School board trustees James Macomber and Doreen Feldmann at the board meeting on April 22. Photo by Barbara Donlon
The Middle Country school board unanimously adopted a nearly $236 million budget for the 2015-16 school year on April 22. The proposed budget will now head to a public vote this May.
“This is the first time in 10 years that we’re looking at stabilizing the district,” board President Karen Lessler said prior to the vote. “Ten years we’ve been through a reduction of funding by the state of New York.”
The president called the budget “solid,” as it keeps current programs intact, no excessing of staff will happen and it includes a continuation of the popular science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – know as STEM – program that has been a hit in the district. The spending plan is also tax levy increase cap compliant.
At the district’s budget presentation on April 1, Lessler announced the district would receive back roughly 60 percent of the Gap Elimination Adjustment money. The deduction in aid district is currently looking at a loss of $3.3 million, which is less than year’s past.
“I want to be clear that this is not extra money that we’re getting,” Lessler said at an April 1 meeting. “This is money that we’re entitled to have. It has been earmarked in our budget and there has been a reduction in this funding and finally this year we’re seeing some restoration of these funds.”
Under the plan, residents with an average home assessed at $2,200 will pay an extra $93.19 in taxes next year.
Like many other districts across the state, Middle Country is adding staff in order to comply with a state-mandated English as a second language initiative, which aims to help students whose first language is not English. The district will add two to three teachers to meet the mandate.
In regards to new programs, officials said the budget allocates funds for a science research program at the high school.
In an earlier presentation, Lessler said if the budget is voted down, sports, clubs, full-day kindergarten and the pre-kindergarten program are among items that could be negatively impacted.
A public hearing on the budget will be held on May 6 at the Newfield High School library. The budget vote and school board election will take place on May 19.
Mount Sinai’s administration and board — including Superintendent Gordon Brosdal and BOE President Robert Sweeney — will ask taxpayers to weigh in on a capital bond proposal Dec. 11. File photo by Erika Karp
Over the last four years, only an average of 17 percent of registered voters in the Mount Sinai school district came out to the district’s annual May budget and school board election. This year, Superintendent Gordon Brosdal is urging residents to actually show up to the polls.
Prior to making his last presentation on the district’s proposed $56.7 million 2015-16 school year budget, which the school board unanimously adopted, Brosdal took a few minutes to remind the larger-than-usual crowd that every vote matters.
“If people vote yes or no, that’s their issue, but please come out and vote,” he said at the April 22 school board meeting. “All of you. Encourage your friends, neighbors.”
Elected officials, those who decide how much state aid the district gets, will take notice, according to Brosdal.
While the district budgeted for no increase in state aid over the current year, the district received $391,860 more than anticipated. Included in the total $16.4 million aid package, is more than $500,000 in kindergarten conversion aid, as the district plans to transition from a half-day to full-day kindergarten program.
The possible change has been a topic of discussion for a year, with many parents backing the move, as students require additional classroom time in order to keep up with the Common Core Learning Standards.
Last month, the district committed to making the jump and included the full-day program in its budget proposal.
At the April 22 meeting, Brosdal said that after he recently saw Miller Place’s newly implemented full-day kindergarten program he was “kind of elated” by what he witnessed at the school and how much the students were learning.
“We are leaving kids behind in our current program,” Brosdal said.
But school officials have repeatedly reminded residents that the budget just isn’t about kindergarten. There is still a whole K-12 program that the budget maintains and betters.
Under the spending plan, which increases nearly 3.3 percent from the current year, class sizes, class offerings and programs are maintained. In addition, the district will begin following Columbia University’s Teachers College Writing Project, which provides writing curriculum and professional development for teachers, in grades kindergarten through fifth.
A resident with an average assessed home value of $3,500 will see an annual tax increase of $156.
The slight increase in state aid also helps the district’s three-year outlook, as it won’t have to rely as much on appropriating fund balance year after year. In the past, board President Robert Sweeney pointed to the 2017-18 school year as to when the district’s surplus would be depleted. However, according to current district estimates, the fund balance would remain at nearly 2 percent of the operating budget that year.
“We’re now in a position that we can develop our program each year and develop our program positively,” he said.
The race for the Huntington school board this year will be cut-and-dry, as four individuals are running uncontested for four open seats on the school board.
