See full details on 2019 school elections. 

Long Island

Education

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$10,913,234, a 1.5&nbsp;percent increase from the current $10,752,240.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;3 percent&nbsp;increase, from&nbsp;$9,575,829 to&nbsp;$9,863,103. This is within the district’s 3.13&nbsp;percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a 1 percent salary raise and an average step increase of 4.47 percent.&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>2 p.m. to 8 p.m., Amagansett School. <a href="http://www.aufsd.org">www.aufsd.org</a>&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Five candidates for three seats: Incumbents Anna Bernasek, Hank Muchnic and Kristen Peterson face&nbsp;challengers&nbsp;Mary Eames and Matthew Feyh; The two highest vote-getters receive three-year terms, while the third-highest vote-getter receives a one-year term created by the resignation last year of Patrick Bistrian III; Bernasek was appointed to fill Bistrian's seat.</p> 
<h2>Anna Bernasek</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Bernasek, 50, has lived in the district about 10&nbsp;years.&nbsp;She is editor and thought partner with a global think tank.&nbsp;She has a bachelor's degree&nbsp;from the University of Michigan and a master's in public policy from Princeton University. She was appointed to the board last year&nbsp;to serve out the term of a board member who resigned. She has two children, one enrolled in the district school&nbsp;and another who graduated.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> "Number one, we are still managing the transition of a whole new administrative team. Number two, school finances are a big issue, especially as we face uncertainty with a new affordable housing complex that is coming in and that is going to have a big impact on our finances … The third thing is&nbsp;school maintenance."</p> 
<h2>Mary A. Eames</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Eames, 63, has lived in the district for 45 years. She has three grown children, all of whom attended&nbsp;the district&nbsp;school. She is a principal clerk at an elementary school in another district.&nbsp;She&nbsp;is an EMT with the Amagansett&nbsp;Fire Department EMS Squad, where she is also squad treasurer. She has&nbsp;been a volunteer softball coach and was one of the founders of the district's Parent Teacher Organization when her children were in school.&nbsp;.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;"Previously I ran for to&nbsp;eliminate administration&nbsp;but now they have eliminated some of the administration so I am running strictly to serve the community for the students and the parents. I want support for the parents and the community."</p> 
<h2>Matthew Feyh</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Feyh, 44, has lived in the district eight years. He has two children attending the district school&nbsp;and works as a driver for Suffolk Cement Products.&nbsp;He is captain of Company 2 in the Amagansett Fire Department.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE&nbsp;</strong>"Honest dissemination&nbsp;of information. There is a lot of fear mongering and from what I have been led to believe it has not been a fair process with a group&nbsp;coming to decisions —&nbsp;instead it has&nbsp;just been a select&nbsp;few telling others it should be done.”</p> 
<h2>Hank Muchnic</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Muchnic, 66, has lived in the district for more than 10&nbsp;years. He is a stock market investor and holds a&nbsp;master's degree from Middlebury College and a bachelor's from Bard College.&nbsp;He is a Meals on Wheels volunteer, and has served on the vestry of St.&nbsp;Thomas Church&nbsp;in Amagansett. He is a board member of the Muchnic Foundation, which supports educational charities. He has served on the board of education since 2016. He has two children in the district&nbsp;school&nbsp;and one who graduated from it.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;"It is always budgetary and we are going to be having some additional expenses that are going to hit us in a year," he said, referring to an affordable housing complex being built. "We have to allocate very carefully and properly for it. We don’t know how many students. This is a small&nbsp;school and it is effectively a big increase."</p> 
<h2>Kristen V. Peterson</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Peterson, 50, has lived in the district eight years. She holds a&nbsp;bachelor's from Ithaca college and a&nbsp;master's in international finance from Columbia University. She&nbsp;worked for more than 10&nbsp;years on Wall Street and her last position there was as&nbsp;a sovereign and futures analyst. She is the founder&nbsp;of the skin care line, Babyhampton, which closed in January. She is the co-founder of Amagansett Sprouts,&nbsp;an organization that promotes healthy food programs for children.&nbsp;She has two children in the district, has served on the board since 2016 and is the current&nbsp;board president.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;"Our board of education&nbsp;has&nbsp;been very responsible in the fiscal oversight of the school for the past three years. We have been able to keep the annual budget below the tax&nbsp;cap while maintaining&nbsp;our academic&nbsp;programs and excellent student achievement. We hired a new administrative team and I&nbsp;would like to keep overseeing the transition process for the continued success of the school."</p>

vgAMAG190519

Amagansett

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$95,687,498, a 4.57 percent increase from the current $91,506,765.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;2.68 percent increase, from&nbsp;$58,772,124 to&nbsp;$60,344,758. This is equal to&nbsp;the district’s 2.68 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a 0.75 percent contractual&nbsp;increase and an average 2 percent&nbsp;step increase.&nbsp;The proposed budget supports expansion of Northwest Elementary School’s cursive writing program to Park Avenue Memorial Elementary School; a world language program, with instruction in French and Spanish, in grades four through six; and new electives at the secondary level, including public speaking and dramatics at Edmund W. Miles Middle School and science courses at the high school. It continues the Chromebook initiative at the high school so that all students in grades seven through 12 get the laptops. Funding for several capital projects is included, among them restoration of the high school auditorium.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7&nbsp;a.m. to 9&nbsp;p.m. at Amityville Memorial High School and Northeast Elementary School.<a href="http://www.amityvilleufsd.org"> www.amityvilleufsd.org</a>&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Four candidates are running for two positions, elected by seat. Incumbent&nbsp;Terry Fulton and&nbsp;Faith Robinson are vying for one seat, and incumbent Laura McVeety Pawlewicz&nbsp; and Andrew Ayodeji&nbsp;are running for the other.&nbsp;Terms are three years.</p> 
<h2>Andrew Ayodeji</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Ayodeji, 30, is a lifelong resident of the district. He worked in environmental services but now is a&nbsp;social entrepreneur.&nbsp;He holds a bachelor's degree in health, wellness and&nbsp;physical education from Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;"An overwhelming majority of the students within the Amityville school district reside in North Amityville. However, zero … of the current school board members reside in North Amityville. I am running to make sure the children have a trustee who is not only from their immediate community, but one who knows what they are experiencing on a daily basis before and after school. A diverse and inclusive school board will also require administrators to think critically about the ways diversity impacts education."</p> 
<h2>Terry Fulton</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Fulton, 56, has lived in the district for more than 40 years and works in real estate. He holds a doctorate in theology and is a member of the Rotary and the NAACP. He has three children in the local schools. Fulton&nbsp;has served on the board since 2013.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;"Diversity — equity — property taxes. School bond completion 2010-2021.&nbsp;Not exceeding the 2 percent cap."</p> 
<h2>Laura McVeety Pawlewicz</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Pawlewicz, 46, has lived in the district 11 years.&nbsp;She is a wellness coach and a 1990 graduate of the district.&nbsp;She received her bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. She&nbsp;is founder of the Amityville Hurricane Sandy Support Group, as well as a member of the Amityville Rotary and co-founder of Amityville Girls and Women Sports Day. She has two children in the local schools. She has served on the board since 2016.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;"The most important issue we face in the Amityville School District is finding a proper balance between an affordable tax rate and meeting the needs and expectations of a rapidly changing academic landscape. … We need to keep up with the fiscal and academic demands that are placed on us by the government.&nbsp;During my tenure … we have seen a steady increase in our graduation rates, unprecedented Advanced Placement offerings and participation for new and exciting programs for our students."</p> 
<h2><strong>Faith Robinson</strong></h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Robinson, 33, has lived in the district nearly all her life. A 2003 graduate of Amityville Memorial High School, she holds a bachelor's degree in fine arts from NYIT. She is a designer and adjunct professor. Robinson&nbsp;is a member of the Amityville Parent Teacher Council and vice president of I Am Woman Inc., a nonprofit for empowering young women. She has four children, three who attend schools in the district and a 2-year-old.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE&nbsp;</strong>"What still concerns me is the lack of support from our own community on school functions and major events and the lack of knowledge on the growth of our education program. … When we show up for our kids, we make a difference. When we show up, we are in the know, and the more we know as a community&nbsp;about our children's educational experience, the more united we can stand on other issues within our district."</p>

vgAMIT190519

Amityville

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$54,850,656, a 3.42 percent increase from the current $53,035,604.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;2.13 percent increase, from&nbsp;$41,815,264 to&nbsp;$42,706,928. This is equal to the district's 2.13 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a 1.75 percent contractual&nbsp;increase and an average step increase of 1.6 percent. The proposed budget adds one assistant principal, one full-time library and media specialist; one full-time foreign-language elementary school teacher and one full-time elementary teacher for science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 authorizes the expenditure of up to $500,000 from a capital reserve fund established in May 2015. The expenditures would pay for costs associated with step replacement and installation of a handicap ramp&nbsp;at Babylon High School's Rowe Hall; for bathroom renovations at the high school; and for replacement of hallway doors in the third- and fourth-grade wing of Babylon Memorial Grade School.&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>6 a.m. to 9&nbsp;p.m. at Babylon Junior-Senior High School's east gymnasium. <a href="http://www.babylonufsd.com">www.babylonufsd.com</a>&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Donna Noesi and incumbent Elizabeth O'Brien are running unopposed for two seats, elected at-large.&nbsp;Incumbent Dominic P. Bencivenga&nbsp;is not seeking re-election. Terms are three years.</p>

vgBABY190519

Babylon

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong> $134,079,000,&nbsp;a 2.33 percent increase from the current $131,020,750.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 2.38 percent increase, from $93,263,565 to $95,480,806. This is within the district’s 2.54 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> The district did not respond to email and telephone requests for information about the percentage of teacher salary and step increases included in the proposed school budget. The proposed budget funds expansion of a new, inquiry-based science curriculum&nbsp;in grades four and five, adds Advanced Placement courses in art, computer science principles and research, increases instructional technology in classrooms districtwide, and maintains other programs in&nbsp;academics, sports and extracurricular activities.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2&nbsp;would reduce to 1½ miles&nbsp;the distance that students have to live from their school to obtain bus transportation; at present, that distance is 2 miles.&nbsp;The cost to the district would not exceed $151,000. Approval of the proposition will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<p>Proposition 4 would establish a $25 million capital reserve fund for auditorium, gymnasium, cafeteria and library/multimedia center renovations, exterior renovations and reconstruction, computer/technology and security system upgrades and other district projects. Approval of the proposition&nbsp;will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Baldwin High School.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.baldwinschools.org">www.baldwinschools.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbent Susan Cools, Patricia Hinds Mason and Tom Smyth are running for two seats, elected at-large. Incumbent&nbsp;Joel Press is not seeking re-election. Terms are three years.</p> 
<h2>Susan Cools</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Cools, 54, has lived in the district for 35 years. She grew up in Lakewood, Colorado, and graduated from high school there. Cools earned a New York State Associate Broker License&nbsp;and is a licensed real estate broker on the&nbsp;South Shore. She has three children, all&nbsp;graduates of the district’s public schools. When they were in school, she was an active member of the Plaza School PTA, and, with three other women in the district, formed a corporation to raise money to build the Plaza Community Playground. Cools is a member of the Baldwin/Rockville Centre Rotary Club&nbsp;and currently is club president. She was elected to the school board in 2016.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “I think it’s very important to have somebody on the board that is also very involved in the community because you really need that bridge between the two. I bring that to the table, as well as representing the residents of Baldwin that pay school taxes but no longer have kids in the schools. The district should reach out to those people and keep them involved as well, and that’s something I want to make sure that we’re doing.”</p> 
<h2>Patricia Hinds Mason</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Mason, 62, has lived in the district for 24 years. Mason is an associate professor of education at Molloy College in Rockville Centre. She grew up in Brooklyn and Queens and is a graduate of The Mary Louis Academy in Jamaica Estates. Mason earned a bachelor's degree&nbsp;in psychology from Hunter College in Manhattan and a master's&nbsp;degree in special education from Queens College&nbsp;in Flushing. She earned her&nbsp;Ed.D. in education leadership from Hofstra University. Mason has three children, one of whom graduated from Baldwin High School. Her&nbsp;other two&nbsp;children also attended district public&nbsp;schools and&nbsp;graduated from a parochial high school on Long Island. She is president of Concerned Parents of Baldwin, a community activist&nbsp;group, and is a member of the district’s Baldwin Teacher Center, which offers workshops and professional development for teachers. Mason designed and directs private Saturday and summer enrichment programs for local children. This is her first run for the school board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE&nbsp;</strong>"I am committed to the academic success of the children of Baldwin and dedicated to the Baldwin community. My experience in education will be an asset in advancing new ideas and opportunities to ensure the success of all Baldwin students. I plan to provide innovative ideas, equitable practices and purposeful leadership to the board. My dedication to the community motivates me to listen to concerns and also find solutions."</p> 
<h2>Tom Smyth</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND&nbsp;</strong>Smyth, 53, has lived in the district for 21 years. He grew up&nbsp;in Rockville Centre and graduated from&nbsp;South Side High School there in 1983. Smyth is director of operations for Bridgewater Advisors, a Manhattan financial firm. He&nbsp;has a bachelor's&nbsp;degree in international studies from Manhattan College in the Bronx and a master of information studies from the University of Phoenix. He served as co-president of the Baldwin Middle School PTA from 2013 to 2015 and as co-president of the Baldwin High School PTA from 2016 to 2018. Smyth has three children, two of whom are district graduates and one who is a current student. In the last six years, he has made four trips to the state capital in Albany to lobby government officials for more state aid for the&nbsp;district. This is his&nbsp;first run for the school board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE&nbsp;</strong>”If I’m elected, I look forward to continuing our lobbying efforts in Albany to bring Long Island’s fair share of state aid back to Long Island. I also look forward to involving more of my fellow parents in these lobbying efforts.”</p>

vgBALD190519

Baldwin

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$73,443,966, a 2.34 percent increase from the current $71,761,393.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;3.77 percent increase, from $50,073,387 to&nbsp;$51,963,500. This is equal to the district's 3.77 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a 1&nbsp;percent contractual&nbsp;increase and an average step increase of 2.3 percent. The proposed budget supports implementation of the first phase of the Teachers College Reading Program in kindergarten and first grade;&nbsp;expansion of the Chromebook initiative to&nbsp;grades seven and 11; and implements an expanded mental health curriculum. It also funds introduction of new STEM software in the middle school and the AP Capstone and other courses based on student interest.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 asks if the Board of Education should modify student eligibility for public school transportation for&nbsp;kindergarten through grade five by changing to a 1.23-mile limit from the existing 1.25-mile limit, at no additional cost to the district.&nbsp;If approved, the change would be effective at the start of the 2019-20 school year.&nbsp;Approval of the proposition will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7 a.m.&nbsp;to 9&nbsp;p.m. at Bayport-Blue Point High School. <a href="http://www.bbpschools.org">www.bbpschools.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Four candidates are running for three positions, which are elected by seat. John Kroog and Alexander Wellems are vying&nbsp;for the seat of incumbent Molly Licalzi, who is not seeking re-election. Incumbent Brian Johnson is running unopposed for his seat.&nbsp;Jason Borowski is running unopposed for the seat of Katherine Heinlein, which she vacated a few months ago. Terms are three years.</p> 
<h2><strong>John Kroog</strong></h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Kroog, 50, has lived in the district for 17 years. He is a&nbsp;sales manager for a medical company. He has a bachelor's degree from St. John's University and had taken credits toward a master's degree in elementary education at Dowling College. He has three children in the district and serves as president of the Bayport-Blue Point Youth Lacrosse Program.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;"I am running to further strengthen&nbsp;our collaborative&nbsp;partnerships between the Board of Education&nbsp;and the community — to continue&nbsp;to keep building an environment where students, teachers and the&nbsp;community can all flourish together."</p> 
<h2>Alexander Wellems</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Wellems, 37, has lived in the district for five years.&nbsp;He is&nbsp;a director of small molecule product development for a major pharmaceutical firm. He holds a bachelor's degree in science from Case Western Reserve University. He is a member of the district's Budget Advisory Committee and is&nbsp;vice president of the Blue Point Community Coalition. He also is a member of the Blue Point Elementary PTA and Friends of the Library,&nbsp;and&nbsp;is an assistant coach for&nbsp;Bayport-Blue Point Lacrosse.&nbsp;He has two children, a daughter in second grade and a son who will enter kindergarten in the fall.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> "Maintaining the established standard of excellence and providing students and teachers an environment to thrive, while understanding and managing the factors providing upward budget pressures. As part of the Budget Advisory Committee, I was able to listen, understand, and contribute feedback to implemented and conceptual solutions to help manage the budget within the tax cap while maintaining the support that has allowed BBP school district to become a National Blue Ribbon School."</p>

vgBLUE190519

Bayport-Blue Point

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING&nbsp;</strong>$159,398,062, a 2.28 percent increase from the current $155,847,443.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY&nbsp;</strong>2.43 percent increase, from $106,695,184 to $109,286,929. This is equal to the district's 2.43 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes step increases where applicable, but no increment as the salary schedule is frozen. The contract also includes flat amounts for certain employees hired before&nbsp;a certain date. The district plans to hire three&nbsp;more ESL teachers and a world language (Spanish) teacher.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Bay Shore High School gym lobby.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bayshoreschools.org">www.bayshoreschools.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbents Andrew A. Arcuri, Thomas Falconer and Nic Scott are seeking one at-large seat. The term is three years.</p> 
<h2>Andrew A. Arcuri</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND&nbsp;</strong>Arcuri, 59, is an attorney. He received his law degree from Pace University School of Law and his undergraduate degree from Stony Brook University. He is a member of the Suffolk County Bar Association;&nbsp;the Summit Council, a group of civil justice attorneys; the New York State&nbsp;Trial Lawyers Association;&nbsp;and the New York Road Runners (he has completed 59 marathons). He had three children graduate from Bay Shore schools. Arcuri has been on the board since 2004 and served three terms as president.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE&nbsp;</strong>Arcuri points to his continued service and&nbsp;commitment to preserving programs without breaking the tax cap. "My experience will allow the community to have confidence in the stability I bring to the board," along with his efforts to bridge understanding through making a personal effort to break down complex issues, present both sides and be a voice for the children.</p> 
<h2>Thomas Falconer</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND&nbsp;</strong>Falconer, 34, is a statistician&nbsp;in biomedical informatics at Columbia University. He earned his bachelor's in economics at the University of Miami and his master's in applied mathematics at Stony Brook University. His&nbsp;parents are teachers in the Bay Shore district who plan to retire in 2020.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE&nbsp;</strong>"I'm running because I want to bring a complementary, and I think needed, skill set and perspective to the table. All decisions are data driven and use data to prove their effectiveness. I can ask informed questions." He also would work to help Bay Shore students take advantage of Stony Brook research and enrichment programs.</p> 
<h2>Nic&nbsp;Scott</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND&nbsp;</strong>Scott, 49, is a social studies teacher in Brentwood who retired as a lieutenant colonel from the Army Reserves in 2018, where he served in the Judge Advocate General Corps for 22 years. His last four years were on active duty, two years in Afghanistan and two years at the Pentagon. He earned his associate's from Suffolk County Community College, his bachelor's from Hofstra and a law degree from Villanova University School of Law. He has a teaching certificate from Dowling College and school-related certificates from Stony Brook University. His wife is a teacher in Brentwood. He has two children attending Bay Shore schools.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE&nbsp;</strong>"When you weigh my experience as a lawyer, as an educator and my trusted leadership in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Pentagon, you can trust that I will serve in the best interest of our students and our taxpayers." Scott says&nbsp;he also wants to expand district programs such as esports and robotics to middle school and elementary students.</p>

