of the budget among the top of her concerns as well as transparency from the superintendent and BOE. She also seeks for community communications to be made part of the public record.

“The board and the superintendent could be more transparent and should effectively communicate with the community, before, during and after meetings,” she said. “During public participation at a board meeting, board members should answer questions asked of them by the community.”

Voting information

The budget vote and board of education trustees election will take place Tuesday, May 18, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. There are three voting locations in the Northport school district. Those living south of the centerline of Pulaski Road vote at Fifth Avenue Elementary School; residents living north of the centerline of Pulaski Road and south of the centerline of Route 25A vote at Dickinson Avenue Elementary School; and voters who live north of the center of Route 25A vote at William J. Brosnan School.

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Huntington High School. File photo

Residents in the Huntington school district will be able to choose from four candidates for three seats on the board of education.

Incumbents Christine Biernacki and Lynda Tine-D’Anna will go up against newcomers Thomas Galvin and Theresa Sullivan, according to the district’s website.

Christine Biernacki

Biernacki is completing her second three-year term on the board and was elected by her fellow trustees to serve as board president for the 2020-21 school year. She and her husband live in Halesite with their two children who are in high school.

A partner in a New York City law firm, in addition to her duties with the BOE, she is president of the district’s PTA council and has served on the Safety and Shared Decision Making committees and on the Special Education Committee.

She has served as president of both the Town of Huntington’s Youth Bureau board and of the Huntington Sanctuary Project’s advisory board and has offered her house as a host home for the project’s runaway youth.

Lynda Tine-D’Anna

Lynda Tine-D’Anna

A lifelong resident of Huntington, Tine-D’Anna is completing her first term on the school board.

She and her husband have two children who attend district schools, and two daughters attending college.

The candidate is a world language teacher in the Syosset school district and is a member of the high school steering committee for the National Blue Ribbon schools of excellence application process, chair of the district’s Middle States Commission on Higher Education accreditation and evaluation committee and is a founding member of the high school’s professional development program.

She has also been a board member and volunteer of the Huntington school district Special Education PTA, and is the founding member and former president of a local nonprofit focused on advocacy and education.

Thomas Galvin

Thomas Galvin

Galvin and his wife, who graduated from Huntington High School, moved from New York City to Huntington nearly 20 years ago. They have two children attending school in the district.

The candidate is New Hyde Park Memorial High School’s social studies chairperson and a representative on his district’s diversity task force. He also has coached soccer at the YMCA and the Cold Spring Harbor-Huntington Soccer Club and helped create the high school’s Model U.N. program. In his free time, he performs in a band.

 

 

Theresa Sullivan

Theresa Sullivan

A 1992 graduate of Huntington High School, Sullivan works at her family’s Huntington village salon and was recently appointed to the town’s small business task force. She and her husband have two daughters in the district.

She created Huntington Hospital Meals during the pandemic, and her work was recognized by town Supervisor Chad Lupinacci (R) in the TBR News Media May 2020 article, “Who local leaders are thankful for helping during pandemic.” The initiative helped deliver thousands of meals for medical professionals and staff at the hospital during the initial weeks of the pandemic and also raised more than $150,000.

Budget and voting information

According to the Huntington school district’s website, the estimated tax levy increase for the 2021-22 budget is 0.33 percent, with a budget increase of 2.48% to $139,315,854.  The district will receive state aid of $22,166,741, according to the district’s projections.

Residents will also have the opportunity to vote on a capital reserve proposition. If the proposition receives approval, it will permit funding for an estimated $3.525 million in projects and will have no effect on taxes.

Projects include partial roofing replacement at Huntington High School, parking lot renovations at J. Taylor Finley Middle School and the replacement of two original building boilers at Jefferson Primary School.

The budget vote and BOE elections will take place May 18, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Huntington High School located at 188 Oakwood Road.

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Kings Park High School. Photo by Rita J. Egan

The Kings Park board of education race has four candidates vying for two seats at large. Incumbents Diane Nally and Kevin Johnston will be on the ballot May 18 along with newcomers Clayton Cobb and Cynthia Grimley.

Both Cobb and Grimley were inspired to run after they and other parents were discontented with the reopening process in September as Kings Park secondary school students returned to the classrooms five days a week in person later than younger children. While the school year began with a hybrid model, with students attending school two days a week and taking classes remotely the others, the return to buildings the entire week for middle and high school students didn’t occur until a few weeks ago.

All candidates agree that an upcoming summer program in the district will be beneficial to ensure that students have an opportunity to fill in any learning gaps or deal with any emotional or social problems caused by the pandemic.

Clayton Cobb

Clayton Cobb

Cobb has lived in the district for more than eight years. He and his wife have three children who were homeschooled temporarily during the pandemic but will be returning to the classrooms in September. The vice president of an information technology consulting firm said that before the schools were shut down in March of 2020, he wasn’t familiar with BOE dealings, and then he started paying attention.

He said he believes that his IT experience can help in providing new solutions, and his business experience would also be an asset to a board position.

He said the district’s response during the shutdowns and the return to the classrooms wasn’t handled properly. It wasn’t until parents pushed back after a survey was sent out and parents rallied that the BOE took them seriously. Cobb said the board members weren’t tenacious enough with getting all students back to school full time in person. He added he felt they should have studied and researched the data more.

“You have to be forward thinking, proactive,” Cobb said. “You have to do research. You have to look at other counties, look at other states, look at the districts in other counties. You assemble, gather and assimilate information and come up with a solution and keep fighting for it.”