Board President Emily Rogan and board members Xavier Palacios and Tom DiGiacomo are seeking re-election to new three-year terms on the board, as is newcomer Christine Biernacki, a Halesite resident and president of the district’s PTA Council.
The four seats include those held by Rogan, Palacios and DiGiacomo, but also former Vice President Adam Spector, who died after losing a battle with cancer last summer.
In interviews this week, candidates sounded off about what they’ve accomplished and what they feel they could bring to the board in the next three years.
Xavier Palacios
Palacios, an attorney with an office in Huntington Station, wears many hats. He has leadership roles in various groups like Huntington Matters, an anti-crime Huntington Station group, and the Friends of Huntington Station Latin Quarter. He is running for a second, three-year term.
Palacios wants to see the district continue parental engagement program efforts — something that was funded this year by a federal grant. The district’s been able to engage parents in their children’s education through the program’s efforts. He also wants to see the district continue to cut costs in innovative ways, such as building partnerships with other school districts and agencies.
Emily Rogan is running unopposed for a seat on the Huntington school board. Photo from the candidate
“I’d like to see us be able to find more efficiencies in how we run the buildings themselves,” he said. Palacios also spoke of the reopening of the Jack Abrams building and reinstating full-day kindergarten as big accomplishments.
Emily Rogan
Rogan, who is finishing her third term on the board, said she’s running again because she wants to keep the district moving in the right direction. She said she and her colleagues have made decisions in the interest of student success — she shouted out a few, like reinstating full-day kindergarten last year and reopening the Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School. There’s still work to be done, like improving the district’s food program, but overall, Rogan said the board is doing “real work,” and she wants to continue to be a part of that.
“We have been getting such terrific work done and I feel so good about the direction our district is heading,” she said. “For many, many years I did not feel like that. I kind of felt like I was banging my head against the wall.”
Christine Biernack is running unopposed for a seat on the Huntington school board. Photo from the candidate
A large part of Huntington’s success has to do with its leader, Superintendent Jim Polanksy, who Rogan spoke highly of. She also spoke strongly about Huntington, noting she was raised and educated in the district.
Christine Biernacki
A newcomer, Biernacki said she’s excited to join the board and continue to help a group of people she feels is already doing the right things.
Biernacki is president of the district’s PTA Council. In that role, she has her finger on the pulse of what’s happening at all the schools in the district.
She is also a parent member in the district’s special education committee. A mother to a special needs child, Biernacki said she feels she would bring a unique perspective to the board on special needs issues.
“We have a wonderful special education program, but there are some areas that, for example, it was discussed at the last board meeting, adding some more student support, like a psychologist or social worker,” she said. “There’s such a need for that, not even in special education but across the whole range of students at our district.”
Helping special needs students isn’t the only thing Biernacki is passionate about. She also doesn’t want to see class sizes increase.
Tom DiGiacomo is running unopposed for a seat on the Huntington school board. File photo
Biernacki is an attorney who works from home.
Tom DiGiacomo
DiGiacomo grew up in Huntington Station and has roots in the district that go back three generations. He’s running for a second, three-year term on the board.
The incumbent is the director of technology sales for at Complete Packaging and Shipping Supplies.
Recently, DiGiacomo voted in favor of adding two new soccer teams to J. Taylor Finley Intermediate School. He’s also expressed interest in the district exploring solar energy alternatives.
His experience includes project and budget management, finance and implementing technology solutions, according to his district bio.
In addition to voting on the 2015-16 budget this May, Rocky Point school district residents will cast their votes to fill two seats in the annual school board election. Incumbent school board Vice President Scott Reh is running for his third term, while residents Donna McCauley and Ed Casswell are throwing their hats in the ring for a second time.
John Lessler, who has been a trustee since 2009, isn’t seeking re-election. He did not return calls for comment.
Scott Reh is running for the Rocky Point school board. File photo
Scott Reh
After five years on the board, Scott Reh, 48, is proud of the work the board has done but wants to stick around and build upon that work.
In a phone interview, Reh, who became vice president last year, said he is seeking re-election to continue “moving in the right direction.” In addition, he wants to be involved as the board contemplates putting a capital improvements bond up for a vote in the future.
While the bond is a main focus, Reh said he wants to continue making sure that the school district officials and the board are working together. It is especially important to Reh that teachers and staff enjoy going to work every day.
Most important, though: The kids.
His main objective is “trying to afford children everything they need to learn.”