vgBAYS190519

Bay Shore

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong> $36,230,890, a 2.73 percent increase from the current $35,267,556.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 2.86 percent increase, from $24,882,650 to $25,595,102. This is within the district’s 2.90 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a 0.6 percent contractual increase and&nbsp;a 1.57 percent step increase. Maintains staffing and programs at current levels.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Charles A. Reinhard Early Childhood Center.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bellmoreschools.org">www.bellmoreschools.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbents Janet Goller and Maryanne Kelly are running unopposed for two seats, elected at-large.&nbsp;Terms are three years.</p>

vgBELL190519

Bellmore

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong> $163,026,888,&nbsp;a 2.03 percent increase from the current $159,788,043.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 2.17 percent increase, from $116,865,160 to $119,405,872. This is equal to the district’s 2.17 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a 1 percent&nbsp;average salary increase and 1.71 average step increase for teachers. A psychologist position would be added at each of the district’s two middle schools. A part-time social worker and an assistant special education chairperson position also would&nbsp;be added.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 authorizes the district to spend nearly $1.93 million from its capital reserve fund and unencumbered, unexpended capital funds from budgets in earlier years&nbsp;for parking lot, tennis court and track resurfacing and floor and ceiling tile replacement at W.C. Mepham High School; auditorium bathroom renovation and door replacement at Sanford H. Calhoun High School;&nbsp;and door and lock replacement at all district buildings. Approval of the proposition does not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7 a.m. to 10 p.m. at C.A. Reinhard Early Childhood Center, Bellmore; 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Norman J. Levy Lakeside School, Merrick; 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Newbridge Road School, Bellmore; and 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. at North Merrick Public Library,&nbsp;North Merrick. <a href="http://www.bellmore-merrick.k12.ny.us/">www.bellmore-merrick.k12.ny.us</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>The district does not hold its own school board elections.&nbsp;The boards of education in the four component elementary school districts — Bellmore, North Bellmore, Merrick and North Merrick —&nbsp;each appoint two trustees to the Bellmore-Merrick Central&nbsp;district board.</p>

vgBMER190519

Bellmore-Merrick

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong> $87,343,557, a 2.48 percent increase from the current $85,229,857.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 3.43 percent increase, from $63,722,940 to $65,909,470. This is equal to the district’s 3.43 percent tax-cap limit, so approval requires a simple majority vote.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS </strong> Includes what the district called&nbsp;a "1&nbsp;percent cost-of-living increase."&nbsp;The district, through a spokesperson, declined to provide more&nbsp;information about contractual raises&nbsp;or step increases. The proposed budget adds a security person at each school building and makes internet technology improvements to support security.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Bethpage High School.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bethpagecommunity.com">www.bethpagecommunity.com </a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbents John Lonardo, Christina Scelta and Marie Swierkowski&nbsp;are running unopposed for three positions, elected by seat. Terms are three years.</p>

vgBETH190519

Bethpage

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$418,915,646, a 2.98&nbsp;percent increase from the current $406,789,163.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;4.03&nbsp;percent increase, from&nbsp;$107,737,688&nbsp;to&nbsp;$112,076,801. This is equal to the district's 4.03 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong>&nbsp;Teachers will receive a 1.5 percent contractual increase, plus step increases ranging&nbsp;from 1.4 percent to 5 percent. No new programs are planned.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>8&nbsp;a.m. to 9&nbsp;p.m. at Hemlock Park Elementary School, Laurel Park Elementary School, Loretta Park Elementary School, North Elementary School, Northeast Elementary School, Oak Park Elementary School, Pine Park Elementary School, Frank J. Cannon Southeast Elementary School, Southwest Elementary School. <a href="http://www.bufsd.org">www.bufsd.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Seven candidates for two seats. Walter Bonilla and William Moss are challenging incumbent Robert Feliciano.&nbsp;Andrew Como, Kimberly Johnson and Mudnia Sheikh are challenging incumbent G. Paula Moore. Terms are for three years.</p> 
<h2>Robert Feliciano</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND&nbsp;</strong>Feliciano, 52, is a coordinator for a nonprofit housing agency in Bay Shore that helps families in need, including people struggling with substance abuse and domestic violence. He is a 1984 graduate of Brentwood High School and received an associate degree from Suffolk County Community College in the late 1980s. He has four children — three daughters who graduated from Brentwood schools — and a son who is in eighth grade in Bay Shore. His wife and a sister-in-law are teachers in the district, and a sister is a school principal; all were hired before he was elected to the board in 2013. He has also been chairman for the Brentwood School District audit committee. Feliciano, the school board president, is running as a team with G. Paula Moore.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;He says&nbsp;the current Brentwood school board has led a legal fight against the state for more foundation aid, to increase state dollars coming to the district. The school district also has sued Islip and the developer of the proposed Heartland Town Square project for not considering the district's needs when approving the project. "We've done everything in our power to represent the district and community at large," he said.</p> 
<h2>Walter Bonilla</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND&nbsp;</strong>Bonilla, 43, is an associate at a financial firm in Hauppauge. A 1994 graduate of Brentwood High School, he has lived in the district for 27 years. He attended Suffolk County Community College and was certified in 2015 by the state and federal government as a financial adviser. In 2016, he co-founded the Knowledge Project, a not-for-profit organization in Brentwood&nbsp;that works with youth, including showing them how to apply for financial aid and scholarships. He's a member of the board of the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce and volunteers with Uplift Brentwood, Youth Enrichment Services in Brentwood. He has three children, of whom the oldest graduated from Brentwood High School; and a seventh-grader and a child who will be in kindergarten next year. He is running as a team with Mudnia Sheikh.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE&nbsp;</strong>"There has to be more communication between the board and the teachers, and teachers and students, as well as the board with the community," Bonilla said. "That includes students and parents who don’t speak English."</p> 
<h2>William King Moss III</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND&nbsp;</strong>Moss, 42, is director of academic affairs for the Lawrence School District. A Brentwood graduate and lifelong resident, he earned his bachelor’s degree in math education and child development from Harvard College and his master’s in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He taught math for eight years at Brentwood High School and three years at North Middle School, until 2011. Moss is president of the NAACP’s Islip Town branch and treasurer and co-founder of the Brentwood Alumni Student Association. He has four children — two out of high school and 2-year-old twins. He's running as a team with Kimberly Johnson.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;"The fact that our graduation rate is below 70 percent is a major issue," he said. Teacher training should be focused, he said, on how to improve&nbsp;student learning. He said the board should take a leading role in rewriting the school's curriculum.</p> 
<h2>G. Paula Moore</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND&nbsp;</strong>Moore, 75, has&nbsp;worked for the school district for 28 years&nbsp;and most recently served as a human resources administrator. She attended New York University in the 1960s and took classes in business administration at Suffolk County Community College in the late 1980s. She served as recording secretary for the Mid-Island chapter of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs from 2007 to 2011. She served&nbsp;on the steering committee of the Brentwood chapter of My Brother's Keeper. Her three children graduated from Brentwood schools; two sons are employed by the district, one as a teacher, the other as a maintenance mechanic. She was elected to the board in 2013. The board's first vice president, she is running as a team with Robert Feliciano.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> She said the top issue is equality in funding, which the district has sued the state over. "We're owed almost $130 million in foundation aid," she said. She said she would continue lobbying state officials for more aid for the district. "The fight is not over," she said.</p> 
<h2>Andrew Como</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>: Como, 69, a Brentwood High School graduate, is retired. A&nbsp;certified physical education teacher for prekindergarten through sixth grade, he owned&nbsp;a&nbsp;Century Twenty One real estate office and Realty Executives office. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps and received&nbsp;a bachelor’s degree from John F. Kennedy College in Nebraska in 1972. His two children graduated from Brentwood schools and now are teaching in Florida. He is a past president of the Brentwood Civic Association, Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, Brentwood Youth Association and Brentwood travel baseball, a past vice president of the Brentwood Rotary Club and a past member of the PTAs at North Elementary School and North Middle School. He also has been a member of the Brentwood Touchdown Club, Brentwood Soccer Club and Brentwood Booster Club. A past school board member, Como serves on&nbsp;the school planning committee, the&nbsp;safety committee and the Parent Teacher Student Association.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> He said the top priority should be getting rid of the separate Freshman Center for ninth-graders in Brentwood, which he said would improve safety, relieve overcrowding and save the district $1 million a year in transportation costs. He also wants to add an extra period to the high school day.</p> 
<h2>Kimberly Johnson</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND&nbsp;</strong>Johnson, 30, is a Brentwood High School graduate. She is a nurse at an assisted living center and&nbsp;nurse educator at Eastern Suffolk BOCES. After graduating in 2006, she received a diploma of nursing from Eastern Suffolk BOCES in 2008, an associate degree from Suffolk County Community College in 2012 and a bachelor's degree in nursing from Chamberlain University in Illinois in 2018. She's currently a member of the American Nurses Association, a former president of her high school senior class, a member of the American Assisted Living Nurses Association and a dementia specialist. She has a second-grader at Northeast Elementary School. This is her first time running and she's running as a team with William Moss.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;"One of the biggest issues is mismanagement of the budget. They're not allocating enough funds for academic and extracurricular activities."</p> 
<h2>Mudnia Sheikh</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Sheikh, 50, is a medical doctor affiliated with Northwell Health. She has lived in the district since 2004. She graduated from high school in Pakistan and medical school at Allama Iqbal Medical College in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1995. She completed her residency and fellowship at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, and then another fellowship at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo. She's on the advisory board for Domestic Harmony Organization, a Hicksville-based group that helps South Asian women suffering from domestic violence. She's also part of the New York chapter of&nbsp;Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America and the American Pakistani Public Affairs Committee. She has two daughters, one of whom graduated from private school and the other who is a senior at a private school. She is running as a team with&nbsp;Walter Bonilla.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE&nbsp;</strong>"Brentwood is not up to par with other districts on Long Island," she said. "I&nbsp;want to give them the competitive edge that these kids need." That includes introducing STEM programs, music and art programs, and programs to increase student creativity.</p>

vgBREN190519

Brentwood

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING&nbsp;</strong>$18,689,852, a 14.68 percent increase from the current $16,297,465.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY&nbsp;</strong>10.83 percent increase, from $14,355,231 to $15,910,513. This is equal to the district's 10.83 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS&nbsp;</strong>Salary estimates are subject to negotiations, with an estimated contractual increase of 0.75 percent. The proposed budget&nbsp;adds&nbsp;AP courses in math and science and a string music program at the elementary level.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 seeks authorization to renew leases for up to three years on two land parcels adjacent to Bridgehampton School&nbsp;along Montauk Highway that are used for the district's agricultural education program, with a total combined rental of $3,000 for the first year. Approval of the proposition will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Bridgehampton School gymnasium.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bridgehamptonschool.com">www.bridgehamptonschool.com</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Five people are vying for two seats, elected at-large. Candidates are incumbents Michael Gomberg and Jennifer Vinski, as well as&nbsp;Angela Torres Chmielewski, Randall Davis and Carla Lillie. Terms are three years.</p> 
<h2>Angela Torres Chmielewski</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND&nbsp;</strong>Chmielewski, 39, is a real estate sales agent. She earned her bachelor's degree in English at Wesleyan University. She served on the board of the Children’s Museum of the East End and the Parrish Art Museum’s Business Council. She is active in the PTO, where she is vice president. She has two children attending Bridgehampton School.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE&nbsp;</strong>"With enrollment increasing, making sure that our students continue to have amazing opportunities. The expansion of the school should help us tighten academic rigor and offer more specialty course offerings, particularly in the secondary and upper school."</p> 
<h2>Randall Davis</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND&nbsp;</strong>Davis, 49, has been a custodian and landscaper in the Sag Harbor school district&nbsp;since 2006. A lifelong resident, he earned his general diploma. Davis is a basketball coach with Bridgehampton Youth Basketball and director of Southampton Police Athletic League Football. He has two children attending Bridgehampton School.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;"I want to make sure that every opportunity is available to the kids and will try to bridge gaps. I will keep bringing positivity and new ideas and stand for the children," Davis said. "I understand my community and want to be there to support, help and keep the unity Bridgehampton has had as a small community."</p> 
<h2>Michael Gomberg</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND&nbsp;</strong>Gomberg, 46, is a financial adviser for the financial services firm Edward Jones. He earned a dual bachelor's degree in accounting and finance at Washington University in St. Louis. He has two children in Bridgehampton School. Gomberg is seeking his second term on the board, where he has served on the budget and audit committee for the past five years.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE&nbsp;</strong>"We have&nbsp;to build on the curriculum and take it to a higher level. We have a duty to do right by our children, to make sure they're ready after high school. It's important to build on what we have going on right now."</p> 
<h2>Carla Lillie</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND&nbsp;</strong>Lillie, 35, is a medical biller and bookkeeper. A lifelong resident, she attended Bridgehampton School through ninth grade and was a member of The Ross School's first graduating class in 2001. She has three children attending Bridgehampton School.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE&nbsp;</strong>"Bridgehampton is such a family community and I want to help keep that small-school, small-classroom feel. I know the values the school stands by and I'd bring that knowledge to the board."</p> 
<h2>Jennifer Vinski</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND&nbsp;</strong>Vinski, 45, is a special education teacher in the Southampton school district.&nbsp;She earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and elementary education from Dowling College and a master's degree in special education from LIU Post. She is a member of the Bridgehampton and Southampton PTOs; serves on the Bridgehampton audit committee; and is a Friends of the Library committee member for the Hampton Library. She has three children in Bridgehampton School. She is seeking her third term on the board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE&nbsp;</strong>Vinski would like to continue on the board to offer consistency for projects such as the building expansion, the transition of the administrative team and upcoming teacher contract negotiations. "I bring an educator's perspective, experience and knowledge to the board, which I think is an important perspective. Everything I do is for and about kids."</p>

vgBRID190519

Bridgehampton

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong> $50,224,682, a 1.59 percent increase from the current $49,440,424.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 1.59 percent increase, from $42,519,900 to $43,197,689. This is within the district’s 2.82 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a 1.25 percent teacher salary increase and an average 1.65 percent step increase. Adds a full-time elementary school guidance counselor to meet new state Education Department regulations and a part-time special education teacher to meet mandates.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 authorizes the district to spend $2.075 million from a capital reserve fund for classroom, hallway and stairwell abatement and reconstruction at the Rushmore Avenue School, asphalt replacement at the Cherry Lane Elementary School playground and districtwide replacement of air conditioning units. Approval of the proposition does not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Carle Place High School. <a href="http://www.cps.k12.ny.us">www.cps.k12.ny.us</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbent Lawrence F. Zaino Jr. is running unopposed. The term is three years.</p>

vgCARL190519

Carle Place

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$44,101,280, a 2.32 percent increase&nbsp;from the current $43,100,129.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;2.9&nbsp;percent increase, from&nbsp;$23,235,914 to&nbsp;$23,909,755. This is&nbsp;within the district's 3.8&nbsp;percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes provisions for teacher salaries, but district staff said a future contract is being negotiated and no specific estimates of salary changes could be provided. The proposed&nbsp;budget factors in the elimination of one full-time teaching position through attrition, because of&nbsp;enrollment changes at the elementary level. It funds an additional teaching position at 0.6 of full-time for the&nbsp;foreign-language elementary school (FLES) program as well as the hiring of two&nbsp;full-time security guards, one for the elementary school and one for the high school.&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7&nbsp;a.m. to 9 p.m. in the gymnasium of Clayton Huey Elementary School. <a href="http://www.cmschools.org">www.cmschools.org</a>&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Marcus Babzien and Thomas Kelly&nbsp;are running unopposed for two seats, elected&nbsp;at-large. Incumbents Darrell Iehle and Robyn Rayburn are not seeking re-election.</p>

