Central Islip

BUDGET

SPENDING $216,560,271, a 2.72 percent increase from the current $210,833,025.

TAX LEVY 1.66 percent increase, from $92,025,934 to $93,529,258. This is within the district’s 2.33 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.

TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS Includes a step increase of $3,712. The proposed budget restores summer elementary school.

PROPOSITIONS

Proposition 2 asks voters to authorize the district to withdraw $900,000 from the capital reserve fund and transfer it into the capital fund for replacement of the gymnasium ceiling at Ralph G. Reed Middle School and other improvements to the gym, as well as to abate and replace some floor tiles and ceiling acoustical tiles at various locations in Central Islip High School. 

WHEN | WHERE

9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Anthony Alfano Elementary School. cischools.org 

CANDIDATES

Debra Cavanagh, Jim Musumeci and incumbents Daniel M. Devine and Glenn C. Mitchell are running for three seats, elected at-large. The two highest vote-getters each will serve full three-year terms, and the third-highest vote-getter will serve one year remaining on the term of Edna Carbajal, who resigned.

Debra Cavanagh

BACKGROUND Cavanagh, 59, has lived in the district for more than 27 years. She is a teacher and works for the district but will retire in June. She has an associate degree in early childhood education from Nassau Community College, and a bachelor's degree in elementary education and master's degree in special education, both from what now is LIU Post. She is president of the Central Islip Coalition of Good Neighbors, a Republican committeewoman and chair of the Town of Islip Community Development Agency. Cavanagh also has certification from the National Gang Crime Research Center in K-12 gang prevention, as well as community intervention and prevention.

KEY ISSUE She said "safety of our students and staff" is a key issue. "Basically what I would like to see are gang prevention programs in the district." Cavanagh said she would like the staff to be trained to help students who have post-traumatic stress disorder "so they are better equipped to work with students," especially the immigrant population in the district. She attended an international gang conference in Chicago last summer and was trained in gang recognition, prevention and intervention; she would like to see the district provide staff with similar training. 

Daniel Devine

BACKGROUND Devine, 80, has lived in the district for 65 years and graduated from the high school. He is retired. Devine has served on the board since 1996 and is the grants and curriculum committee chair. He has one daughter who graduated from the school district. He is running on a slate with Glenn C. Mitchell and Jim Musumeci.

KEY ISSUE Making sure Central Islip receives its fair share of the state aid that it needs to serve students and the community. "We are high-taxed and low-wealth. We are one of the poorest districts on Long Island and we depend on the aid that we get." 

Glenn C. Mitchell

BACKGROUND Mitchell, 61, has lived in the district for 45 years. He is retired from working for the New York State Office of Mental Health. He has four children who graduated from the district. Mitchell has served on the board since 2016. He is running on a slate with Daniel Devine and Jim Musumeci.

KEY ISSUE "Money — it makes everything work. We as a board need to keep on top of what's going on at all levels of government and make sure as a district we are doing the best we can for all the students, staff and community."

Jim Musumeci

BACKGROUND Musumeci, 59, has lived in the district for 25 years. He is a retirement counselor and retired after working 30 years for the U.S. Postal Service. While with the postal service, he served as president of Brooklyn New York American Postal Workers Union Local 251. Musimeci was national constitution committee chairman for the American Postal Workers (APW) Union and the health plan director for the APW in New York. He has two children who graduated from the district. He is running on a slate with Daniel Devine and Glenn C. Mitchell.

KEY ISSUE "Keeping school taxes as low as possible so parents can afford to live here on Long Island." The district needs to address the "language barriers for many students that are needed to improve their learning. If elected, I will focus on these issues."