As Mount Sinai school district’s athletics director, Reh spoke of having a unique perspective, as he has interacted with students, teachers, administrators and parents. In addition, the role gives him significant budgeting experience.
With all of the changes happening in the education world, Reh said his job is to listen to the community and make decisions with that feedback in mind.
Reh and his wife, Lisa, have three children. His sons graduated from Rocky Point High School and his daughter is in 10th grade.
Donna McCauley is running for the Rocky Point school board. File photo
Donna McCauley
A frequent attendee of the Rocky Point school board meetings, Donna McCauley is making another go at becoming a trustee after running a year ago.
At this time last year, McCauley, 46, said she wanted to see more board member participation when making decisions and voting on resolutions. McCauley said she’s been pleased to see that happening.
However, more can always be done, and McCauley said she would give everyday, taxpaying residents a voice. While many of the board members have education backgrounds, McCauley does not and she said that is a good thing.
“I think I would offer a different perspective,” she said. “I think it makes for a more well-rounded board,” she said.
Last year, McCauley expressed concerns about the district’s academic plan, known as Next S.T.E.P., which is geared toward improving student performance. Since then, McCauley has taken an active role on the Next S.T.E.P. subcommittee to learn more about the plan and to educate the community.
“I think it is a work in progress,” McCauley said of the plan.
If elected, McCauley said she would like to explore adding more career and technology course offerings so students have a more robust menu of items from which to choose.
A former pharmaceutical company representative, McCauley has lived in the district since 1995. She has a daughter in 10th grade with her husband, Michael. She spends most of her time volunteering and holds leadership roles in and is an active member of St. Louis de Montfort Roman Catholic Church and the Suffolk County Girl Scouts.
Ed Casswell is running for the Rocky Point school board. Photo from the candidate
Ed Casswell
After unsuccessfully running for a trustee seat in 2012, Ed Casswell said his desire to serve the Rocky Point community has not diminished and he is ready to take on the role.
As principal of Center Moriches High School, Casswell, 50, said he is empathetic and in tune with the needs of the district’s students.
“I live it,” Casswell said in a phone interview. “I live all the changes and trials and tribulations that education brings.”
If elected, Casswell wants to make sure everyone in the district shares a common vision. He said the school board needs a strong voice and advocate in the state legislature, something he would pursue.
School board members must “understand the intricate details of any mandates, but also they need to realize it is quite possible that local communities will lose local control,” he said.
Casswell and his wife, Carrie Ann, have lived in the district for 23 years. The couple has two children — a fourth-grader and an 11th-grader — in the district.
He is a North Shore Little League board member and serves as the Suffolk County High School Principals Association’s president.
The school board race in Cold Spring Harbor looks to be a quiet one this year, as two incumbents will be running unopposed for the two open seats on the board.
The terms of board president Anthony Paolano and board member Ingrid Wright are up this year, and Paolano is most likely making his final run for re-election, the 15-year veteran said in a phone interview Tuesday. Wright was appointed to fill the term of school board member James Robins, who died earlier this year after losing a battle with cancer.
Anthony Paolano and Ingrid Wright. File photo by Karen Spehler
Anthony Paolano
The father of three, who has two kids that graduated from the district and one in high school, Paolano held the position of president three times during his tenure. He said this would most likely be his last run, as he is hoping to give other people in the community a chance to join the board.
Paolano said he decided to run again because he believes the district will see transitions in the administration and the board over the next few years. Before retiring, he would like to pass down his experience to many of the new board members still in their first terms.
“I believe with my experience I can help the other board members understand what we did in the past,” Paolano said. “I want to give a little bit of my experience so as I move on, they understand the background.”
During his next three-year term, Paolano hopes to maintain smaller class sizes. He also hopes to resolve the ongoing negotiations with the teachers’ contract and keep the building infrastructure up to standards.
Ingrid Wright
The mother of three joined the board in February as Robins’ replacement.
The incumbent said she has always been an active parent and she thought she would be a good fit on the board, which is why she chose to take on the position. She is now running unopposed for her first full, three-year term.
“It’s an important role in the community and school district,” Wright said. “I’m happy to be a part of it.”
Wright plans on tackling many issues over the next three years, including managing funds and keeping the school budget within the tax levy increase cap, integrating technology, and promoting programs that help students become career-ready after graduation.
She feels her background in banking and finance is a great asset she brings to the board with regard to financial matters.