vgCMOR190519

Center Moriches

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$216,560,271, a 2.72 percent increase from the current $210,833,025.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;1.66 percent increase, from&nbsp;$92,025,934 to&nbsp;$93,529,258. This is within the district’s 2.33 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a step increase&nbsp;of $3,712. The proposed budget restores summer elementary school.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 asks voters&nbsp;to authorize the district to withdraw $900,000 from the capital reserve fund and transfer it into the capital fund for&nbsp;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&nbsp;floor tiles and ceiling acoustical tiles at various locations in&nbsp;Central Islip High School.&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Anthony Alfano Elementary School. <a href="http://cischools.org">cischools.org</a>&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Debra Cavanagh, Jim Musumeci and incumbents Daniel M. Devine and&nbsp;Glenn C. Mitchell are running&nbsp;for three seats, elected at-large.&nbsp;The two highest vote-getters each will serve full&nbsp;three-year terms, and the third-highest vote-getter will serve&nbsp;one year remaining on the term of Edna Carbajal, who resigned.</p> 
<h2>Debra Cavanagh</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Cavanagh, 59, has lived in the district for more than 27 years.&nbsp;She is a teacher and works for the district but will retire&nbsp;in June.&nbsp;She has an associate degree in early childhood education from Nassau Community College, and a bachelor's degree in elementary education&nbsp;and master's degree in special education,&nbsp;both&nbsp;from what now is LIU Post.&nbsp;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.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;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&nbsp;"so they are better equipped to work with students," especially the&nbsp;immigrant population in the district. She attended an international gang conference in Chicago last summer and was trained in gang recognition,&nbsp;prevention and intervention; she would like to see the district provide staff with similar training.&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>Daniel Devine</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Devine, 80,&nbsp;has lived in the district for 65 years and graduated from the high school.&nbsp;He is&nbsp;retired. Devine&nbsp;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.&nbsp;He&nbsp;is running on a slate with Glenn C. Mitchell and Jim Musumeci.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;Making sure Central Islip receives its fair share of the state aid that it needs to serve students and the community.&nbsp;"We are high-taxed&nbsp;and low-wealth. We are one of the poorest districts on Long Island&nbsp;and we depend on the aid that we get."&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>Glenn C. Mitchell</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Mitchell, 61, has lived in the district for 45&nbsp;years. He is&nbsp;retired from working for the New York State Office of Mental Health.&nbsp;He has four children who graduated from the district. Mitchell has served on the board since 2016. He is running on a slate&nbsp;with Daniel Devine and Jim Musumeci.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;"Money — it makes everything work.&nbsp;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."</p> 
<h2>Jim&nbsp;Musumeci</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;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&nbsp;served as president of Brooklyn New York American Postal Workers Union Local 251. Musimeci was national constitution&nbsp;committee chairman&nbsp;for the American Postal Workers (APW) Union&nbsp;and the health plan&nbsp;director for the APW in New York. He has two children who graduated from the district.&nbsp;He is running on a slate with Daniel Devine and Glenn C. Mitchell.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;"Keeping school taxes as low as possible&nbsp;so parents can afford to live here on Long Island." The district needs to address the "language barriers for many students that are&nbsp;needed to improve their learning. If elected, I will focus on these issues."</p>

vgCISL190519

Central Islip

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$70,274,817, a 2.64&nbsp;percent increase from the current $68,466,684.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;2.94&nbsp;percent increase, from&nbsp;$63,010,283&nbsp;to&nbsp;$64,861,519.&nbsp;This is equal to the district’s 2.94&nbsp;percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a 1.25&nbsp;percent contractual&nbsp;increase and an average step increase of 1.55&nbsp;percent. The proposed budget includes funding for more&nbsp;security personnel and physical security measures; flexible furniture and seating options, at all levels, to promote collaboration and research; expansion of the "Science 21" program to grade 3;&nbsp;introduction of&nbsp;coding in grades four, five, six and eight; and continuation of&nbsp;other academic, staff development and extracurricular measures.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 seeks&nbsp;approval to withdraw $500,000 from the capital reserve fund to complete security upgrades and for reconstruction of the physical education locker rooms at the Junior/Senior&nbsp;High School Field House. Approval of the proposition will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>6 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Ralph Whitney Field House at Cold Spring Harbor Junior/Senior&nbsp;High School.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.csh.k12.ny.us">www.csh.k12.ny.us</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbent Amelia Brogan and Julie Starrett are running unopposed for two seats, elected at-large. Incumbent Lizabeth Squicciarini is not seeking re-election. Terms are three years.&nbsp;</p>

vgCOLD190519

Cold Spring Harbor

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$197,062,213, a 1.99 percent increase from the current $193,222,796.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;2.95 percent increase, from $138,464,368 to $142,545,140. This is equal to the district’s 2.95 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a 1 percent contractual&nbsp;increase and an average step increase of 2.5 percent to 3 percent.&nbsp;The proposed budget includes districtwide security improvements, upgrades in&nbsp;instructional&nbsp;technology&nbsp;and new courses, such as&nbsp;an Intro to Health Professions course at the high school, technical and business training and internships for career readiness.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Commack Middle School and Commack High School. <a href="http://www.commack.k12.ny.us">www.commack.k12.ny.us</a>&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Six candidates are running for three positions, elected by seat. Incumbent Steven Hartman and Pamela Verity are vying&nbsp;for a seat with a full three-year term. Jennifer Mansi and Justin Varughese&nbsp;are running for a&nbsp;seat with the remainder of a three-year term, previously held by Verity, who resigned last year.&nbsp;Susan Hermer and Jennifer Scully are running for a seat with a one-year term, created by the resignation of another board member. Service in the two seats with abbreviated terms will begin upon election on May 21.</p> 
<h2>Steven Hartman</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Hartman, 48, has lived in the district 22 years. A senior engineering manager at a medical device engineering company, Hartman earned his bachelor's degree&nbsp;and a master's in mechanical engineering from SUNY Buffalo State. He is president of Commack Public Library's board of trustees, and has been involved with the Commack PTA and the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts of America. Hartman&nbsp;mentors high school students involved in the Science Research Program. He has one child attending Commack High School and another who is a graduate. Hartman&nbsp;has been on the board&nbsp;for six years, including four as president.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “The fiscal stability of our district, which is the main role of a board member, is the most challenging issue facing Commack. We must continue to advocate to our legislators that any new federal and state mandates must not be added without a revenue source to enact them in the school district.”</p> 
<h2>Susan Hermer</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Hermer, 60, has lived in the district for 27 years. A lawyer, she earned a bachelor's degree&nbsp;in political science from SUNY Oneonta and a law degree from the University of Toledo College of Law. She served for 10 years on the Commack Special Education PTA, including two years as co-president, and as second vice president of the PTA Council. She is treasurer of Commack Coalition of Caring. She has two children who graduated from Commack High School.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “I feel the most important issue facing our district is to obtain funding to keep our taxes within the tax cap without cutting our wonderful programs, teachers, clubs, field trips and sports. We need to continue to lobby Albany for additional state aid, seek grants, and continue our energy cost-saving programs.”</p> 
<h2>Jennifer Mansi</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Mansi, 45, has lived in the district for 10 years. A real estate saleswoman, she holds a bachelor's degree in communications from Bethany College. She is a soccer coach and board member of the 4 Towns Civic Association, and is active in the Commack PTA and Habitat for Humanity. She has three children attending district schools.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “I believe a BOE member plays an important role in governing our school district and must act as a leader, advocate and representative to help communicate the will of the community into the educational well-being of all students.”</p> 
<h2>Jennifer Scully</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Scully, 46, has lived in the district for seven years. An interior designer, she has a bachelor of&nbsp;fine arts degree&nbsp;from The New School for Social Research. She is a founder of Help Mrs. Claus children’s charity, and a member of Moms Demand Action and the&nbsp;4 Towns Civic Association. She has one child attending district schools.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “The serious issues which face our children today are school violence, bullying and opioid abuse. These life-threatening problems can be solved through educational programs focusing on mental and physical health.”</p> 
<h2>Justin Varughese</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Varughese, 41, has lived in the district for 13 years. A lawyer, he holds a double bachelor's degree&nbsp;in government and politics/criminal justice from the University of Maryland. His law degree is from St. John’s University. He is a founding partner of Leitner Varughese, a Melville-based&nbsp;law firm that specializes in personal injury cases, and is the executive pastor of Lighthouse Community Church. He has two children attending district schools.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> Diversity of thought and opportunity. “As our nation becomes increasingly diverse in a variety of ways, it is crucial that we equip our students with a healthy perspective that empowers them to relate to and learn from those who are different from them.”</p> 
<h2>Pamela Verity</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Verity, 55, has lived in the district for 14 years. A former teacher and currently a field trip facilitator, she holds a bachelor's degree&nbsp;in elementary education and art education from Long Island University. She is a founding member of Long Island Opt Out and of New York State Advocates for Public Education. Verity has served on the district's Common Core, safety&nbsp;and Marion Carll&nbsp;property committees. She has two children attending district schools, and two who graduated from Commack High School. She served on the school board from 2016 to 2018.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “Parents right now are most concerned with ensuring that our children and staff are, above all else, safe in their classrooms and schools. It is imperative that we spend our tax dollars wisely on updating our security systems to eliminate threats from the outside as well as the inside, while giving students the support they need.”</p>

vgCOMM190519

Commack

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$93,974,755, a 2.2&nbsp;percent increase from the current $91,947,730.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;1.88&nbsp;percent increase, from&nbsp;$56,220,730 to&nbsp;$57,279,755. This is within the district's 2.9 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a step increase of 2 percent.&nbsp;Adds a total of seven positions for special education,&nbsp;social emotional learning staff&nbsp;throughout the district and a full-time elementary school teacher. The proposed budget funds 1.6 positions, combining the new teacher and staff reassignment,&nbsp;to achieve smaller elementary classes.&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 seeks authorization to establish&nbsp;a capital reserve fund of&nbsp;$15 million, plus any accumulated interest, for a term of 10 years&nbsp;to finance districtwide capital improvements, including site work, construction, reconstruction, renovation and equipment for school buildings.&nbsp;The district said the funds will be obtained from various sources, including state aid reimbursement, cost-saving measures and unappropriated fund balances.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>9&nbsp;a.m. to 9 p.m. in the gymnasium of&nbsp;Comsewogue High School. <a href="http://comsewogue.k12.ny.us">comsewogue.k12.ny.us</a>&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbents Francisca Alabau-Blatter and Robert K. DeStefano are running unopposed for two positions, elected at-large. Terms are three years.</p>

vgCOMS190519

Comsewogue

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING&nbsp;</strong>$194,047,128, a 0.61 percent increase from the current $192,870,820.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY&nbsp;</strong>2.90 percent increase, from $122,226,866 to $125,771,459. This is within the district's tax-cap limit of 4.79 percent, so a simple majority vote is needed for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS&nbsp;</strong>Includes a 1 percent raise for teachers and a 2.4 percent step increase. Ten teaching positions will be eliminated, eight&nbsp;through retirements. The district is adding 1.8 positions as part of a Foreign Language in the Elementary School, or FLES, program to teach&nbsp;Spanish starting in third grade.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 is a capital project for $45,758,075 that includes updates to school libraries, auditoriums, playgrounds and the addition of a field house with sanitary facilities at the high school so visitors will no longer need to enter the high school during outdoor events. Approval of the proposition will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>8 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Ronkonkoma Middle School, Connetquot High School and Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ccsdli.org/">www.ccsdli.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Jaclyn Napolitano-Furno is running unopposed for one at-large seat. Term is three years. Raymond Carta, who filled the vacant seat on an interim basis, is not seeking election to the post.</p>

vgQUOT190519

Connetquot

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING&nbsp;</strong>$131,906,869, a 2.01 percent increase from the current $129,306,488.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY&nbsp;</strong>1.76 percent increase, from $62,465,062 to $63,565,410. This is equal to the district's 1.76 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS&nbsp;</strong>Includes a contract increase of 1 percent and a step increase of 2.65 percent for teachers. Five teaching positions will be eliminated through attrition.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Great Neck Road Elementary School.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.copiague.k12.ny.us/">www.copiague.k12.ny.us</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Two candidates seek&nbsp;two by-seat openings with three-year terms. Incumbent Christopher Madden is unopposed. Paul Daubel is running unopposed for the seat of Doris Fischer, who is not seeking re-election.</p>

vgCOPI190519

Copiague

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$116,030,732, a 3.13 percent increase from the current $112,508,977.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;2.96 percent increase, from&nbsp;$70,806,838 to&nbsp;$72,906,035.&nbsp;This is equal to the district’s 2.96 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a contractual&nbsp;increase of 0.75 percent and an average step increase of 2.25 percent. The proposed budget adds the full-time-equivalent of&nbsp;3.6 teaching positions. It also&nbsp;adds a computer science class and expands&nbsp;of the one-to-one Chromebook program to grades five through nine.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7&nbsp;a.m. to 9&nbsp;p.m. at Deer Park High School. <a href="http://www.deerparkschools.org">www.deerparkschools.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Four candidates are running for three positions, elected by seat. Anthony Henkel and Jerry D. Jean-Pierre are vying for the seat held by&nbsp;Keith Rooney, who is not seeking re-election.&nbsp;Incumbents John Gouskos and Kristine Rosales are&nbsp;running unopposed. Terms are three years.</p> 
<h2>Anthony Henkel</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Henkel, 19, is a lifelong resident of the district and a 2017 graduate of Deer Park High School. He has an associate degree from Suffolk County Community College and is a new graduate of&nbsp;SUNY New Paltz. He works&nbsp;in retail outlets for Sunglass Hut and&nbsp;Van Heusen.&nbsp;He is a board member of the Deer Park Arts Council and&nbsp;a transfer liaison for the Center for Student Development at SUNY.&nbsp;He has a brother who is in 10th grade at the high school.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;"I am running for school board because I believe a younger perspective is needed for modern issues. I am the only candidate that went to school with smartphones, Common Core and modern-day problems. My project management and team leadership skills will improve the school board."</p> 
<h2>Jerry D. Jean-Pierre</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Jean-Pierre, 45, has lived in the district for 15 years. He is a commercial underwriter in the insurance business.&nbsp;He received a bachelor's degree in business administration from Hofstra University in 1995 and a master's in business administration from St. John's University in 1998.&nbsp;He serves on the board of St. Cyril CYO basketball in the Parish of Saints Cyril and Methodius&nbsp;and is a board member of DC Ray Downey-Knights of Columbus Flag Football. He is a member of Knights of Columbus. He has a son&nbsp;at the high school and a daughter at Robert Frost Middle School.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;To "increase diversity and inclusion in teachers and administration. Empower teachers to provide proper education without constraints. Improve outreach and communication with the community and continue to provide a fiscally sound budget."</p>

vgDEER190519

Deer Park

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$70,947,120, a 1.58 percent&nbsp;increase from the current $69,846,198.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;1.847&nbsp;percent increase, from&nbsp;$50,834,357 to&nbsp;$51,773,201. This is equal to the district’s 1.847 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong>&nbsp;The teachers&nbsp;contract is being negotiated. Under the proposed budget, the district plans to maintain programs and staffing levels.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>1 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the&nbsp;East Hampton school district office. <a href="http://ehufsd.org">ehufsd.org</a>&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Jeffrey Erickson, Sandra Vorpahl and incumbents James (JP) Foster&nbsp;and Wendy Geehreng are running for three seats, elected at-large. Terms are three years.</p> 
<h2>Jeffrey Erickson</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Erickson, 51, has lived in the district for 21 years. An East Hampton Village police sergeant in the Emergency Services Unit, Erickson also has&nbsp;worked as a D.A.R.E. officer in schools. His wife, Trisha, is a physical education teacher in the district's John M. Marshall Elementary School and his daughter is in ninth grade in the district. He is an Eagle Scout and a past president of the East Hampton Village Police Benevolent Association.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> School safety is the top issue&nbsp;for Erickson, who would like to see more security outside the high school and real-time monitoring of surveillance cameras. "The safety and education of students in the East Hampton School District is the most important investment we can make," he said.</p> 
<h2>James (JP) Foster</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Foster, 48, has lived in the district for 30 years. He is the chief public safety dispatcher for East Hampton Village. He&nbsp;has a daughter in college and a son who is a senior in the district. He was elected to the school board in 2013 and is the panel's president.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> Foster said he would like to continue his involvement in&nbsp;a project to build a new bus garage in the district&nbsp;that includes&nbsp;space for vocational classrooms. He noted his commitment to transparency, including his involvement in asking public access station&nbsp;LTV to broadcast board meetings. If re-elected, he said, "I could finish some of the projects I've started."</p> 
<h2>Wendy Geehreng</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Geehreng, 47, an East Hampton native, is a pediatric nurse practitioner.&nbsp;She has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and religion from Colgate University&nbsp;and a master’s in pediatric nursing from Columbia University. Geehreng was president of the East Hampton Middle School PTA from 2010 to 2012. Her youngest daughter is a sixth-grader in the district. She was elected to the school board in 2013.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> Geehreng said top issues for her are&nbsp;overseeing completion of the district's&nbsp;new bus depot and&nbsp;instituting a dual language program at John M. Marshall Elementary School. "It's always been my belief that every kid that graduates from our high school should be bilingual," she said.</p> 
<h2>Sandra Vorpahl</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Vorpahl, 71, is a lifelong district resident. She graduated from East Hampton High School in 1965 and worked for the district for 32 years before her retirement in 2002. Her two children and five grandchildren all are graduates&nbsp;of&nbsp;the district. Vorpahl&nbsp;previously served on the board from 2004 to 2010.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> Vorpahl commended the school board on recent initiatives, including&nbsp;a new committee focused on&nbsp;mental health&nbsp;and a plan to bring vocational classes to the high school. "The board is doing a really good job at this point and I'd like to help," she said.&nbsp;"I'm sure they can use another set of eyes and ears."</p>