Cobb added that it’s important in cases such as this to bring up any legal aspects and harmfulness to the students even to state and county officials.

He said he felt at times the board was too quick to dismiss new ideas, and with his business background he said he understands how taxpayers are the same to the district as a customer is to a business.

“The whole point of this board and the school district is us,” he said.

Cynthia Grimley

Cynthia Grimley

A Kings Park resident since 1988, Grimley graduated from Kings Park High School and is raising her two daughters in the district.

Grimley holds a degree in psychology and education. She started her career as a special education teacher for six years and then moved on to higher education in 2003 where she worked at Suffolk County Community College. She is currently employed at Stony Brook University where she is a testing coordinator for the Student Accessibility Support Center.

While Grimley said she thought about running for the board of education before, she never felt a need to do so until now.

“I just feel that this year was difficult for everybody,” Grimley said.

She added that because she works at SBU she saw how another educational institution proceeded after the pandemic forced shutdowns. According to Grimley early on in March 2020, SBU leadership found a way to connect with students, even though she said higher education systems are different, she said she felt there should have been more connection with the students in Kings Park by teachers.

Her older daughter went a long time after the shutdown before hearing from teachers, and Grimley said she addressed her concerns about both daughters’ education to the BOE members, even though she said she was understanding that the district wasn’t prepared to teach via Zoom

“I kept going to board meetings and I said, ‘Why is this OK with anybody?’” Grimley said.  “Why is this OK with the principals, with the administration, with the board, that there are children who haven’t had any connection with their teachers for weeks?”

Over the summer she became part of the reopening committee. She said she was vocal about there being a return to five full days and also a remote option. She said she felt not much changed in the new school year with sixth- through 12th-graders still following a hybrid model, and it was frustrating to see other schools returning full time early on. She added many on the board don’t currently have children in school.

“I just think that the board members didn’t have kids in the schools and didn’t realize,” she said. “We saw the kids suffering — the parents who have children — and saw the kids. The second my kids went back to school full time, it was like two new kids. It was like a light switch, both of them.”

Working in higher education in disability services, Grimley said she knows it’s hard to compare the two, but she feels her work experience, especially working with special-needs students, can be an asset to the board.

“I have a lot of background about accessibility, making education accessible for all and universal design and that sort of thing, so I feel like I bring a unique perspective to the board,” she said.

Kevin Johnston

Kevin Johnston

A resident of the hamlet for nearly 35 years, Johnston’s two children graduated from Kings Park High School in 2007 and 2010. The student-teacher supervisor with SUNY Oneonta has a background in education including being a former teacher, coach and adviser in the Kings Park school district from 1981-2015.

Johnston is completing his second term on the board. With issues due to the pandemic, he said it was important to run again due to financial constraints with the district possibly not getting state funding this year.

Johnston said one thing that will help financially is that the district just received money from winning a lawsuit from a case which was going on for nearly 10 years.

“We feel we have a lot to do, especially concerning loss of learning and the mental, social, emotional needs,” Johnston said.

He added in addition to a program implemented for this summer to deal with loss of learning, next year it’s important to look at more staffing for academic intervention and for standard social, emotional needs.

He said the district has to make every penny count as they don’t have chair people, and don’t have a level of checks and balances that other school districts with bigger budgets have.

“So, we do scrutinize the entire budget process, very carefully,” he said. “Make sure that there is no fluff.”

He said recently an opponent asked what are the wants versus the needs of the district.

“We’re just trying to meet the needs of the students,” he said. “We don’t have an agenda. We don’t have a special list of wants or wish list.”

Diane Nally

Diane Nally

The current board president has lived in Kings Park for more than 60 years. In addition to her three children being graduates of the high school, she has a grandchild starting kindergarten soon.

In 2016, Nally retired as assistant director of religion education at St. Joseph’s. If reelected, this will be Nally’s fourth term on the board, and she said she would like “to continue to improve the school district and maintain the progress we have achieved over the last nine years.”

Regarding the full return to school, she said the board acted accordingly saying the timing was “spot on” due to the decreasing number of COVID cases. She said a plan has been introduced to address learning loss and social emotional learning. The program will begin this summer.

“Our current school board acted responsibly by ensuring that the health and safety of all our students and staff were our number one priority,” she said. “We continually sought updated guidance for bringing all students back to school five days a week, which we did last month.”

Nally said her more-than-25 years with St. Joseph’s provide her with valuable experience working with parents and children to resolve issues. Her nine years on the board she said has enabled her to form relationships “with members of other school boards and with members of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association.”

Nally said she is an advocate for small class sizes. She said this made it possible to bring grades K-5 back to school five days a week in the beginning of the school year. In September 2019, a one-to-one device program was introduced in the district. It was originally expected to take a few years before middle and high school students had devices.

“In response to the COVID pandemic, the board, superintendent, administrators, teachers and staff worked collaboratively to accomplish this goal by September 2020, which made it possible to run our hybrid and remote learning platforms,” she said. “With the increased state aid we received, we were able to set a tax levy of 1.99%, the lowest in years, while maintaining all current curriculum, programs and activities. As a responsible school board member, I am always mindful of the impact of tax increases on our community.”

Budget and voting information

Kings Park School District residents will vote on a 1.60% budget increase and 1.99% tax levy increase for the 2021-22 school year.

The budget vote and trustee election will be held Tuesday, May 18, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Kings Park High School back gymnasium, 200 Route 25A, Kings Park.2021-

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