Two of the three community members who will be elected to the Port Jefferson school board on May 19 will be write-in candidates.
Paperwork that board hopefuls had to fill out in order to run for one of the three available seats next month was due on Monday, but only incumbent Vincent Ruggiero submitted a petition, according to District Clerk Janice Baisley. Board member Mark Doyle and Vice President Jim Laffey did not hand in paperwork to run for re-election, and no one from the community at large threw his or her hat in the ring for a three-year term on the school board.
Port Jefferson school district officials got advice from counsel, Baisley said, and “the next step is write-in candidates.”
According to Baisley, instructions on how to vote for a candidate who is not on the ballot will be posted in the voting booth on the day of the election. Pens will be provided at the booths.
Lone official candidate Ruggiero did not return a call seeking comment. He has served three years on the school board.
The teacher, 48, has lived in the district for eight years and has children in the district. When he first ran for the school board in 2012, he said his teaching experience would help Port Jefferson school district navigate difficult issues such as the Common Core Learning Standards. He also said he wanted to help the district find other sources of funding to ease the burden on taxpayers.
Doyle, who has served six years, said in an interview on Tuesday that he is not running for re-election because he has a new job that comes with more responsibility and traveling.
“I couldn’t guarantee 100 percent commitment to the board,” he said.
To the people who succeed him, he advised “it’s important for board members to have a broad perspective about the entire … community and not just bring their own personal points of view to the table.”
Stephen Waldenburg Jr. is running for Northport-East Northport school board next month. File photo by Rohma Abbas
With seven individuals in the running for three open seats, this year’s race for the Northport-East Northport school board vows to be a spirited contest.
From a 22-year-old Northport man looking to flex his political muscles to a 15-year veteran school board member vying for his sixth term, the slate spans a spectrum of backgrounds and candidates tout a range of experiences.
Tammie Topel is running for Northport-East Northport school board next month. Photo from the candidate
“It’s going to be a party,” Stephen Waldenburg Jr., the long-serving board member who is seeking re-election said in a phone interview.
Three seats are open — those of board members David Badanes, James Maloney and Waldenburg. Badanes and Waldenburg are running for re-election, while Maloney is not running, according to district clerk Beth Nystrom.
Other candidates running include former school board member Tammie Topel, Josh Muno, Peter Mainetti, David Stein and Michael “Bruno” Brunone.
In interviews this week, the candidates discussed issues including the Long Island Power Authority’s (LIPA) litigation challenging the value of the Northport power plant — a lawsuit that if settled unfavorably could mean double-digit percentage increases in taxes for district residents. Candidates also discussed the recent green-lighting of full-day kindergarten next year and the board’s recent budget decision to nix the district’s visual arts chairperson position in next year’s budget.
Stephen Waldenburg, Jr.
Waldenburg said he’s running for many reasons, but mainly to help newly appointed Superintendent Robert Banzer transition smoothly. Waldenburg has served on the board since 2000 and said he’s got some unfinished business, such as working on the LIPA litigation and ensuring the arts program isn’t impacted by the loss of the chairperson position. Waldenburg voiced opposition to the move. “I’m very concerned about that. I kind of want to be here to make certain the program isn’t allowed to diminish at all.”
Josh Muno is running for Northport-East Northport school board next month. Photo from the candidate
The veteran board member said he was instrumental in getting a robotics team established at the high school. He said he’s also got his eye on declining enrollments, which could prove to be “a very scary thing” for the district, particularly if buildings need to be closed.
Waldenburg works for American Technical Ceramic in Huntington Station as a customer service manager.
Tammie Topel
Former school board trustee Topel is looking to make a comeback.
The Northport resident, who was on the board up until last year, decided not to run again last year for personal and health reasons. If elected, she’d be interested in exploring cost savings in special education and working on the LIPA issue.
She said if she was on the school board she would have voted to axe the arts chairperson position as well, just based on numbers — most chairpeople at the district manage a department of 40 or so teachers, while the arts chairperson was managing a department of about 16 teachers, mostly veterans.
“My heart is really in Northport, in the school district, and I just want to be there again.”
Topel is the director of two nonprofits — K.i.d.s. Plus, which offers sports and therapeutic recreation programs for kids, and KIDS PLUS, which works with adults with disabilities.