vgEHAM190519

East Hampton

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$120,334,922, a 2.78 percent increase from the current $117,081,377.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;0.8&nbsp;percent increase, from&nbsp;$71,339,779&nbsp;to $71,910,497. This is within the district's 2.81 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong>&nbsp;Salary increases are&nbsp;subject to negotiations later this year. The proposed budget cuts four teacher positions through attrition and are related to enrollment. The spending plan adds seven positions — a social worker; a STEM teacher and a library/media specialist, both at the elementary level; two elementary school teachers; and a cosmetology teacher and a teaching assistant.&nbsp;It adds in-house cosmetology programs, BOCES occupational education and junior varsity boys volleyball. The proposed budget also expands school security through addition of a visitor management system; provides funding for flexible classroom furniture and seating to encourage collaboration and research; and provides for certain building renovations.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 authorizes creation of a repair reserve fund, to be&nbsp;funded initially with up to $400,000 of unreserved unappropriated fund balance from the 2018-19 fiscal year and afterward by budgetary appropriation and/or application of unreserved unappropriated surplus. Approval of the proposition will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>&nbsp;6 a.m. to 9&nbsp;p.m. at the Early Childhood Center, Islip Terrace. <a href="http://www.eischools.org">www.eischools.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Charles P. Kalinowski&nbsp;and Christopher R. Nicolia are vying&nbsp;for the position, elected by seat. Incumbent Steven Behan&nbsp;is not seeking re-election. The term is three years.</p> 
<h2>Charles P. Kalinowski</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Kalinowski, 47, has lived in the district for 45 years. He has been a&nbsp;public school teacher in New York state&nbsp;for two decades. Kalinowski&nbsp;has&nbsp;a bachelor's degree from Stony Brook University and&nbsp;a master's degree in education from Dowling College. He also&nbsp;holds a school district administrator license from Stony Brook University. Kalinowski&nbsp;is a member&nbsp;of the Science Teachera Association of New York State and of&nbsp;Disabled American Veterans. He has three children in schools in the district.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;Kalinowski's&nbsp;main issues include maintaining "open lines of communication between the community and the district. Maintain a safe and secure environment that has zero tolerance for all forms of bullying."&nbsp;The district also must continue to "provide faculty and staff with the resources needed to prepare all students for a rapidly changing world." He also highlighted the need to "try to minimize any tax hikes in order to keep current residents and businesses here," while attracting new families and businesses to the community.</p> 
<h2>Christopher R. Nicolia</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Nicola, 32, has lived in the district for more than four years. He is an attorney and holds a bachelor's degree from Hofstra University&nbsp;and a juris doctor degree from Touro College. He is a member of the Suffolk County Bar Association and a member of the Town of Islip Zoning Board of Appeals.&nbsp;He has three children who are not yet school-age.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;Referring to district voters' authorization last year of a&nbsp;bond issue&nbsp;for new construction and repairs throughout the district, Nicola&nbsp;said he plans "to help formulate policies that will maintain quality education through the long construction process while protecting the interests of the taxpayers through fiscal responsibility. … My&nbsp;other key issue is to make sure that the current students are provided choice in programming to reflect varying interests and abilities. I want to make sure that all students leave the East Islip school system enter college or the workforce prepared to make decisions as to what they would like to do, what their strengths are, and ready to be active and productive members of modern society."</p> 
<p>CORRECTION: A previous version of this entry referred incorrectly to where Charles P. Kalinowski has worked as a public school teacher&nbsp;for two decades.</p>

vgEISL190519

East Islip

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong> $208,630,247, a 2.39 percent increase from the current $203,754,394.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 2.14 percent increase, from $136,451,355 to $139,366,431. This is equal to the district’s 2.14 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes an average&nbsp;1.1&nbsp;percent contractual&nbsp;increase and&nbsp;an average step increase of 2&nbsp;percent. Adds&nbsp;health, physical education, special education, part-time speech&nbsp;and part-time psychologist positions at the elementary school level; six special education&nbsp;positions and a world languages&nbsp;position at the secondary school level; and six teaching assistants. The proposed budget provides funding for introduction of a mental health curriculum and lengthening of physical education classes at the elementary level, and expansion of the co-teaching model at the secondary level.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 authorizes the district to spend $400,000 from a capital reserve fund to perform electrical upgrades in district buildings and to install security glass film at building entrances. Approval of the proposition will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Barnum Woods, Bowling Green, George McVey, Meadowbrook and Parkway&nbsp;elementary schools.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eastmeadow.k12.ny.us">www.eastmeadow.k12.ny.us </a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Allyson Benowitz, Jodi Luce and incumbent Matthew Melnick are running unopposed for three seats, elected at-large.&nbsp;Incumbents Joseph Parisi and Marcee Rubinstein are not seeking re-election. Terms are three years.</p>

vgEMEA190519

East Meadow

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$28,858,591, a 3.06&nbsp;percent increase from the current $28,001,605.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;3.3&nbsp;percent increase, from&nbsp;$20,466,494&nbsp;to&nbsp;$21,141,951.&nbsp;This is equal to the district’s 3.3 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a 4 percent salary increase and an average step of increase of 1.5 percent. No changes in programs are planned.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 designates the&nbsp;high schools of the following school districts as receiving high schools for the residents of East Moriches Union Free School District for up to five years beginning July 1, 2019 and ending on June 30, 2024 for the grades set forth after each high school: Center Moriches, grades 9-12; Eastport South-Manor, grades 9-12; Westhampton Beach, grades 9-12.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>1 p.m.&nbsp;to 9 p.m. at East Moriches Elementary School. <a href="http://www.emoschools.org">www.emoschools.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Gene Klein and&nbsp;incumbents Jennifer Burke and Lori Pagano are running for two at-large seats. Terms are three years.</p> 
<h2>Jennifer Burke</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Burke, 45, has lived in the district for 17 years and has served on the board since 2016.&nbsp;She earned her bachelor’s degree, master’s degree&nbsp;and school district administrator certificate at Stony Brook University. She is chairwoman of the English as&nbsp;a New Language Department in the&nbsp;Rocky Point district and is active in the Rocky Point and East Moriches PTAs. She has two children that attend district&nbsp;schools.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE&nbsp;</strong>"The most important issue facing our district is the change in administration. Our superintendent is retiring and we will be hiring a new superintendent. I want to be part of that process."</p> 
<h2>Gene Klein</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Klein, 43, has lived in the district for 11&nbsp;years, works as a plumber and a owns a local plumbing company.&nbsp;President of Center Moriches PAL football. He has four children in the district.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> "I'm running for a few reasons —&nbsp;more transparency&nbsp;between the school and the residents. " He also would like to&nbsp;have longer lunch and recess times for&nbsp;students.</p> 
<h2>Lori M. Pagano</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Pagano, 57, has lived in the district for 19 years and is a retired CPA. She has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from LIU Post. Her son attended East Moriches through eighth grade and graduated from Westhampton Beach High School. She has served on the board for 10&nbsp;years.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> She said her top priority is the budget — "controlling expenses while providing quality programs."&nbsp;</p>

vgEMOR190519

East Moriches

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING </strong>$96,551,702, a 3.26 percent increase from the current $93,502,384.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 2.75 percent increase, from $54,191,936 to $55,679,957. This is equal to the district’s 2.75 percent tax-cap limit. However, the cost of Proposition 2 regarding school security, if approved, would raise the tax levy to $56,192,368, a 3.69 percent increase exceeding the district’s cap. A 60 percent supermajority of those voting is required for both the budget and Proposition 2 to pass. If Proposition 2 does not pass, only a simple majority vote is required to approve the budget.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes an average 1.99 percent step increase. The proposed budget funds hiring of three additional elementary-level teachers, as well as one psychology teacher and one guidance counselor. The district plans to decrease class sizes and restore late buses. District officials said the spending plan also utilizes 2018-19 unappropriated fund balance to maintain programs.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 seeks authorization for the school board to hire armed security guards for schools at a cost of $512,411, increasing the proposed budget to a total of $97,064,113. Both the proposed budget and Proposition 2 must be approved by a 60 percent supermajority of those voting for both to pass. Approval of the proposition causes the tax-levy to exceed the district’s 2.75 percent tax-cap limit.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Eastport-South Manor Junior-Senior High School. <a href="http://www.esmonline.org">www.esmonline.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbent Marie Brown and Michael R. Byrnes, Francesco G. Ferraro, Donald Fox, Tara Mazovec, Allison McGovern and Dennis Pastor are vying for three seats, elected at-large. Incumbents Karen Kesnig and Nicholas Vero are not seeking re-election. Terms are three years.</p> 
<h2>Marie Brown</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Brown, 56, of Manorville, has lived in the district for 21 years and is a senior office assistant in another school system. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Iona College. She is an officer of the Eastport-South Manor Parent Teacher Student Organization for the junior and senior high school, and sports manager for the Eastport-South Manor Athletic Booster Club. She has been a volunteer for 17 years for various school and community groups. Brown’s two children graduated from district schools. She is seeking her fourth three-year term.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “The most important issue is making sure we maintain programs and continue to offer as many opportunities for our students … and keeping our students safe. It’s important for me to keep programs and a well-balanced education for our students, obviously, and also to maintain a safe environment for all.”</p> 
<h2>Michael R. Byrnes</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Byrnes, 47, of Manor Park, is a retired New York Police Department first grade detective. He graduated from Longwood High School in 1989 and has lived in the Eastport-South Manor district for 20 years. Byrnes is a former member of the Brooklyn North Detective Club and was an alternate delegate of the Detectives’ Endowment Association. He coached his son’s baseball team and his daughter’s soccer team. He has one child attending district schools, and two who graduated from district schools. This is his first run for school board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “I’m a big proponent for armed guards in the school district. I think we need to work on class sizes in the district. I think we need to get back to the family mentality and doing it for the children and not running it exclusively as a business. … We also have to stay within our means as far as the budget.”</p> 
<h2>Francesco G. Ferraro</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Ferraro, 42, received an associate degree in applied science from Suffolk County Community College in 1997. A district resident for 33 years, he was a member of the Manorville Fire Department from 1995 to 1999. He has three children attending Eastport-South Manor schools. This is Ferraro’s first run for school board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> Ferraro, on an information form returned to Newsday, listed balancing the budget and special education programs as priorities. He did not respond to requests for comment.</p> 
<h2>Donald Fox</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Fox, 40, of Manorville, has lived in the Eastport-South Manor district for nine years. He is a biology teacher in the East Hampton school district. Fox received a bachelor’s degree in psychobiology from LIU Southampton in 2002 and a master’s degree in education and technology from LIU Post in 2007. He has two children attending district schools. This is his first run for the school board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “First of all, child safety … It’s extremely important for us to look at our options in terms of increasing our safety. Also, to explore the issue of possibly adding armed security to our district as well. The other issue that I think is pretty important is just bringing stability to our district … moving this district forward and moving in the right direction.”</p> 
<h2>Tara Mazovec</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Mazovec, 42, of South Manor, has lived in the district for 17 years and is manager of technology literacy programs at Stony Brook University. A graduate of Hampton Bays High School, Mazovec received a bachelor’s degree in deaf education and psychology from Flagler College in Florida and a master’s degree in instructional technology from LIU Post. She has three children in district schools. This is her second run for the school board; she ran unsuccessfully last year.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> The most important issues facing the district are “school safety and fiscal responsibility, staying within our budget and our means. And improving student-teacher contacts … and providing the best educational environment for our students and staying within the tax cap.” She said she favors “a well-rounded education, which includes academics, arts, music and sports, within a fiscally responsible budget.”</p> 
<h2>Allison McGovern</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> McGovern, 42, of Manor Park, is an archaeologist employed by an engineering company and has lived in the district for more than seven years. She received a bachelor’s degree in anthropology in 1999 from Hunter College, a master’s degree in anthropology in 2008 from Syracuse University and a PhD in anthropology in 2015 from the CUNY Graduate Center. McGovern is a member of the Suffolk County Parks Historic Trust Committee, the New York Archaeological Council, Professional Archaeologists of New York City and the Society for Historical Archaeology. She has two children attending district schools. This is McGovern’s first run for the board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “I’m really interested in making sure we provide a high-quality education and we’re accountable for making fiscally responsible decisions. … I’d like to see us build our reserves and not let that impact our children’s education.”</p> 
<h2>Dennis Pastor</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Pastor, 44, of Manor Park, is an information technology director and has lived in the district for 34 years. He received a bachelor’s degree in history in 2004 from Stony Brook University. Pastor previously served for four years in the U.S. Army 25th Infantry Division and for about six years with the New York Army National Guard’s 69th Infantry Division. He has a child entering kindergarten this fall. This is his first run for school board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “The most important thing currently right now is the armed guards inside the school. It’s something that I’m not for. I don’t know if I can necessarily agree with the armed guards being the solution to the problem of violence in the schools.” Pastor underscored “securing buildings with technology and ensuring accountability.”</p>

vgEPRT190519

Eastport-South Manor

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING&nbsp;</strong>$25,896,085, a 2.89 percent increase from the current $25,168,016.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY&nbsp;</strong>2.46 percent increase, from $22,782,815 to $23,342,616. The district said it applied $115,473&nbsp;in state financial aid to lower the&nbsp;levy within the district's allowable amount under the tax cap, so approval requires a simple majority vote.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS&nbsp;</strong>Includes a 0.7&nbsp;percent salary increase and hiring of one&nbsp;full-time-equivalent teacher for science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics (STEAM),&nbsp;as well as&nbsp;a guidance counselor who will be shared with the Remsenburg-Speonk and Quogue districts.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 3&nbsp;seeks&nbsp;to establish a $500,000 capital reserve fund for future capital improvements that will be subject to voter approval in yearly budget votes. Approval of the proposition does not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<p>Proposition 4 authorizes the district to enter into an agreement with the Westhampton Beach school district for the education of children in grades seven through 12, as provided under education law.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at East Quogue Elementary School.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eastquogue.k12.ny.us/">www.eastquogue.k12.ny.us</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbents Dianna&nbsp;Gobler and Jessica Stalters are running unopposed for two seats, elected at-large. Terms are three years.</p>

vgEQUO190519

East Quogue

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$40,298,143, a 2.22 percent increase from the current $39,422,943.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;2.94 percent increase, from&nbsp;$29,802,571 to&nbsp;$30,680,177.&nbsp;This is within the district’s 3.19 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a 1.85 percent step increase and a 1 percent contract salary increase. The proposed budget adds 1.5 new staff members, two additional coaching staff members and one club.&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 authorizes using up to $200,000 for computer hardware, network and smart classrooms, using money from the capital reserve fund. Upgrades include equipment, construction and financing costs from existing reserves at no additional cost to taxpayers.&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. at East Rockaway Unified School District, 443 Ocean Ave. <a href="http://www.eastrockawayschools.org">www.eastrockawayschools.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Four candidates for two at-large seats. Incumbent Kristin Ochtera, Theresa Devlin, Kristen O'Hagan and Peter McNally. Incumbent&nbsp;Patricia Nicoletti is not seeking re-election. The terms are three years.</p> 
<h2>Theresa Devlin&nbsp;</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Devlin, 55, is an office manager and administrator for assistance to the elderly in Lynbrook. She is also an adoptive foster parent trainer in East Rockaway. Devlin has lived in East Rockaway for 21 years and has served as the director of the East Rockaway Education Foundation and in&nbsp;various PTA positions and is an active Nassau County foster parent. She has four children&nbsp;— three in&nbsp;East Rockaway schools and one a graduate of the district.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE&nbsp;</strong>Devlin says&nbsp;she wants to pursue fiscal support for education from the state and continue advancing education without piercing the tax cap.&nbsp;She said the district should continue improving classes and offer more AP classes while switching the six-day class cycle. She says&nbsp;she wants to see a wider class offering, featuring foreign language and sign language. She said the district should be financially conservative and she supported&nbsp;the district adding classes and technology while remaining on a tight budget.</p> 
<h2>Kristen O'Hagan</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;O'Hagan, 42, has lived in the district for 42 years. She is an English teacher at Malverne High School. She has a bachelor of arts degree in English and secondary education from Queens College. She has two children attending schools in the district and two children who have graduated from East Rockaway High School. She is director of East Rockaway Recreation and a preschool coordinator. She is a board member&nbsp;on the coalition for youth and a class adviser for several programs at Malverne High School. She is running on a ticket with Peter McNally&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> She said the district should have a plan to support students in the universal accelerated program and push regent level courses, but also support students who may not be ready for advanced course work. She said she supported&nbsp;mental health opportunities for students to manage stress of classes and testing. She wants to push for mindfulness opportunities as well as&nbsp;guidance counselors and social programs in elementary and middle schools.&nbsp;She said the district should maintain a budget under the tax cap.</p> 
<h2>Kristin Ochtera</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Ochtera, 46, has lived in the district for19 years. She has two children who&nbsp;are district&nbsp;graduates. She works as a consultant for the Hance Family Foundation in Elmont and for GoCAMPUSing, arranging college tours. She has a bachelor’s degree in education from Hofstra University.&nbsp;She is the board vice president and has served on the school board for nine years. She has previously served as board president.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> Ochtera says&nbsp;the district will continue to provide program growth and increased student achievement while remaining under the tax cap. She says&nbsp;the state is short of meeting a foundation aid burden of more than $534,000. She said she wanted&nbsp;to make sure the district was&nbsp;represented in the 2020 census, including families in rental properties, minorities and families with small children. She said the board needed&nbsp;to make sure county and state government gave&nbsp;the district a fair share of aid to give relief from state mandates and to taxpayers.&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>Peter McNally</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> McNally, 52, has lived in the district for 15 years and is a teacher in the Lynbrook School District.&nbsp;His wife is a teacher in the Island Trees School District and they have&nbsp;two children in&nbsp;East Rockaway schools.&nbsp;He has a bachelor’s degree in educational technology from C.W. Post. He is&nbsp;head coach of the varsity track team and varsity cross country and&nbsp;cross-country skiing teams. He is running on a ticket with Kristen O’Hagan.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> McNally says&nbsp;it is essential that the district increase the opportunity for all students and embrace a collaborative culture among students, parents and teachers. He and O’Hagan have a combined&nbsp;40 years of experience, he said, and would&nbsp;be committed to building the future of the community, while protecting taxpayers.</p>

vgEROC190519

East Rockaway

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$61,689,714, a 2.8&nbsp;percent increase from the current $60,007,038.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;2.49 percent increase, from $54,268,930 to $55,619,929. This is within the district's 3.41 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> The district declined to give budgeted estimates for salary increases while contract negotiations are taking place. The average step increase for teachers in the expired contract is about 2 percent. The proposed budget eliminates two teaching positions — music and foreign language. Three positions are created, for elementary school and English as a New Language teachers, and a social worker. The plan includes support for expansion of engineering courses at the North Side and Willets Road schools, expansion of the AP Capstone program, more elective offerings at The Wheatley School and a new Choral Club at North Side.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2&nbsp;authorizes using&nbsp;up to $1 million from a capital reserve fund for reconstruction and/or improvements to the tennis courts at The Wheatley School and work connected with the project. Approval of the proposition would not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<p>Proposition 3 authorizes using up to $3.9 million from the general fund and accrued interest for reconstruction and/or improvements to The Wheatley School gymnasium, track and fields; reconstruction and/or improvements to the Willets Road School field;&nbsp;and reconstruction and/or improvements to the North Side School fields and basketball and baseball areas. Approval of the proposition would not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<p>Proposition 4 authorizes creation of&nbsp;a $6.5 million capital reserve fund for reconstruction and/or improvements to district fields, sites, parking lots, sidewalks and roadways; reconstruction, rehabilitation and/or replacement of roofs; improvements, rehabilitation and/or installation of HVAC systems; improvements, repairs and/or replacement of vestibules and doors, and renovation of instructional spaces. Approval of the proposition would not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at The Wheatley School. <a href="http://www.ewsdonline.org">www.ewsdonline.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbents David Keefe and Alan Littman are running unopposed for two positions, elected by seat.&nbsp;Terms are three years.</p>

