Harborfields school district
VOTING
2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Oldfield Middle School.
THE BUDGET
The district proposes a $82,859,569 budget for 2016-17, a 2.96 percent increase from the current $80,473,955. The tax levy would rise by 1.52 percent, from $61,231,280 to $62,163,101.
This increase exceeds the district’s tax-cap limit of 0.37 percent, so the district would need at least 60 percent voter approval of the budget.
School taxes on the average single-family home would increase by 1.59 percent, from $9,685 to $9,839.
The proposed budget includes no step increases for teachers, but does include a 2 percent contractual salary increase, district officials said. The proposal also includes implementing full-day kindergarten, adding 4.3 teachers and 3 teaching assistants, and adding extracurriculars, including third-grade string orchestra, theater arts, Italian, and a BOCES cultural-arts program, the district said.
- District website:
harborfieldscsd.net
THE CANDIDATES
Incumbent Hansen Lee and candidates Marge Acosta, Christopher Kelly, Joseph Savaglio and Colleen Wolcott are running for two at-large seats. Terms are three years.
Hansen Lee
BACKGROUND: Lee, 52, is a senior manager in business intelligence. He has served as a Harborfields Alumni and Community Educational Foundation board member. He has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from New York University’s Polytechnic Institute and a master’s degree in business administration from St. John’s University. Lee has three children who attended or are attending district schools, and he has lived in the district for 20 years.
ISSUES: Lee, who has served one term on the school board, said being an engaged community member is crucial for a successful board member. He said bringing new technology to district schools is crucial so students can remain competitive, and said additional income sources must be developed and sustained. Lee said he’s pleased with the budget’s implementation of full-day kindergarten. “Being a board member, you’re really a representative of the district and of the constituents,” Lee said. “I have to be thoroughly involved in order for me to know what’s needed, what’s not needed, and what people are saying.”
Christopher Kelly
BACKGROUND: Kelly, 45, is a market data business adviser who has lived in the district for eight years. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from The George Washington University. Kelly has three children, one of whom is old enough to attend district schools.
ISSUES: With three young children, Kelly said he is deeply committed to seeing the district succeed. Kelly said skills from his analytical and financial background would help the district save money and plan long-term. “What people and the board are asking for is they want longer-term planning and I hear that and I think to myself, ‘I can do this,’ ” Kelly said. “I can collaborate with all of you, I can show you how to forecast numbers and forecast different scenarios . . . and really lay out a nice long-term plan, and given all the budget constraints, I really believe that’s what we need.”
Marge Acosta
BACKGROUND: Acosta, 75, is a retired science teacher who has lived in the district for 25 years. She has a bachelor’s degree in secondary education in biology from Molloy College and a master’s degree in environmental science from the City College of New York. Acosta serves on the district’s full-day kindergarten committee. She has four children, one of whom attended district schools.
ISSUES: Acosta said the focus on Common Core testing has hindered student learning. She said her experience as a teacher led her to believe students achieve deeper understanding by hands-on learning in small groups. She supports full-day kindergarten and said a comprehensive, in-depth STEM program would benefit students. A self-described former community activist, Acosta said she would use those skills to collaborate with community leaders for the betterment of the district. “I think there is so much potential out there that we have to get help for these programs, and especially in this time when we have such financial constraints,” she said.
Joseph Savaglio
BACKGROUND: Savaglio, 57, has worked in real estate management for almost 35 years and has lived in the district for 27 years. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Long Island University. His four children attended or are attending district schools.
ISSUES: Savaglio said he supports the implementation of full-day kindergarten and would also support expanding the district’s arts, music, sports and technology curriculum. “I think I can contribute to the board with all my experience in the business field,” Savaglio said, adding that he thinks the board needs to “carefully balance the schools’ needs with acceptable property taxes.” Savaglio said he has served on numerous corporate, nonprofit and charitable boards, and has experience as an administrator of multimillion dollar budgets, skills that he said he would be able to bring to the school board.
Colleen Wolcott
BACKGROUND: Wolcott, 46, is the owner of Gold Coast Impressions, a marketing and graphic design firm, and has lived in the district for 15 years. She is an active volunteer in the community and a member of the Harborfields Alumni and Community Educational Foundation. Wolcott has a bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education from SUNY Old Westbury, and she has two school-aged children, one of whom attends a district school.
ISSUES: Wolcott, who described herself as a lifelong volunteer, said she is a “multi-issue candidate” who has been active in the district for years because she is “passionate about ensuring that all of the students receive the academic and life skills needed to live productive, happy lives.” As president of the Harborfields Special Education PTA group for two years, Wolcott said she’s developed strong relationships with the various district stakeholders and said she has a great understanding of the policies and programs, “as well as our strengths and areas that could use some additional support.”