David Stein is running for Northport-East Northport school board next month. Photo from the candidate
Josh Muno
The youngest out of the pool of candidates, Muno, 22, said he’s running because he feels the school board is “a little inactive on important issues.”
He’s critical of the Common Core Learning Standards and said he felt the curriculum doesn’t allow children to expand on their passions.
“The state, I think, is really overstepping their boundaries for this.”
Muno questions the need for the number of assistant superintendents currently at the district.
A Suffolk County Community College student, Muno lives in Northport and was raised by his grandmother. He works as a site safety captain at the Northport Hess gas station.
David Stein
Stein is credited with successfully lobbying the school board to bring about full-day kindergarten funding for next year’s budget. He started going to the meetings last year, interested in a state comptroller’s audit that claimed the district overestimated its expenses to the tune of millions over the course of several years.
“In short, I’m a big proponent of honest budgets. And I think that the prior administration … became fairly adept at adopting budgets that were not entirely transparent.”
Peter Mainetti is running for Northport-East Northport school board next month. Photo from the candidate
Stein said he feels the district’s been neglecting putting money into things it should, like its physical plant and sports facilities. He thinks the district needs capital improvements. He’s also interested in seeing school board term limits.
Stein is a retired New York City Police Department lieutenant.
Peter Mainetti
Mainetti said he’s running because, “I’m not happy with what the current board’s doing, quite simply.”
He said he was greatly disappointed by the school board’s decision to get rid of the arts chairperson position. He called it a “terrible decision.”
He said he doesn’t support the budget because he wants to send a message to the board that what they’re doing, particularly with the art and music program, is not acceptable. He’s in favor of greater community involvement at board meetings and wants more board-back efforts of community outreach.
Mainetti is a baker training specialist at Panera Bread. He lives in East Northport.
David Badanes is running for Northport-East Northport school board next month. Photo from the candidate
David Badanes
In his first term, Badanes said he feels he’s brought about positive changes on the board.
He said he was heavily involved in the interview process that ultimately resulted in hiring the new superintendent, slated to start this summer.
Badanes also mentioned that he’s one of two trustees charged with overseeing teacher contract negotiations, and to that end there’s been a tentative resolution that has to be approved by both sides. “I think I was a positive person in that role,” Badanes said.
Badanes is also a member of the policy committee. Looking ahead, he wants to focus on resolving the LIPA litigation issue and keep offering a wide array of electives and opportunities at the high school.
Badanes is an attorney who practices mostly matrimonial, some criminal and a little bit of real estate law.
Michael “Bruno” Brunone
Brunone, born and raised in Northport, said he’s running because he wants to give back to a community about which he feels strongly.
Brunone said he believes the school board’s done a good job with the budget and he wants to step up to help out.
Mike Brunone is running for Northport-East Northport school board next month. Photo from the candidate
“I think what I could bring to the board is I’m a good team player, and when it comes down to a board, I feel it’s all about coalition building,” he said.
He said he supports the decision to get rid of the arts chairperson position, and he’s also supportive of the decision to create full-day kindergarten at the district. He wants to focus on “the triple A” if elected — athletics, academics and the arts.
Brunone is the vice president of Huntington-based Taglich Brothers.
Kings Park Board of Education incumbents Charlie Leo and Diane Nally said they will seek another term on the board, while newcomer Kevin Johnston threw his hat into the race with hopes of snagging a seat after the May 19 election.
Charlie Leo is running for a spot on the Kings Park Board of Education. Photo from Patti Capobianco
Charlie Leo
Leo, who serves on the board as vice president, said he was seeking another term because of a pleasant experience with the district, and to make time to tackle several different issues in another term.
One of his goals is to bring tablets into the school, which he said would reduce costs by going paperless. He also would like to work on reducing class size throughout the district, he said.
“I am running for re-election because I see that it matters,” Leo said. “Local government is very important and there is still work to be done.”
One of the heated issues that has been brought up at board meetings over the last few weeks has been the voice parents feel the board is lacking when it comes to standardized testing.
Leo said he fully supports the district parents’ right to opt their children out of the English Language Arts, science and math standardized tests that come from the state Education Department.
“It’s a parent’s choice to opt out,” Leo said.
Diane Nally is running for a spot on the Kings Park Board of Education. Photo from Patti Capobianco
Diane Nally
Nally has held the position of trustee for three years and is seeking re-election to take on some unfinished business, she said.