vgEWIL190519

East Williston 

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong> $93,000,538, a 3.94 percent increase from the current $89,479,090.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 2.64 percent increase, from $55,275,737 to $56,734,671. This is within the district’s 2.72 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a 1.25 percent contractual&nbsp;increase and&nbsp;an average step increase of 1.53 percent.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Alden Terrace, Clara H. Carlson, Covert Avenue, Dutch Broadway, Gotham Avenue and Stewart Manor elementary schools and the Elmont Road Administration Building.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.elmontschools.org">www.elmontschools.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbents Tameka Battle-Burkett, Michael Cantara and Michael A. Jaime are running unopposed for three seats, elected at-large.&nbsp;Terms are three years.</p>

vgELMO190519

Elmont

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING&nbsp;</strong>$62,728,901, a 1.82 percent increase from the current $61,606,082.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY&nbsp;</strong>2.56 percent increase, from $45,937,729 to $47,113,716. This is equal to the district's tax-cap limit of&nbsp;2.56 percent, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS&nbsp;</strong>Includes a contract increase of 1 percent and an average step increase of 3.3 percent. The budget calls for reducing 6.8 teacher positions and 7 teacher assistant positions due to reduced enrollment and CSE recommendations. Middle school instructional music, such as performance ensembles, will meet during the school day rather than outside of school hours.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Elwood Middle School cafeteria.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.elwood.k12.ny.us">www.elwood.k12.ny.us</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbent Deborah Weiss and Sara Siddiqui are seeking one at-large seat. The term is three years.</p> 
<h2>Sara Siddiqui</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND&nbsp;</strong>Siddiqui, 47, is a pediatrician. She earned her medical degree at Stony Brook University School of Medicine. She is an advocate and educator on&nbsp;health and fitness and nutrition. Siddiqui is a PTA volunteer and member of the multicultural and the shared decision making committees. She has four children in Elwood schools.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE&nbsp;</strong>Siddiqui said she would use her advocacy skills to work for more funding at the legislative level to help meet the costs of unfunded state mandates. "I believe we must advocate and provide an avenue for our children to graduate and become productive members in a field that will make them successful and allow them to reside locally." It's also important to offer ways to increase soft communication skills so students learn to communicate effectively to ensure long-term stability and jobs, she said.</p> 
<h2>Deborah Weiss</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND&nbsp;</strong>Weiss, 54, is a former industrial engineer. She earned her bachelor's degree in industrial engineering at Texas A&amp;M University. She has served as a Girl Scout leader and PTA Council president&nbsp;and as finance chairwoman for the Elwood Relay for Life. Weiss has two children in district&nbsp;schools and two who are Elwood graduates. She is seeking her second term on the board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE&nbsp;</strong>Weiss said she would continue to ask the question "how as a district can we do better" as she worked&nbsp;to balance educational needs against financial restrictions. As a small district with little commercial tax base, "we have to be efficiency masters to maintain our extensive programs and give students skill sets to succeed in a changing world and prepare them to be good citizens."</p>

vgELWO190519

Elwood

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong> $171,083,800, a 3.24 percent increase from the current $165,707,424.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 2.73 percent increase, from $123,823,161 to $127,208,545. This is equal to the district’s 2.73 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a 0.5&nbsp;percent salary increase and an average step increase of 2 percent. Maintains current staffing and programming levels.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Weldon E. Howitt Middle School.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.farmingdaleschools.org">www.farmingdaleschools.org </a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbents Suzanne D'Amico and Michael Goldberg are running unopposed for two seats, elected at-large. Terms are three years.</p>

vgFARM190519

Farmingdale 

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING&nbsp;</strong>$5,677,302, a 0.54 percent decrease from the current $5,708,219.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY&nbsp;</strong>No increase, remains $5,082,291, the same amount as for&nbsp;the 2018-19 and 2017-18 school years. This is within the district's 3.8 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS&nbsp;</strong>Includes a 0.5 percent contractual&nbsp;increase and an average step increase of 2.5 percent. The district said the proposed budget provides funding for continuation of all educational and co-curricular programs, including the full-day prekindergarten program.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>3 p.m.&nbsp;to 9 p.m. at the Woodhull School gymnasium.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.fi.k12.ny.us/">www.fi.k12.ny.us</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbents Jay Lippert and Linda Nowachek are running unopposed for two seats, elected&nbsp;at-large. Terms are three years.</p>

vgFIRE190519

Fire Island

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING&nbsp;</strong>$3,745,543, a 1.08 percent increase from the current $3,705,581.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY&nbsp;</strong>No increase, remains&nbsp;at $3,208,014, the same amount as for the 2018-19 school year.&nbsp;This is within the district's 2 percent&nbsp;tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS&nbsp;</strong>Includes a contractual&nbsp;increase of 1.5&nbsp;percent, with teachers who are off-schedule receiving a one-time base salary payment equal to 1.5 percent.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Fishers Island School gymnasium.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.fischool.com">www.fischool.com</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbent Linda Mrowka is running unopposed for the position, elected&nbsp;at-large. The term is&nbsp;three years.</p>

vgFISH190519

Fishers Island

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong> $31,963,935, a 2.85 percent&nbsp;increase from the current $31,078,736.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 2.33 percent increase, from $23,466,342 to $24,013,664. This is equal to the district’s 2.33 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a contractual&nbsp;increase of 0.75 percent and a 1.75 percent average step increase. Adds part-time speech teacher and guidance counselor positions.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Floral Park-Bellerose and John Lewis Childs elementary schools.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.fpbsd.org">www.fpbsd.org </a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Michael L. Culotta and incumbent&nbsp;Douglas J. Vigo are running unopposed for two seats, elected at-large. Incumbent Denise M. DellaCorte is not seeking re-election. Terms are three years.</p>

vgFLPK190519

Floral Park-Bellerose

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$39,484,400, a 1.81 percent increase from the current $38,783,000.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;1.813 percent increase, from&nbsp;$27,836,848 to&nbsp;$28,341,641.&nbsp;This is equal to the district’s 1.813&nbsp;percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong>&nbsp;Salary increase&nbsp;estimates are subject to negotiations. The proposed budget adds&nbsp;$23,000 for security for summer and after-school programs as well as $25,000 for school counseling under a state mandate.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>A proposition requests approval for phase 4 of the capital reserve that includes&nbsp;bathroom renovations at&nbsp;an estimated cost of $2 million. Approval of the proposition will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>8&nbsp;a.m. to 9 p.m. at John Street, Polk Street and Washington Street schools. <a href="http://www.franklinsquare.k12.ny.us">franklinsquare.k12.ny.us</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbents Louis Curcio and Stephen Toto are running unopposed for three-year terms.</p>

vgFRAN190519

Franklin Square

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong> $184,847,632, a 2.74 percent increase from the current $179,926,080.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 0.12 percent decrease, from $86,942,571 to $86,838,240. This is within the district’s 5.12 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a 0.75 percent teacher salary increase with an average 0.75 percent step increase. Adds positions for five&nbsp;teachers, three&nbsp;teaching assistants, a&nbsp;guidance counselor, an&nbsp;athletic coach and a&nbsp;security aide.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 3 authorizes spending $1.5 million from the 2009 capital reserve fund and $2.5&nbsp;million from the 2017 capital reserve fund&nbsp;for districtwide repairs and renovations to air conditioning, bathrooms, building security, windows, roofing, playgrounds, sidewalks, parking lots and replacing bleachers and the press box at Freeport High School. Approval of the proposition will not increase the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Archer Street, Bayview Avenue, Leo F. Giblyn, Columbus Avenue, and Caroline G. Atkinson schools and the Field House, 55 Albany Ave. <a href="http://www.freeportschools.org">www.freeportschools.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Five candidates are running for two at-large seats: Gabriela Castillo, Jeremy J. Impellizeri, Sophia Johnson, Maria Jordan-Awalom and Tanyria Taylor. Incumbents Anthony J. Miller and Michael Pomerico are not seeking re-election. Terms are three years.</p> 
<h2>Gabriela Castillo</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Castillo, 39, an attorney, is the executive director of the Nassau County Office of Hispanic Affairs. Castillo was born in San Miguel, El Salvador, and immigrated to the United&nbsp;States&nbsp;at age 5. She attended Freeport public schools and graduated from Freeport High School in 1998. Castillo earned a bachelor of science degree in political science from Molloy College in Rockville Centre and a law degree from Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center in Central Islip. After college graduation, Castillo lived in North Carolina but she returned to Freeport in 2013. Castillo was the director from 2015 to 2018 of the Long Island Civic Engagement Table, a nonprofit organization that works to increase civic participation in immigrant and communities of color on Long Island. Her two children attend district&nbsp;schools. Castillo is running as a team with Maria Jordan-Awalom. This is her first run for the school board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “Being able to have a conversation on how to advocate for our fair and equitable funding for our district. Public education as a whole in our country is at a crossroads right now, and we need to talk about the inequities that have contributed to that. We cannot have equal opportunities and a fair outcome with the currently inequitable system that we have of depending on property taxes for our public education funding.”</p> 
<h2>Jeremy J. Impellizeri</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Impellizeri, 28, was raised in Freeport and graduated from Freeport High School in 2008. Impellizeri earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Hofstra University. Impellizeri is the store manager for Faherty, a clothing store in Sag Harbor. Impellizeri is a member of the Freeport Village Commission for the Conservation of the Environment. He co-founded with other&nbsp;residents the revival of Freeport Neighborhood Watch, which works on safety issues with the Freeport Police Department. Impellizeri was a volunteer for 10 years with the Empire State Pride Agenda, a LGBT civil rights organization that disbanded in 2015. He currently lobbies as an individual for equality and protection for LGBT youth in New York State. While Impellizeri was a student at Freeport High School, he served as the student representative on the Freeport school board budget advisory committee. Impellizeri is running as a team with Tanyria Taylor.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “To make sure that everyone has a voice, and being a member of the LGBT community I have seen first hand how it feels to have decisions made for you. Something that I always fought for since I was in high school was the right to have a choice as a student in my own education. As a school board member, it would be my main priority to ensure that all parties that have a stake in the school district have a voice."</p> 
<h2>Sophia Johnson</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Johnson, 47, is the public relations officer for the Incorporated Village of Freeport. Johnson was born in Toronto, and immigrated to the United States&nbsp;when she was 8&nbsp;years old. Johnson grew up in the Bronx where she attended Harry S. Truman High School, but she returned to Canada at age 19. She earned her general equivalency diploma at age 26 and earned a diploma in business administration from Trios College in Hamilton, Ontario. Johnson has lived in Freeport for 11 years. Johnson is the volunteer public relations and communications chairwoman for the Freeport-Roosevelt branch of the NAACP. She has five children, three of whom attend district public schools, and two who graduated from Freeport district schools. This is her first run for the school board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “Our current community engagement pathways, which are mostly board meetings, are inconvenient or encumbered with a lack of accountability. If elected, I would look toward engaging the community with 21st century media, such as Facebook. I would like the school district to use a public access channel to broadcast board meetings and district events that show school spirit."</p> 
<h2>Maria Jordan-Awalom</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Jordan-Awalom, 45, has lived in the school district for 29 years. She is&nbsp;an administrative clerk in the Freeport Village Assessors' office. Jordan-Awalom graduated from&nbsp;Freeport High School in&nbsp;1992. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in sociology from Queens College-CUNY in Flushing. Jordan-Awalom is president of the Freeport PTA council. She has held PTA executive board positions for the last seven years and has been actively involved with the PTA for a decade. She is chairwoman of the Nassau County Police Department Commissioners Community Council for county legislative District 5. She is also a member of Freeport Cares, an organization that coordinates school programs and activities with the Village of Freeport, the business community and local houses of worship. Her two children attend district schools. Jordan-Awalom is making her first run for the school board and is teamed with Gabriela Castillo.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;"I'm running because I’m an involved parent, and I believe that we have to continue advocacy to empower teachers, parents and students and to eliminate any barriers to important discussion. I will continue to advocate for students and their families through community and educational efforts, which I have been doing a long time now."</p> 
<h2>Tanyria Taylor</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Taylor, 29, has lived in the district for 27 years and is a 2010 graduate of Freeport High School. Taylor is the owner of the Boss Babies Learning Academy, a day care center&nbsp;in Freeport. Taylor earned an associate&nbsp;degree in criminal justice from Nassau Community College and a bachelor of social work degree from Adelphi University. Taylor is a member of the Freeport Chamber of Commerce. Taylor was a panelist selected from local women executives at a Freeport High School women’s empowerment assembly earlier this year. Taylor has a child who is not yet school age. This is her first run for the school board. She is running as a team with Jeremy Impellizeri.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “Increasing the amount of social workers and guidance counselors in the schools to address overall functioning and social development of young people in the community. The proposed school budget adding a guidance counselor is one step in the right direction. The board is realizing that it’s not only about education but the well-being of all the students.”</p>

vgFREE190519

Freeport

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong> $117,999,968, a 1.9&nbsp;percent increase from the current $115,805,283.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 2.08 percent increase, from $100,667,313 to $102,760,855. This is equal to the district’s 2.08 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a contractual&nbsp;increase of 1&nbsp;percent and&nbsp;an average 1.87 percent step increase. Adds eight full-time elementary school teacher positions.&nbsp;The proposed budget includes funding for expansion of “Project Lead the Way” into grades six and seven and new electives at the middle school and the high school. It also funds more learning opportunities in STEAM curriculum — science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics — and the rollout of Canvas, a cloud-based learning management system, for high school students.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 authorizes the district to spend $1.81 million from a capital reserve fund to replace tennis courts and reconfigure the high school library, and replace wood radiator covers and piping at the middle school. Approval of the proposition will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<p>Proposition 3 establishes a $15.8 million capital reserve fund for facilities improvements, including roofing, asbestos abatement and insulation, masonry and electrical work, lighting, security and air conditioning. Approval of the proposition will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Garden City High School.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.gardencity.k12.ny.us">www.gardencity.k12.ny.us</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbents Stefanie Granville and William Holub are running unopposed for two positions, which are elected by seat.&nbsp;Terms are three years.</p>

vgGARD190519

Garden City

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$91,257,983, a 3.46&nbsp;percent increase from the current $88,209,126.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;1.99&nbsp;percent increase, from $68,134,737&nbsp;to&nbsp;$69,491,395. This is equal to the district's 1.99 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a 0.75 percent salary increase and an average step increase of 2.1 percent. The proposed budget adds nine full-time teacher positions. The district also plans to restore 9-period days at the high school.&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 sets up a facilities improvement capital reserve account, to set aside funds for&nbsp;improving all school facilities.&nbsp;Funding of the account could&nbsp;take place only from June 2019 to&nbsp;June 2029 and would not exceed $20 million. Approval of the proposition will not increase the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7 a.m. to 9&nbsp;p.m. at Glen Cove High School and Connolly School. <a href="http://www.glencove.k12.ny.us">www.glencove.k12.ny.us</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Five candidates&nbsp;for two at-large seats: Karen A. Ferguson, Lia Leone, Daniel Rios and incumbents David Huggins and Alexander Juarez. Terms are for three years.&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>Karen A.&nbsp;Ferguson</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Ferguson, 63, has lived in the district for 51 years and is&nbsp;a retired Glen Cove teacher who taught special education for 23 years. She was president of the Glen Cove Teacher's Association for 18 years. Ferguson was raised in Glen Cove and graduated from the high school in 1974. She has a bachelor's degree in physical education from Niagara University and a master's degree in special education from the College of Staten Island. Ferguson's daughter graduated from the high school in 2000 and she has two grandchildren attending district&nbsp;schools.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;School safety,&nbsp;"nurturing the whole child" and ensuring students have adequate support from social workers and psychologists and closely monitoring how the district is spending its money.&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>Lia Leone</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Leone,&nbsp;42, was raised in the district and is a graduate of Glen Cove High School. She earned a&nbsp;bachelor's in elementary education and a master's in reading education from LIU Post. Leone is a reading teacher in the Hicksville school district and a volunteer on&nbsp;the Glen Cove PTA. She has two children attending district public schools.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;Lack of funding to "make necessary improvements to the infrastructure of our schools that would ensure the health and safety of students and staff."</p> 
<h2>Daniel Rios</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Rios, 44, grew up in Glen Cove and graduated from the high school in 1993. He is a licensed massage therapist and has two children attending public schools in the district. His son graduated from the BOCES program in 2016.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;Rios says&nbsp;the district needs leadership that can secure money, noting a recent $84.6 million bond intended to upgrade facilities&nbsp;that failed to pass.&nbsp;Money is needed to "rectify conditions at the schools" and make the district's buildings safe for students, he&nbsp;said.</p> 
<h2>David Huggins</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Huggins, 59, is a lifelong resident of the district and is a 1978 graduate of Glen Cove High School. He owns a property management company and his wife is a teacher in the North Shore school district. He&nbsp;is a past director of Glen Cove Lacrosse and is on the board of the Glen Cove Junior Soccer League. He has two sons who graduated from district schools and a son&nbsp;attending an&nbsp;elementary school.&nbsp;Huggins has served on the school board since 2009.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;The infrastructure of the schools needs to be repaired for the "safety and well-being of the children," Huggins said.&nbsp;"Most of the [high] school is in the same condition it was when I graduated in 1978."</p> 
<h2>Alexander Juarez</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Juarez, 46, has lived in the district for 40 years and graduated from the high school in 1991. He has a bachelor's degree in education from LIU Post and currently works in sales and marketing. Juarez has three children&nbsp;attending district schools. He has served on the school board since 2017.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;School safety, transparency and communicating with the community and strengthening the curriculum. Juarez says&nbsp;he wants to continue working with the administration "to ensure that at every level, every student is given the same opportunities to be as successful as possible no matter their native language, country of origin and/or their needs."</p>