“I am seeking re-election because it has been a pleasure serving the Kings Park community as a trustee,” Nally said. “We have a great district and community.”
The trustee has been very vocal about the need for a librarian at the district’s two elementary schools. Currently, there is no librarian at Park View and Fort Salonga elementary schools and that is something Nally would like to change.
“There are many issues that still need to be resolved,” Nally said. “I would like to be a part of that. I have a lot to offer.”
Nally said there are many issues with public education and she would like to be an advocate for the district if re-elected. She also said she would like to tackle lowering class size on the elementary and secondary levels.
Kevin Johnston is running for a spot on the Kings Park Board of Education. Photo from Patti Capobianco
Kevin Johnston
Johnston is currently a teacher at Kings Park High School and is hoping to gain a seat on the board this summer.
The English teacher is retiring in June and said he is hoping to take his newfound time and put it toward helping the community by serving on the board.
“I still want to put out the best education while recognizing the ability of the community to fund this education,” Johnston said.
Johnston said he has inside experience that he can bring to the board as he not only lives in the community but also taught within the district for 34 years.
If elected, he said he would like to work on technology improvements and lowering class size. He also said he would look for other sources of funding including an alumni committee and grant funding.
“I understand the need to raise the high bar in education for college readiness,” Johnston said. “As a board member I feel I can have a stronger voice in promoting Kings Park education.”
The father of two Kings Park High School graduates said the district does a very good job educating students but he believes “we can do a better job if I’m on the school board.”
After 12 years, Mount Sinai school board Vice President Donna Compagnone decided her fourth term on the board would be her last.
In a phone interview on Monday, Compagnone reflected on her tenure fondly, describing the experience as “heartwarming and fun” and an “honor.”
“Most of all I got to see the kids, so many of them go from kindergarten to graduation.”
As both of her children have graduated from the district, Compagnone said it was just time.
But her seat won’t stay empty, as four candidates, including incumbent Lynn Capobianco, submitted petitions to run for two open seats on the board. Also running are newcomers Michael Riggio, John DeBlasio and Joanne Rentz.
Lynn Capobianco. Photo from the candidate
Lynn Capobianco
Running for her second term, Capobianco, 65, said three years serving on the board doesn’t feel like a very long time.
“Lots of exciting things have started and I wanted to continue the momentum that has begun,” she said in a recent phone interview.
One of the exciting items is full-day kindergarten. Capobianco, who is a retired school librarian, said that as an early childhood educator she was happy to be part of the full-day kindergarten forums and felt it was important to discuss the program, which is included in the district’s proposed 2015-16 school year budget.
Having worked in the Mount Sinai school district, Capobianco said she is very familiar with the schools and staff, which is an advantage.
Looking toward the future, Capobianco said she wants to continue to watch Mount Sinai grow and evolve, while remaining fiscally sound.
“I would like to see our high school bring back some of the clubs,” she said.
She has her sights set on adding an in-house robotics club. Her dream would be to have a science research program at the high school.
Capobianco has lived in the district for 25 years with her husband, Kerry, and their three boys — two attending Mount Sinai schools and one who graduated.
Mike Riggio. Photo from the candidate
Mike Riggio
After retiring from the New York City Police Department last year, Riggio, who was second in command of the department’s counterterrorism unit, is making his first run for the school board. The 42-year-old father of a Mount Sinai fourth-grader said he is running for a number of reasons, but his focus is on students’ safety.
“There are some serious security concerns and this is what I used to do for a living,” Riggio said in a phone interview.
In addition, Riggio said he would use his background and experience managing $150 million worth of programs that kept New York City safe to make sure the district remains fiscally sound.
“We want more for our school,” Riggio said. “So how do you work on paying for that?”
One solution would be to reach beyond the immediate community and look for other funding opportunities, such as grants, and continue to advocate for his district at the state level. As a department head, Riggio said he worked with local congressmen to help get things done.
“We need to work with them,” he said.
Riggio and his wife, Eileen, have lived in Mount Sinai since 2006. He currently serves as coach for his daughters Infant Jesus basketball team and the Mount Sinai lacrosse team.
John DeBlasio. Photo from the candidate
John DeBlasio
As a father to triplets in Mount Sinai schools, DeBlasio said he understands the demands the district is facing when it comes to educational changes and staying fiscally healthy.