vgGLEN190519

Glen Cove

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong> $234,418,944, a 1.99 percent increase from the current $229,845,028.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 1.94 percent increase, from $203,571,382 to $207,518,286. This is within the district’s 4.09 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a 1.0 percent salary increase for teachers with an average 1.86 percent step increase. Proposed budget adds elementary, secondary, special education teachers and a school nurse. Adds two security guard positions and security equipment. The plan also would add an Advanced Placement class, establish an elementary school robotics and drama program and expand universal pre-K at one elementary school.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7 a.m. to 10 p.m. at E.M. Baker, Lakeville and Saddle Rock elementary schools and Great Neck South High School. <a href="http://www.greatneck.k12.ny.us">www.greatneck.k12.ny.us</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbent Donna Peirez is running unopposed. The term is three years.</p>

vgGREA190519

Great Neck

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$19,426,000, a 2.04 percent increase from the current $19,038,000.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;2.85 percent&nbsp;increase, from&nbsp;$14,964,200&nbsp;to&nbsp;$15,390,000.&nbsp;This is equal to&nbsp;the district’s 2.85 percent&nbsp;tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong>&nbsp;Teacher contract is in negotiations.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Greenport school gymnasium. <a href="http://www.gufsd.org">www.gufsd.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Sandra Martocchia and Kimberly Moore Swann are running unopposed for two seats, elected at-large.&nbsp;Incumbents Tina Volinski and Heather Wolf are not seeking re-election. Terms are three years.</p>

vgGREE190519

Greenport

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$259,858,929,&nbsp;a 2.46 percent increase from the current $253,611,084.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;2.49 percent increase, from&nbsp;$204,436,140 to&nbsp;$209,530,378. This&nbsp;is equal to&nbsp;the district’s 2.49 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong>&nbsp;Estimates subject to negotiations later this year. The proposed budget includes funding for new phonics programs in kindergarten and first grade; streamlining of transportation processes, including a bus locator app for parents; implementation of&nbsp;an online registration process; expansion of the AP Capstone program; addition of teachers' digital resources in the second and fourth grades to meet new science standards; and more music staffing.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Half Hollow Hills High School East. <a href="http://hhh.k12.ny.us">hhh.k12.ny.us</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbents Eric Geringswald and David Kaston&nbsp;are running unopposed for two seats, elected at-large. Terms are three years.</p>

vgHALF190519

Half Hollow Hills

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING&nbsp;</strong>$54,323,592, a 3.2 percent increase from the current $52,632,604.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY&nbsp;</strong>2.8 percent increase, from $45,290,093 to $46,560,901. This is equal to the district's tax-cap limit of 2.8 percent, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS&nbsp;</strong>Includes an approximately 3 percent step increase and a 0.3 percent contract increase. The district is adding AP French and the AP Capstone diploma course to its curriculum and a part-time social worker at the middle school.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 seeks to establish a 10-year capital reserve fund of up to $5 million to finance the replacement costs of roofs and/or HVAC systems. Approval of the proposition will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<p>Proposition 3 seeks to establish a repair and upgrade fund for buildings, facilities and grounds for up to $300,000 in basic repairs and renovations, with the amount to be transferred from the 2018-19 unappropriated and unassigned fund balance to the general fund. Approval of the proposition will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Hampton Bays Middle School <a href="http://www.hbschools.us">www.hbschools.us</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbents Richard Joslin and Kevin&nbsp;Springer are running unopposed, seeking two at-large seats. Terms are three years.</p>

vgHBAY190519

Hampton Bays

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$88,019,552, a 2.25&nbsp;percent increase from the current $86,086,696.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;3.11&nbsp;percent increase, from&nbsp;$64,588,569&nbsp;to&nbsp;$66,600,280.&nbsp;This is within the district’s 3.12&nbsp;percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a 2.27 percent salary increase. A part-time assistant principal will now be a full-time position at Washington Drive Elementary School and the proposed budget adds a new guidance administrator. It also adds two Advanced Placement courses.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>2 p.m. to 9&nbsp;p.m. at Oldfield Middle School. <a href="http://www.harborfieldscsd.net">www.harborfieldscsd.net</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Lauri&nbsp;Levenberg, Freda Manuel and incumbents Hansen Lee and Colleen Wolcott are running for two at-large seats. Terms are three years.</p> 
<h2>Hansen Lee</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Lee,&nbsp;55, has lived in the district for 24 years. Lee is the director of operations at Enzo Clinical Laboratories. He has a bachelor's in science from NYU Tandon School of Engineering and an MBA in quantitative analysis from St. John's University Graduate School of Business. He is a current and active member of Harborfields Community Education Foundation, a district volunteer, a member of the Harborfields Business Advisory Board, member of the Greenlawn Civic Association and a PTSA volunteer. He has three children, two of whom&nbsp;graduated from the district and one now&nbsp;in school. He has served two terms on the board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;"In the past six years, we have made positive changes to our district. We have invested heavily in technology and we now have Wi-Fi in all four schools, instituted Chromebook use in the classrooms, instituted technology related clubs and classes and recently started a 1-to-1 Chromebook program … Moving forward I plan to continue the momentum on our past successes … and also continue our current conversations around school security and our upcoming bond proposal."</p> 
<h2>Lauri&nbsp;Levenberg</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Levenberg, 50, has lived in the district for 24 years. She is a speech/language pathologist and Committee for Preschool Special Education chairwoman&nbsp;for the Three Village school district. She has bachelor's and&nbsp;master's degrees in speech pathology from Hofstra University. She is a member of the Greenlawn Civic Association and past trustee and past vice president of education at Temple Beth El of Huntington. She has three children, two who have graduated from the district and one in high school.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> "I have been privileged to see the dedication and creativity of our staff and administrators who provide an A-plus learning environment every single day. As an educator I know we must always stay on top of the most current research in our field, and that research points to educating the whole child … The most important topic our district is facing at this very moment is the new bond proposal."</p> 
<h2>Freda Manuel</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Manuel&nbsp;has lived in the district for more than a year; she declined to give her age. She is the senior director of real estate operations, Hudson River Park Trust. She holds a master's of science in real estate from New York University, a&nbsp;master of business administration from Suffolk University and a bachelor&nbsp;of arts from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. She is a member of the PTA, St. Paraskevi and Philoptochos,&nbsp;a philanthropic organization of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. She has a daughter in third grade and a daughter in prekindergarten.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;"I am running for school board to advocate for 21st century learning in our classrooms so that every child is equipped to be successful in the workforce and past-secondary education. This involves engaging our children to actively problem-solve, think strategically,&nbsp;analyze data and … create innovative solutions with an understanding of the global and cultural diverse environments in all disciplines."</p> 
<h2>Collen Wolcott</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Wolcott, 49, has lived in the district for 17 years and is the owner of Gold Coast Impressions, a marketing and graphic design firm. She is a member of the Harborfields Special Education PTA and several PTAs at the district's schools. She is member of the Greenlawn Civic Association and a Harborfields Alliance for Community Outreach board member. She has served on the board since 2016. 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. She has served on the board since 2016.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;"Oversight of those most vulnerable in our schools is most needed. … In addition to Harborfields' already strong academic status, I believe public education should promote the development of vocational/trade, domestic science and the arts programs … Due to the increase in school shootings and tragedies over the past few years, I think the need to soften the insides of schools while hardening the outside is becoming more and more apparent."</p>

vgHARB190519

Harborfields

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$116,054,674, a 2.38&nbsp;percent increase from the current $113,351,328.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;2.48 percent increase, from $84,764,385 to $86,870,169. This is equal to&nbsp;the district’s 2.48 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong>&nbsp;Includes a 2 percent step increase. Adds a full-time teacher and two part-time security guards.&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 authorizes spending a total of $2.975 million from a capital reserve fund for bathroom reconstruction districtwide and roof replacement at Pines Elementary School. Approval of the proposition will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>6 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the administration building, 495 Hoffman Lane. <a href="http://www.hauppauge.k12.ny.us">www.hauppauge.k12.ny.us</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbents&nbsp;David M. Barshay, Gary Fortmeyer and Rob Scarito&nbsp;are running unopposed and as a slate for&nbsp;three seats, elected at-large. Terms are three years.</p>

vgHAUP190519

Hauppauge

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$221,507,736, a 3 percent increase from the current $215,075,440.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;No increase,&nbsp;remains at $75,934,370, the same amount as for the 2018-19 and 2017-18 school years. This is within the district's 1.2 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong>&nbsp;Includes an&nbsp;increase of&nbsp;1.8 percent and an average step increase of&nbsp;about 3 percent. The proposed budget makes nearly $10.3 million in cuts, including the elimination of 100 teacher, administrator, teacher assistant and support staff positions, along with the elimination of contracted programs with BOCES, contracted legal services and a cut in leasing costs.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 would establish a capital reserve fund of $20 million, plus interest, to pay for capital improvements, including districtwide health and safety repairs and maintenance and upgrades of facilities and systems. Approval of the proposition will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Alverta B. Gray Schultz Middle School. <a href="http://www.hempsteadschools.org">www.hempsteadschools.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Seven candidates for running for two seats, elected at-large — incumbents David B. Gates and LaMont E. Johnson, as well as Wayne J. Hall, Gwen Jackson, Sherina Lucas, Robert Miller and Maribel Touré.&nbsp;Terms are three years.</p> 
<h2>David B. Gates</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Gates, 55, has lived in the district for 20 years. He is senior pastor of Miracle Christian Center in Hempstead, owns a marketing firm and until this month was village administrator of Hempstead.&nbsp;Gates has a bachelor’s degree in business management and economics from Empire State College, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in religious education, and a doctorate in sacred theology&nbsp;from Manhattan-based United Christian College. He is president of the Hempstead branch of the NAACP and chief of staff of the Long Island Conference of Clergy. He was appointed to the school board in March 2016 and elected in May 2016.&nbsp;He and Robert Miller are&nbsp;running as a team.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> Gates said students should attend regular classes while they are suspended — many suspensions now are served out of school — and receive conflict-resolution counseling before or after school, to try to prevent future problems. “Even though you have an issue and you may have been suspended, you have to continue learning so when you come back into the [classroom] setting there won’t be any gaps relative to what you’re missing, because you wouldn’t have missed a beat,” he said.</p> 
<h2>Wayne J. Hall</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Hall, 72, served as the mayor of Hempstead Village for 12 years until he was defeated in the March 2017 election. He has lived in the district for 41 years. Hall is a U.S. Army veteran with an associate degree in applied science from what now is known as the New York City College of Technology, a bachelor’s degree in biology from York College, and a certificate from a leadership program on local government at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He also is a Catholic Youth Organization track coach, serves as a referee for high school basketball games and is past president of the Hempstead Little League.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> Hall said critical to improving the district’s low graduation rate is “identifying problems earlier and not waiting until high school, when it may too late.” For example, if problems are&nbsp;identified in sixth grade, remedial programs and an examination of why a child has a behavioral problem, and addressing that problem, would make it more likely the child would graduate high school, he said. Nearby colleges could help in the effort, he said.</p> 
<h2>Gwen Jackson</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Gwen Jackson has been a district resident for more than 30 years; she declined to give her age.&nbsp;She&nbsp;is a retired Nassau BOCES teacher of the hearing-impaired. She earned her bachelor's degree in speech pathology and audiology from Ithaca College, a master's degree in deaf education from Smith College, and a professional diploma in school administration from LIU Post. She serves on the board of the Nassau Reading Council. Jackson was elected to the board in May 2015 and was the board’s vice president when she ran unsuccessfully for re-election in May 2018.&nbsp;She and Maribel Touré are running as a team.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> Improving the district’s graduation rate, which in 2018 was 44.3 percent, is a top priority, she said. “That is devastating,” Jackson said. “In this world, in this economy, you cannot have less than half of your kids graduating from high school, [more than half] dropping out, not having a future.” She backs creating an oversight committee comprised of people with financial expertise to monitor spending, which she said is being mismanaged.</p> 
<h2>LaMont E. Johnson</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Johnson, 47,&nbsp;is a Hempstead Village trustee and a member of the board of the Hempstead Town Industrial Development Agency. A Hempstead High School graduate, he studied at Nassau Community College and said he is working on a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at a Long Island college that he declined to&nbsp;identify. He formerly worked as an officer in the New York Police Department and the Hempstead Village Police Department. He&nbsp;is associate treasurer of&nbsp;the Hempstead&nbsp;NAACP and president of the Hempstead Heights Civic Association. Johnson has been&nbsp;on the school board since 2013 and is the board president.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “The major issue is getting the students prepared for a global economy and getting them prepared for college, and giving them an education where they don’t have to take remedial courses when they go to college,” he said. The district should offer more programs for gifted students and more Advanced Placement courses, so “they’re on a level playing field” in college.</p> 
<h2><strong>Sherina Lucas</strong></h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND </strong>Lucas, who is in her 30s, was an unsuccessful candidate for the Hempstead Village board in the March 2017 election. She was a real estate broker in 2017.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> Lucas did not respond to requests for background and issues statements.&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>Robert Miller</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Miller, 58, has spent most of his life in Hempstead, except for about 17 years when he lived in the Roosevelt school district. Miller, a Hempstead High School graduate, studied criminal justice at what now is&nbsp;Kutztown University in Pennsylvania and electrical engineering at North Carolina A &amp; T State University. He drives a sanitation truck for Hempstead Village. He formerly served as a lieutenant in the Hempstead Volunteer Fire Department. Miller&nbsp;served on the Roosevelt school district’s board for one three-year term; his 2015 re-election bid&nbsp;was unsuccessful and afterward&nbsp;he moved back to Hempstead.&nbsp;He and David B. Gates are running as a team.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> Miller said the district needs to provide more training for students who do not want to attend college. “When I graduated from Hempstead High School, we had automotive, we had electrical shop, wood shop,” he said. “All that stuff is gone now. We need to bring it back to our community … [so] you could learn how to service your own vehicle or maybe go into automotive, maybe an 18-month program, and learn your livelihood like that.”</p> 
<h2>Maribel Touré</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND </strong>Touré, 57, has lived in Hempstead since 2004. A&nbsp;certified mammographer and X-ray technologist, she&nbsp;received a biochemistry degree from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She also graduated from LaGuardia Community College’s Emergency Medical Technician program. Touré is active in New York Communities for Change and The Corridor Counts, and serves on committees for the Child Care Funds of 1199/SEIU, a health care workers union. She first was elected to the board in a special election in October 2014, won&nbsp;a full three-year term in May 2015 and was president of the board when she was defeated&nbsp;in the May 2018 election. She and Gwen Jackson are running as a team.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> Reducing wasteful spending — including on legal and administrative expenses — and targeting money at improving educational programs is critical, Touré said. Hempstead spends about as much or more money per student than some nearby districts, but “the money is being misused,” she said. “The situation in Hempstead is not that we don’t have the money. We have the money. But the money isn’t being allocated to the students.”</p>

vgHEMP190519

Hempstead

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong> $117,541,264, a 2.75 percent increase from the current $114,391,671.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 2.21 percent increase, from $96,492,264 to $98,624,105. This is equal to the district’s 2.21 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes estimated teacher salary increases subject to contract negotiations. Adds one teaching or staff position in each of these areas:&nbsp;reading, special education, information technology specialist, and&nbsp;social worker, plus a part-time psychologist and more security guards. The proposed budget has funding for flexible desks and seating districtwide, new math books for middle school students, new Chromebooks and smartboard replacements, and BOCES health and safety services. It funds three new athletic teams — high school badminton, high school fencing and middle school cheerleading.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 establishes a $10 million capital reserve fund for computer technology and security system upgrades, roof replacement, auditorium, playground and gymnasium renovations and other district projects. Approval of the proposition will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<p>Proposition 3 authorizes the district to spend $1.71 million from a capital reserve fund for masonry reconstruction at district buildings and drainage, asphalt and sidewalk improvements at Herricks High School and Herricks Middle School. Approval of the proposition will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Herricks Community Center, 999 Herricks Rd., New Hyde Park.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.herricks.org">www.herricks.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbent Juleigh Chin is running unopposed for the position, elected by seat. The term is three years.</p>

vgHERR190519

Herricks

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong> $123,318,721, a 2.95 percent increase from the current $119,785,062.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 2.95 percent increase, from $100,328,421 to $103,288,099. This is within&nbsp;the district’s 3.31 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong>&nbsp;Includes a 1.25 percent contractual raise&nbsp;and a 1.47 percent step increase. The proposed budget adds two security aide positions at George W. Hewlett High School for coverage of student/visitor entrances and more&nbsp;security at other schools. In accordance with state Education Department regulations, it extends the guidance department and counseling to the elementary level. The spending plan also supports expansion of&nbsp;after-school supervision of special education and general education students&nbsp;and adds a variety of new clubs at the high school, including a&nbsp;Chess Club, Pre-Med Club and a Web Design and Marketing Club. It&nbsp;cuts the full-time equivalent of&nbsp;two teacher positions because of change in enrollment.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 authorizes the district to spend $3 million from the long-range capital reserve fund to replace windows at Hewlett High School.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Woodmere Education Center, 1 Johnson Place, Woodmere. <a href="http://www.hewlett-woodmere.net">www.hewlett-woodmere.net</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Paul Critti, Asaf Fligelman and incumbents Mitchell A. Greebel and Daniella R. Simon are running for three seats, elected at-large.&nbsp;The top two&nbsp;vote-getters will serve&nbsp;three-year terms, and&nbsp;the third highest vote-getter will serve&nbsp;a one-year term that resulted from&nbsp;the resignation of Scott McInnes.</p> 
<h2>Paul Critti</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Critti, 58, has lived in the district for 30 years and works&nbsp;as a private security consultant. He&nbsp;was a New York City police officer for two decades&nbsp;before retiring from the force in&nbsp;2002.&nbsp;Critti grew up in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, and graduated from Sheepshead Bay High School. He is a graduate of the New York City Transit Police Academy. Critti is president of the district’s Special Education Parent Teacher Association. He chaired the district’s SEPTA after-school program from 2011 to 2013. For the last five years, he has served on the district curriculum committee, which reviews district educational programs. Critti has one child attending a district public school. This is his first run for the school board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “As a current and former president,&nbsp;I helped bring SEPTA into the mainstream, where it is now a respected and influential PTA unit. We also built a bridge to administration that helps us work together for the good of all the students.”</p> 
<h2>Asaf Fligelman</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Fligelman, 34, is a partner in Selz Capital, a Manhattan hedge fund and moved to the district from the city nearly four years ago.&nbsp;He&nbsp;was reared&nbsp;in Brooklyn, the eldest of five children of parents who immigrated from Israel. Fligelman graduated in 2002 from Yeshiva Flatbush, a parochial high school in Brooklyn. He&nbsp;earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from Yeshiva University in Manhattan, where he was president of the business school student council. He&nbsp;is a licensed CPA and worked for nearly two years at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Manhattan. Fligelman has two children, one of whom attends a parochial school and&nbsp;one who is not yet school-age. He coaches Hewlett-Woodmere Little League T-ball. This is his first run for the school board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “I am 100 percent committed to quality public school education. I am 100 percent committed to dedicating my unique financial skill set, both as a CPA and as a financial analyst, to work constructively with the board and the community.&nbsp;I want to make sure we figure out ways as a community to do more with our budget, to spend more efficiently so we can increase the dollars that are being spent on our children.”</p> 
<h2>Mitchell A. Greebel</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Greebel, 59, is a matrimonial and family law attorney with the Greebel &amp; Greebel law firm in Mineola. He has lived in the district for 26 years. Greebel earned a bachelor's degree in English from University at Albany and a law degree from Brooklyn Law School. He&nbsp;has served on the board of trustees for Congregation Sons of Israel synagogue in Woodmere for more than 21 years and was president of the Five Towns Jewish Council from 2004 to 2006. Greebel&nbsp;was president of the Hewlett-Woodmere Special Education PTA from 2009 to 2010 and president of the PTA central council from 2011 to 2013. For the last six years, he has been a volunteer coach for Hewlett High School varsity wrestling.&nbsp;Greebel has four children, three of whom are district graduates and one who graduated from an out-of-district private school. He first was elected to the school board in 2013 and is seeking his third term.&nbsp;He is running as a team with Daniella R. Simon.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “Meeting the demands and the needs of a school district and keeping the promises you’ve made to the community in terms of who we are as a school and what we offer to our students. At the same time dealing with the tax cap, unfunded mandates and rising costs.”</p> 
<h2>Daniella R. Simon</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Simon, 42, who was reared&nbsp;in the district, works as an independent social media marketer. She&nbsp;is an attorney who worked for Sidley Austin law firm in Manhattan but currently does not practice&nbsp;law. Simon attended the Brandeis School, a private school in Lawrence, from kindergarten to the seventh grade. She transferred into the Hewlett-Woodmere school district in the seventh grade and graduated from Hewlett High School in 1994. Simon earned a bachelor's&nbsp;degree in politics from Brandeis University in Massachusetts, where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and received a law degree from New York University School of Law, where she wrote for the environmental law journal. Simon has been active in district PTA for the last eight years, having served as co-president of the Franklin Early Childhood Center PTA and president of the Central Council, which among other things is a liaison between PTAs and the district superintendent. Simon’s four children attend district public schools. She&nbsp;was elected to the school board in 2016. Simon is running as a team with Mitchell A. Greebel.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “The most important thing, and the thing I’m most proud of while I have been on the school board, is maintaining the academic excellence of our public schools while keeping an eye on the financial bottom line. I want to ensure that our kids have the best public schools while still being able to afford to live here.”</p>

vgHEWL190519

Hewlett-Woodmere

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$139,348,682,&nbsp;a 2.7 percent increase from the current $135,686,223.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;1.99&nbsp;percent increase, from&nbsp;$102,299,710&nbsp;to&nbsp;$104,334,048. This is equal to the district’s 1.99&nbsp;percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes an average 2.25 percent salary increase. The proposed budget includes funding for new courses at the high school and middle school, new textbooks, an elementary science program, two additional school psychologists, guidance counselor and social worker&nbsp;and a new foreign language teacher at the elementary level as well as other initiatives.&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 authorizes a capital reserve for building improvements of $1,559,180 at no additional cost to taxpayers. Funds would cover heating, ventilation and air conditioning projects at various district buildings.</p> 
<p>Proposition 3 authorizes $60,000 for the Hicksville Gregory Museum for educational programs. Both propositions will have no tax impact and are contingent on passage of the budget.&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7 a.m. to 9&nbsp;p.m. at&nbsp;Burns Avenue, Dutch Lane, East Street, Fork Lane, Lee Avenue, Old Country Road and Woodland elementary schools. <a href="http://www.hicksvillepublicschools.org">www.hicksvillepublicschools.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbent Carla Hoene is running unopposed. Linda Imbriale is running for the seat of incumbent Lynda Parmely, who is not seeking re-election. Terms are three years and elected by seat.</p>

vgHICK190519

Hicksville

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong> $133,488,443, a 2.83 percent increase from the current $129,812,991.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 2.58 percent increase, from $107,625,213 to $110,400,611. This is equal to the district’s 2.58 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a 1.0 percent contract increase and 0.84 percent step increase for teachers. The proposed budget would include adding two elementary librarians, 1.5 full-time-equivalent teaching positions in English as a New Language and a 0.5 FTE elementary school guidance counselor position. Three teacher assistant positions will be cut. No new programs are planned.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 asks for permission to spend up to $3,846,000 from several different building improvement funds for a variety of repairs: replacing student corridor lockers at Finley Middle School and three projects at Huntington High School, including replacing three boilers, a partial roof replacement and replacing the turf field, perimeter netting and goalposts. Approval of the proposition will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Huntington High School. <a href="http://www.hufsd.edu">www.hufsd.edu</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Michele Kustera, Joseph Mattio and incumbent William P. Dwyer are seeking two open, at-large seats with terms of three years.</p> 
<h2>Michele Kustera</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Kustera, 53, is a former technology project director. She earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing at St. John’s University and has been involved in PTA, where she currently is PTA council president. She was a member of the district’s food allergy committee from 2013-2015. She has two children in Huntington schools.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “I believe the most important issue is ensuring all students are receiving the support and opportunities to be successful. The first thing is a secure environment. I would advocate for and make sure all our students are in safe schools.”</p> 
<h2>Joseph Mattio</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Mattio, 47, works in medical sales. His wife is a teacher at Harborfields High School. He earned his bachelor’s in marketing and finance at the University of Notre Dame. Mattio is a board member of the Huntington Booster Club and has coached with Huntington Village lacrosse, St. Hugh’s basketball and Huntington Sports League football. He has two children attending district schools.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “As a board member I’d make it a priority to recruit people into the process so that they can play a role in spreading factual information about our district,” he said, and work to improve communication. Noting the support and fundraising efforts of several parent organizations, he said: “As a school board member I would harness that same energy and enthusiasm to improve every aspect of student life at Huntington.”</p> 
<h2>William P. Dwyer</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Dwyer, 54, is a software manager. His wife teaches at Madonna Heights School in Wheatley Heights. He earned a bachelor’s in mathematics at Providence College, a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering at Washington University in St. Louis and a master’s in aeronautics and astronautics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Huntington Militia. He has three children who have attended Huntington schools. Dwyer is seeking his second consecutive term on the board and previously served 2011-2014.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> Dwyer says he will focus on continuing to expand academic programs under the constraints of a permanent 2 percent tax cap and work to provide more computer programming classes. “I will continue to advocate for a strong, healthy relationship between the administration, board of education and teachers.”</p>

vgHUNT190519

Huntington

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong> $40,316,290, a 1.07 percent increase from the current $39,887,986.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 1.42 percent increase, from $31,982,290 to $32,435,152. This is within the district’s 1.46 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a 1.5 percent contractual&nbsp;increase for teachers. The district did not provide step increase information. The proposed budget supports new English Language Arts program materials; the Fountas &amp; Pinnell literacy program in kindergarten through fourth grade; the Teachers College Reading &amp;&nbsp;Writing Project in grades five through eight; and purchase of Chromebooks for classroom use.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 requests approval of a five-year contract with the Long Beach Public Schools to educate the district's&nbsp;students in grades nine through 12 on a tuition basis. Funding for this proposition is included in the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Lincoln Orens Middle School.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ips.k12.ny.us">www.ips.k12.ny.us</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbent Tara Byrne is running unopposed for the&nbsp;position, elected at-large.&nbsp;The term is five years.</p>

vgIPAR190519

Island Park

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong> $67,371,684, a 3.42 percent increase from the current $65,143,770.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 2.58 percent increase, from $43,384,509 to $44,503,683. This is equal to the district’s 2.58 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a contractual&nbsp;increase of 1&nbsp;percent with an average 1.7 percent step increase. Maintains current programs and staffing.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>Noon to 9 p.m. at Michael F. Stokes Elementary School.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.islandtrees.org">www.islandtrees.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbent Kristen Daum is being challenged by Vincent Papandrea&nbsp;in the by-seat election, and incumbent Barbara Medelin is running unopposed. Terms are three years.</p> 
<h2>Kristen Daum</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Daum, 53, has lived in the district for 24 years. She is a licensed CPA who works as an accountant at a Long Island law firm and title company. Daum has a bachelor of science degree in accounting and law from Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York. She is a former president and treasurer of the Michael F. Stokes Elementary School PTA&nbsp;and also served as treasurer of the Island Trees Soccer Club. She&nbsp;was elected to the school board in 2010 and reelected in 2013 and 2016, and served as board president from 2015 to 2017. She&nbsp;has a child who attended district schools in kindergarten though eighth grade and graduated from Chaminade High School in Mineola.&nbsp;Daum is running as a team with incumbent Barbara Medelin.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “The biggest challenge is working within the tax cap to keep building on the foundations of success we’ve built for our students while being fiscally responsible to the community.”</p> 
<h2>Vincent Papandrea</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Papandrea, 40, has lived in the district for 13 years. He&nbsp;is director of admissions at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan. Papandrea earned a bachelor of arts degree in computer art from SUNY Oneonta and a master of science degree in higher education administration from Baruch College.&nbsp;He&nbsp;is a member of the National Association of College Admissions Counselors, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and other professional organizations in his field. He is a member of the Island Trees PTA. Papandrea formed his own DEK Hockey team and coaches Island Trees children in the sport at local arenas. He has a child attending a district public school. This is his first run for the school board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “The number one issue is college success and student preparedness. The key is for students is to be successful both in the classroom and beyond. Key pieces are partnerships with colleges to offer college-level courses at the high school level and the expansion of the Advanced Placement programs."</p>

vgTREE190519

Island Trees

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$86,231,623, a 2.71 percent increase over the current $83,956,103.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;$60,262,842, a 3.23 percent increase over the current $58,377,597. This is equal to&nbsp;the district's 3.23 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong>&nbsp;Three teaching positions cut (two by attrition), four shifted to other subjects. One special education life skills class added to the high school. The district did not provide information on teacher pay increases.&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Islip High School gymnasium. <a href="http://www.islipufsd.org">www.islipufsd.org</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;</p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbent Matthew Clareen faces Kristian Woppel for one of two&nbsp;by-seat positions. Incumbent Danielle Flora is running unopposed. Terms are three years.</p> 
<h2>Matthew Clareen</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Clareen, 26, is a lifelong resident of the district and&nbsp;2011 graduate of Islip High School. He earned&nbsp;a bachelor’s in social sciences and secondary education from Dowling College and&nbsp;a master’s in literacy and cognition from St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue. He teaches&nbsp;social studies at a regional Catholic middle school and volunteers for the district’s PTA organizations, the Booster Club, Islip Art and Music Parents, I.D.E.A. Coalition Task Force and St. Mary’s Church in East Islip.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;"It is my top priority that all of our students are afforded the opportunity to achieve excellence,” Clareen said. He would pursue more state aid for special education and vocational programs and for social and emotional learning.&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>Kristian Woppel</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Woppel, 47, is a captain at Fire Island Ferries in Bay Shore who previously worked as a floor trader at the New York Stock Exchange. The father of a 3-year old and an infant, he graduated from Islip High School in 1989 and has lived in the district for 45 years.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “I believe in a sound school budget that gets the most out of every dollar in the district for the benefit of every child’s needs,” Woppel said. He opposes common core testing.</p>

vgISLI190519

Islip

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$124,341,752&nbsp;a 1.38 percent increase from the current $122,653,735.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;1.46&nbsp;percent increase, from&nbsp;$106,236,917&nbsp;to&nbsp;$107,787,976.&nbsp;This is within the district’s 1.9 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a 2 percent salary increase.&nbsp;The budget expands the tablet initiative throughout the district and will replace more than 496 desktops and add 35 laptops. The budget also includes new course offerings in English as a new language.&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 authorizes the district to spend no more than $9,831,850 from an existing capital reserve and fund balance for capital improvements. It will not have any tax impact.</p> 
<p>Proposition 3 authorizes the district to establish a capital reserve fund and set aside funds for future construction. The maximum amount of the fund shall be $20 million with a term of&nbsp;10 years. It will not have a tax impact.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>6 a.m. to 9&nbsp;p.m. at Jericho High School/Middle School. <a href="http://www.jerichoschools.org">www.jerichoschools.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbent Pam Wasserman-Heath is being challenged by Maria Sy-Rangel for one at-large seat.&nbsp;Terms are three years.</p> 
<h2>Pam Wasserman-Heath</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Wasserman-Heath, 51, is a clinical psychologist who has lived in the district for 40 years. A graduate of Jericho High School, she received a bachelor’s from LIU Post, and a doctorate in psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology. She also is past vice president of the Jericho Joint Council of PTAs, past president of George A. Jackson Elementary School PTA, and a board member of North Shore Synagogue. She is a board member&nbsp;of the Birchwood Civic Association. She has two children in district schools and has served on the board for two years.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;"My main focus as a board member is to continue advancing our work on safety and mental health and emotional well-being, the importance of respecting different world views and maintaining an open dialogue with our diverse Jericho community."</p> 
<h2>Dr. Maria Sy-Rangel</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Sy-Rangel,&nbsp;who declined to give her age&nbsp;, has lived in the district for 14 years. She is a dentist&nbsp;and graduated from&nbsp;New York University's College of Dentistry. She also has trained to be an&nbsp;emergency medical technician at the Nassau County Fire-Police Academy. She is a member of American General Dentistry and a volunteer EMT with the Jericho Fire Department. She is catechist and parishioner at St. Paul the Apostle Church.&nbsp;She has two children who graduated from the district.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;"The most important issues&nbsp;facing our school district is communication, transparency, accessibility and school budget.&nbsp;I would be a proactive communicator and be transparent to the people of Jericho about what is going on with the proposals,&nbsp;resolutions and businesses related to the community. "</p>

vgJERI190519

Jericho

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$93,880,803, a 1.86 percent increase from the current $92,168,700.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;2.47 percent increase, from&nbsp;$69,653,384 to $71,375,601.&nbsp;This is equal to the district’s 2.47 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Currently in contract negotiations. The proposed&nbsp;budget includes funding for an additional&nbsp;psychologist. It also supports&nbsp;a middle school coding club, an elementary media and arts club, and funding&nbsp;for the first year of a multiyear Chromebook initiative, beginning with eighth grade. The spending plan&nbsp;includes resources for safety&nbsp;enhancements, including added security vestibules at Park View Elementary, Fort Salonga Elementary and R.J.O. Intermediate School, more&nbsp;security cameras and a new security booth at the high school.&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 would authorize creation of&nbsp;a new capital reserve account for a maximum $5 million&nbsp;with the proviso that&nbsp;the district not add more than $500,000 to the fund&nbsp;in any one year. Separate voter approval would be&nbsp;required before money can be spent. Money would&nbsp;be used for certain facilities, improvements that do not currently have a funding source.&nbsp;The largest item&nbsp;on this list is the transportation trailer, maintenance building&nbsp;and surrounding area. Approval of the proposition will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Kings Park High School, back gymnasium. <a href="http://www.kpcsd.org">www.kpcsd.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Juan Pablo Andrade and incumbents Pam DeFord and Daniel Tew are&nbsp;running&nbsp;for two seats, elected at-large. Terms are three years.</p> 
<h2>Juan Pablo Andrade</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Andrade, 22, is a lifelong resident of the district. A&nbsp;former political consultant, he is an assistant teacher and lacrosse coach at Brentwood East Middle School.&nbsp;Andrade&nbsp;has an associate&nbsp;degree from Nassau Community College and now&nbsp;is enrolled at Hofstra University. He is a former senior policy adviser for America First Policies and a former Hispanic media surrogate for President Donald J. Trump during the 2016 election season and transition.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “The most pressing issue facing&nbsp;my district is fiscal stability. Many times over the past years, the board and community have&nbsp;been at a crossroads, so I want to help continue to ‘solidify a bridge’ with our elected officials at all levels, as well as being the most transparent district on the Island for our constituents."</p> 
<h2>Pam DeFord</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> DeFord, 51, has lived in the district for 26 years. She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in special education, both from Dowling College. DeFord is a former St. Joseph’s Parish religion teacher and a former Girl Scout leader. She is a member of the Catholic Daughters of America Court Ava Maria at St. Joseph Church. She has one child in district schools. She has served on the board for five years, including four as board president. DeFord&nbsp;is running as a team with Tew.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> The key issue facing the district is staying within&nbsp;the constraints of the tax cap and “trying to make sure all the needs of the students are met — not only academically, but their mental health issues as well. I am proud to say our district is taking the necessary steps in this, and this is something I will continue to advocate for our students.”</p> 
<h2>Daniel Tew</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Tew, 41,&nbsp;is a lifelong resident of the district. An airline pilot, he has a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is a pilot-to-pilot mentor for the Airline Pilots Association.&nbsp;Tew&nbsp;has three children attending district schools. He has served on the board since 2016. Tew&nbsp;is running as a team with DeFord.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “We continue to operate with tight budget constraints,” he said. The state's&nbsp;tax cap "imposes challenges for districts, especially when unfunded mandates are handed down. Maintaining curriculum and programs that support academic excellence is our district’s mission. That being said, we also face additional challenges to ensure students' safety and well-being in terms of physical safety and mental health&nbsp;— all issues we have been working to improve through facility upgrades, staff training and professional development."</p>