“I want to be part of the process to help shape the budget,” DeBlasio, 54, said in a phone interview.
Finances are the Ronkonkoma-based attorney’s main focus in his run for school board. He said that the issue isn’t “black and white,” as districts struggle to budget without state aid numbers and try to project for the future. However, he said that he believes the district has to try to work within budgetary constraints.
“It’s just trying to become more efficient with the money you do have while maintaining school programs,” he said.
As an attorney, DeBlasio said his experiences would help him as a trustee, especially during budget season and when the district is negotiating contracts.
DeBlasio, husband to Kim, has lived in the district for 14 years. He serves as a coach for Mount Sinai lacrosse. He also has two stepsons.
At the end of the day, DeBlasio has just one request for his fellow residents.
“I would hope people would come out and vote.”
Joanne Rentz. Photo from the candidate
Joanne Rentz
Understanding the huge commitment of what it takes to be a school board trustee, Rentz is ready and excited to take on the job.
“We are a small community and a large family-based community,” Rentz, 51, said. “A lot of how we interact and how we relate to one another is through our kids and through the school.”
Rentz said she feels like she would add a good perspective to the board, as she has experience in sales management as a small business owner and in education. Currently, Rentz, who has a fourth-grade son in the district, works as a brand director for a media publishing company. In the past, she owned a FasTracKids center, which provided enrichment programs to young learners.
The programs aim to challenge students while also strengthening their problem-solving skills and making them lifelong learners, she said. The goal may sound similar to that of the Common Core Learning Standards, and Rentz said she supports that idea. However, she questioned how developmentally appropriate the standards are and how they were implemented.
“I think it is a great idea,” she said. “I think that the implementation of the program in its entirety needs to be reexamined.”
If elected, Rentz said she wants to work to see a curriculum that supports the district’s competitive edge and enables students to be successful after graduation, whether they go off to college or start a career right away.
Rentz has lived in the district for six years with her husband, Larry, and their fourth-grade son. She also has four grown stepchildren.
John Swenning is running for a board seat. Photo from the candidate
Three Comsewogue Board of Education seats are up for election this year, but voters who hit the polls on May 19 won’t have a large selection — with Trustee Ed Barry stepping aside, there are only as many candidates as there are slots available.
Barry, a nine-year veteran, said he wants to give others a chance to fill the position he has loved holding.
“It really has been a great experience,” Barry said. “I may consider running again down the road.”
John Swenning
Board President John Swenning has served since 2002 and is running for another term on the board. The Comsewogue graduate said his time with the board has been great, which is why he is running again.
The father of four — one child at Comsewogue High School and three who have already graduated — said he enjoys working with administrators, teachers, parents and students.
“I just like what I do,” Swenning said. “We’ve really made some serious progress in the first few years and I want to keep it going.”
Rick Rennard is running for a board seat. Photo from the candidate
One of the things Swenning would like to see through is the accreditation from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools that the district applied for last year. The district is undergoing a three-year internal review on the road to receiving the nonprofit’s designation, given to high-performing institutions worldwide.
The board president also wants to restore programs that were cut in recent years to balance budgets.
Rick Rennard
Rick Rennard just finished his first year on the board, completing the term of a former trustee who moved out of the district.
“This one-year experience that I’ve had so far has been so positive,” he said. “I want to continue.”
He said he would like to finish some things the board started this year, such as the accreditation process. He echoed Swenning in saying he wants to restore academic programs.
He also “would like to continue to speak out on behalf of the district to our legislators to get our fair share of funding,” Rennard said. “I will fight for the district.”
The father of three children, 11-year-old Emma, 9-year-old Rickey and 7-year-old Brendan, and a social studies teacher at Newfield High School, he’s been living in the community for almost 11 years.
Louise Melious is running for a board seat. Photo from the candidate
Louise Melious
A newcomer, Louise Melious, has decided to run for trustee after years of being on the fence about serving.
“I think I have something to offer and I certainly hope the community can give me this honor,” Melious said.
She has been following the issue of students opting out of taking the state’s standardized tests, she said, and while her children, 18-year-old Victoria and 16-year-old Matthew, are past that testing stage, she would advocate on behalf of other students. She said she feels the testing system is wrong.
If elected, she would like to work on tax relief for older residents, expand district sports programs, and restore other programs that were cut in previous budgets.
“If given this opportunity, I would change what I do and be more involved,” Melious said.
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