vgKING190519

Kings Park

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$102,449,281, the same amount&nbsp;as the 2018-19 budget.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;$85,954,300, a decrease of 0.23 percent from the current&nbsp;$86,156,721. This is within the district's 3.48 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong>&nbsp;Includes only a step increase of&nbsp;1.05 percent; teachers continue to work&nbsp;under an expired contract. According to the district's website, the proposed budget expands BOCES vocational programs;&nbsp;includes Chromebooks for students; and supports purchase of a Houghton Mifflin math program for kindergarten through fifth grade, with related training and development of teachers.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 3 authorizes the school board to&nbsp;transfer a maximum $4 million in unreserved funds to&nbsp;the capital reserve fund, to be used for&nbsp;districtwide security improvements;&nbsp;renovation and upgrades of&nbsp;the Lawrence High School sports complex;&nbsp;and a&nbsp;variety of work at Broadway Campus, including corridor renovation, locker replacement, classroom renovations and door and hardware replacements. The work also includes improvements to HVAC systems at the high school and Broadway Campus. Approval of the proposition will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<p>Proposition 4 authorizes the school board to transfer a maximum&nbsp;$5 million in unreserved funds to the capital reserve fund, to be used&nbsp;for renovation of&nbsp;the Broadway Campus athletic facility; library renovation and window replacement at the high school; renovations of the Broadway Campus cafeteria; and improvements to HVAC systems at the high school and Broadway Campus. Approval of the proposition will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<p>Proposition 5 authorizes the school board to transfer $15 million in unreserved funds and undesignated capital to the capital reserve fund for Federal Emergency Management Authority projects and other improvements. Approval of the proposition will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Lawrence Primary School #2, Lawrence Middle School, Lawrence High School and&nbsp;at Atlantic Beach Village Hall.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.lawrence.org">www.lawrence.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbent Tova Plaut and&nbsp;Asher Matathias are vying for one position, elected by seat. Incumbents Michael Hatten and David Sussman&nbsp;are running unopposed. Terms are three years.</p> 
<h2>Tova Plaut</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Plaut, 49, is an educational coordinator for an early childhood center in Queens. She earned a bachelor's degree in community and human services from SUNY Empire State College and&nbsp;a master’s degree in education from Mercy College, and holds certifications in child development and administration. She ran unsuccessfully in 2015 for Nassau County legislator on the Democratic, Working Families and Women’s Equality lines. Her five children do not and did not attend district schools. She first was elected to the school board in 2013.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;"I’d like to continue the progress we’ve made in offering our students additional learning opportunities such as our vocational programs, our AP and gifted programs, as well as ensuring every student has a path to graduation."</p> 
<h2>Asher Matathias</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Matathias, 75, has lived in the district for 43 years. He&nbsp;is an assistant professor of political science at St. John's University and a retired New York City public high school teacher. He has a bachelor's degree in political science from LIU Brooklyn and a master's degree in political science from The New School for Social Research, now New School University, in Manhattan. Since 1983, Matathias has been president of Long Island B'nai B'rith Lodge #1353. His three children attended district schools. He&nbsp;has run multiple times for the school board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “Teachers have been demoralized after eight years without a contract, and the vitality of the district is sapped,” he&nbsp;said, questioning the effect of a board with&nbsp;few members who have sent their children to public schools. Urging more&nbsp;openness in policymaking, he said, “We have an immigrant and lower-income population that I feel is not fully engaged or fully served, and if we need to raise taxes to improve their achievement outcomes, it’s for our district’s long-term benefit."</p>

vgLAWR190519

Lawrence

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong> $222,353,639, a 2.99 percent increase from the current $215,892,556.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 1.97 percent increase, from $138,984,161 to $141,721,798. This is equal to the district’s 1.97 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes teacher salary increases subject to contract negotiations. Adds electives in Advanced Placement statistics, abnormal psychology, American Sign Language 3, digital citizenship, 21st Century leadership skills, graphic design and communications.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at East Broadway Elementary School, Gardiners Avenue Elementary School, Division Avenue High School and Levittown Memorial Education Center. <a href="http://www.levittownschools.com">www.levittownschools.com</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbents Christina Lang and Peggy Marenghi are running unopposed for two seats, elected at-large. Terms are three years.</p>

vgLEVI190519

Levittown

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$163,312,822, a 1.64 percent increase from the current $160,671,302.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;2.36 percent increase, from&nbsp;$99,763,931 to $102,120,644.&nbsp;This is equal to the district’s 2.36 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> The district reported that there are no percentages given; rather staff receive a lump sum based on the most recent contract negotiations. The district plans&nbsp;no new programs.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at&nbsp;Daniel Street Elementary School, Lindenhurst Middle School, Albany Avenue Elementary School, Harding Avenue Elementary School and William Rall Elementary School. <a href="http://www.lindenhurstschools.org">www.lindenhurstschools.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbents Lynn Aniello and&nbsp;Edward A. Langone are&nbsp;running unopposed; Jacquelyn Herig and Syed Hussain are running for a vacant seat formerly&nbsp;held by Robert R. Vitiello, who resigned in 2018. Terms are three years and positions elected by seat.</p> 
<h2>Jacquelyn Herig</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Herig, 41, is a lifelong resident of the district and a graduate of the local schools.&nbsp;She is a&nbsp;bookkeeper. She is a mother of five children —&nbsp;four attend local schools and one&nbsp;is a toddler. She is a member of three PTAs, a youth league volunteer, member of Grace United Methodist Church, a class&nbsp;mom, a liaison for Long Island Opt Out, a member of the Lindenhurst Touchdown Club and Baseball Club.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;"One of the most important issues facing our district today is unfunded mandates handed down from the state. Our district is continuously asked to do more with less. It is a constant challenge to find funding for these requirements without impacting our current programs."</p> 
<h2>Syed Hussain</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Hussain, 72, has lived in the district for more than 30 years. He is a retired HVAC engineer. He is a member of AARP&nbsp;advocacy and Speakers and Toastmasters&nbsp;club. He has three children&nbsp;who graduated from district&nbsp;schools.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> "Money is always the issue. This year, Gov. Cuomo allotted less money to Long Island schools but added some more later …&nbsp;The school board found it necessary to float&nbsp;a bond because the&nbsp;schools needed money to do&nbsp;repairs …&nbsp;That was not moral, not ethical. Taxpayers were duped …&nbsp;I plan to …&nbsp;eliminate that practice."</p>

vgLIND190519

Lindenhurst

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong> $87,307,215, a 1.98 percent increase from the current $85,612,108.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 1.85 percent increase, from $79,749,608 to $81,224,715. This is within the district’s 3percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong>&nbsp;Includes estimated salary increases subject to contract negotiations. The proposed budget cuts two&nbsp;positions —an elementary school teacher and&nbsp;a high school physical education teacher. It adds&nbsp;a school nurse. It also supports robotics extracurricular programs at the elementary and middle school levels.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Ann MacArthur Primary School,&nbsp;Bayville Intermediate School and Brookville Reformed Church. <a href="http://www.lvcsd.k12.ny.us">www. lvcsd.k12.ny.us</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Carl A. Friedrich, Joseph A. Zito and incumbent Margaret Marchand are running for two seats, elected at-large.&nbsp;Incumbent Kerian Carlstrom is not seeking re-election. Terms are three years.</p> 
<h2>Carl A. Friedrich</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Friedrich, 47, has lived in the district for 16 years. He is an investment manager for Excelsior Management in Lake Success. Friedrich has a bachelor's&nbsp;degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and a master of business administration degree and a master's&nbsp;degree in business analytics, both from Indiana University. He was a member of the Nassau County Audit Advisory Committee from 2010 to 2013, and chaired the Locust Valley school board audit committee from 2011 to 2013. He was appointed a trustee of the Village of Upper Brookville in 2017 and was elected to a one-year term in 2018. Friedrich’s five children attend district public schools. Friedrich served on the Locust Valley school board from 2010 to 2013 and&nbsp;did not then&nbsp;seek re-election.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;Securing key personnel in a fiscally responsible manner. “We have to find a permanent solution for the superintendent of schools role because our current superintendent is on paid administrative leave and may have to be replaced.” Friedrich cited his knowledge of financial matters as informing his&nbsp;previous service&nbsp;on the school board and current position as an Upper Brookville trustee.</p> 
<h2>Margaret Marchand</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Marchand, 49, has lived in the district for 21 years. She&nbsp;is a private school learning specialist on Long Island. She&nbsp;earned a bachelor's degree with dual majors in psychology and special education from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, and&nbsp;a master’s degree in foundations of reading from New York University.&nbsp;Marchand&nbsp;was a tenured special education teacher in Syosset schools before leaving teaching in 2004 to rear&nbsp;her children. She also worked for 11 years as a music teacher at the Village Preschool in Bayville, and last year was an adjunct professor of remedial reading at Nassau Community College. Marchand was a member of the board of the Bayville Little League from 2009 to 2012. Her&nbsp;three children attend district public schools. Marchand won a one-year term on the school board in last year’s election, to fill the unexpired term of a trustee who resigned.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “After serving a year on the board of education, I realized that you really cannot say one key issue is important to you. All issues are important to different groups and different constituents. As a board member, it is my responsibility to represent the best interest of the entire district while focusing on the integrity of the education and fiduciary responsibility of our budget.”</p> 
<h2>Joseph A. Zito</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Zito, 39, has lived in the district for four years. He&nbsp;is an emergency and critical care physician. Zito earned a bachelor's&nbsp;degree and a master of health administration degree from Hofstra University. He earned a doctor of medicine degree at the Ross University School of Medicine in Bridgetown, Barbados. He is a fellow in the American College of Emergency Physicians. Zito’s three children attend district public schools.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> Zito, on an information form returned to Newsday, wrote of the need for the school board "to create a long-term vision, mapping a course that provides the necessary opportunities students need to reach their full potential. I strongly believe that we have tremendous teachers and staff working with our children. We must reestablish morale amongst all district employees, and work to return harmony throughout the district." Zito&nbsp;could not be reached for further&nbsp;comment.</p> 
<p>CORRECTION: A previous version of this entry&nbsp;incorrectly described the status of two teaching positions in the proposed budget. The spending plan trims the positions of an elementary school teacher and a high school physical education teacher.&nbsp;</p>

vgLOCU190519

Locust Valley

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$142,391,528, a 1.76 percent increase from the current $139,922,949.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;1.92 percent increase, from&nbsp;$102,034,891 to&nbsp;$103,997,942. This is within the district's 4.73 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong>: The budget&nbsp;includes a 0.75 percent increase and an average step increase of 1.86 percent. It would add&nbsp;five new coaches and one junior varsity team; one English as a New Language position;&nbsp;one math director; one nurse; one special education teacher; one guidance counselor; one social worker; 0.6 math teacher; 0.4 reading teacher and&nbsp;0.2 business position.The proposed budget would eliminate one librarian in the high school.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Lindell Elementary School, East Elementary School, Long Beach Middle School, Sol Scher Community Center and Bishop Molloy Recreation Center. <a href="http://www.lbeach.org">www.lbeach.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbent Perry Bodnar Jr. and candidate Anne Conway are&nbsp;running for one at-large seat.&nbsp;Terms are three years.</p> 
<h2>Perry Bodnar Jr.&nbsp;</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Bodnar, 60, has lived in the district for 29 years. A retired Long Beach High School teacher, he has bachelor's and masters degrees&nbsp;from Adelphi University. Bodnar is in his first term,&nbsp;serving&nbsp;on the school board since 2016. He is&nbsp;on the advisory board of Long Beach Aware, which addresses underage drinking and other drug use, on the school district budget advisory committee and&nbsp;is a district test administrator for the ACT, SAT and PSAT exams. He has one son who graduated from Long Beach High School.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;Bodnar successfully urged the school board to conduct a cost analysis of installing air conditioning units in all district schools. Currently only the high school and parts of the middle school have cooling estimates. "Our school buildings are old and need to be upgraded. The buildings are uncomfortable. It's a concern for many parents."</p> 
<h2>Anne Conway</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Conway, 48, has lived in the district for 21 years. For the past 22 years she has worked as an elementary school teacher at Marion Street School in Lynbrook. Conway has a bachelor's degree from SUNY Oneonta; a master's degree from Teachers College at Columbia University and administration degree&nbsp;from the College of St. Rose in Albany. Conway is the co-president of the Long Beach Middle School PTA. She has three children in the Long Beach School District. This is her first run for the school board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> Conway is concerned about the district's fiscal discipline, arguing it spends too much money on administrative salaries that would be better used in the classroom. "Taxes are too high and the district needs to be more responsible to the community. This money would be better spent on programs that work one-on-one with students."</p>

vgLBEA190519

Long Beach

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong> $255,500,000, a 2.2 percent increase from the current $250,000,000.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 2 percent increase, from $142,061,078 to $144,896,175. This is equal to&nbsp;the district’s 2 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a 1 percent contractual increase and an average 2.3 percent&nbsp;step increase.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Charles E. Walters, Coram, Ridge and&nbsp;West Middle Island elementary schools.&nbsp;<a href="http://longwood.k12.ny.us">longwood.k12.ny.us</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Josephine M. Bailey, William Massian, Rhonda Stitham and incumbents David W. Pfister and Maureen E. Silvestri are running&nbsp;for two seats, elected at-large. Terms are three years.</p> 
<h2>Josephine M. Bailey</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Bailey, who declined to give her age, has lived in the district more than 30 years. She is an administrator at the Little Flower residential treatment center in Wading River and an educator at the school attached to it. Bailey grew up in Coram and graduated from Suffolk County Community College in 1987&nbsp;with an associate&nbsp;degree in community service. She earned&nbsp;a bachelor’s degree in psychology at Long Island University&nbsp;in 1989 and&nbsp;a master's degree in education&nbsp;from the school in 1995. She is vice president of the&nbsp;Gordon Heights Civic Association&nbsp;and a member of various civic and school groups, including the Coram Civic Association, NAACP, Longwood Policy Committee and Safety Committee. Her child graduated from district schools.&nbsp;This is her second run for the board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “Connecting the district with the surrounding communities and involving teachers, parents and students&nbsp;through programs like a unity walk, gang awareness and dinner with a teacher,” she said.</p> 
<h2>William Massian</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Massian, 39, is a lifelong district resident and a 1998 graduate of Longwood High School.&nbsp;He runs his own contracting company&nbsp;and has received numerous construction, masonry and maintenance certifications. He sits on the district’s budget, safety and legislative committees and is a youth soccer coach. He is a member of the PTA and a prior PTA council member. He has two children in district schools.&nbsp;This is his second run for the board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “We need to promote more trades education in our schools. … College is not an option for everybody, and this country has a shortage of skilled blue-collar workers.”</p> 
<h2>Rhonda Stitham</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Stitham, 46, has lived in the district 24 years. She is an academic intervention and enrichment teacher in the William Floyd school district. Stitham grew up in Lynchburg, Virginia, and graduated from Lynchburg College in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in education. She earned a master's degree in education&nbsp;from Dowling College in 2000.&nbsp;Stitham&nbsp;was awarded an educational specialist degree from Liberty University in 2014 and graduated from Concordia University-Portland in 2018 with a doctorate in educational leadership. She is a member of the district’s legislative committee. She has two children in district schools. This is her second run for the board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> The district needs “fair and balanced evaluations for teachers and students … we need to work on alternate forms of assessment with alternate pathways to graduation including the trade careers.”</p> 
<h2>David W. Pfister</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Pfister, 47, has lived in the district 16 years. He is a director for Russell Reynolds Associates, a management consulting firm. He received his bachelor's degree in technical writing from&nbsp;New York Institute of Technology in 1994. Pfister&nbsp;graduated from St. Joseph’s College with a master's degree&nbsp;in organizational management in 2008 and earned his&nbsp;master's of business administration from the college&nbsp;in 2009. He serves on multiple district committees, is a PTA member and a&nbsp;past PTA committee chairman, and is a scouting leader. He has two children in district schools.&nbsp;He is seeking his second term on the board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> District officials must monitor local development that too often bring payments in lieu of taxes, or PILOTs,&nbsp;that are far lower than what taxes would bring, he said. “We’re getting large swaths of students coming in and not getting adequate tax revenue. … It has a direct impact on class size, our ability to keep taxes low and keep within the tax cap.” One solution would be to push for 55-and-older housing instead of unrestricted development, he said.</p> 
<h2>Maureen E. Silvestri</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Silvestri, 76, has lived in the district 43 years. She is a homemaker who grew up in Manhattan. She attended Seward Park High School. Four children attended district schools and three grandchildren now attend them. She served on the school board from 1989 to 1992 and from 1994 to present.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “I’d like to see the whole staff,” including teachers and administrators, clock in and out, a practice she said now is only required for CSEA members such as clerical staff and assistants. “Everybody should be accountable — you’re there on time and you clock out, and not somebody else for you.”</p> 
<p>CORRECTION: A previous version of this entry incorrectly stated that two candidates were running as a team.&nbsp;</p>

vgLWOO190519

Longwood

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong> $88,035,308, a 3.33&nbsp;percent increase from the current $85,199,343.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 2.26 percent increase, from $67,341,013 to $68,865,638. This is equal to the district’s 2.26 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a 1 percent contractual increase and an average 3 percent step increase. The proposed budget adds one kindergarten teacher and two special education teacher positions. It also funds a new director of guidance, the full-time-equivalent of 1.5 social workers and 1.25 FTE reading teacher positions. The spending plan includes a new enrichment program in grades three through five; implementation of the Teachers College Reading and Writing program at the elementary and middle school levels; and a new forensics science course at the high school.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 authorizes the district to spend $473,000 from its technology replacement fund to purchase instructional technology devices and continue the cycle of device replacements. Approval of the proposition will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<p>Proposition 3 authorizes spending $2.45 million from a building renovation, improvement, upgrade and equipment fund reserve for roofing and bathroom replacement and renovation at Lynbrook High School, bathroom replacement and renovation at North Middle School and elevator construction at Marion Street Elementary School. Approval of the proposition will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7 a.m. to 9&nbsp;&nbsp;p.m. at Lynbrook High School, North Middle School and South Middle School.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.lynbrookschools.org">www.lynbrookschools.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Dana Franklin, Danielle Longo and incumbents William Belmont and Heather Hanson are running for two seats, elected at-large. Terms are three years.</p> 
<h2>William Belmont</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Belmont, 53, was reared&nbsp;in the district and graduated from Lynbrook High in 1984. He moved back to the community 18 years ago. A self-employed investigative attorney, he&nbsp;has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from The George Washington University and a law degree from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University.&nbsp;He is a member of the district's health and safety and policy committees. He is a volunteer varsity football coach at Lynbrook High School, and also coaches local youth lacrosse and a basketball program for children with special needs. His two children attend district schools.&nbsp;Belmont was elected to the school board 12 years ago,&nbsp;serving&nbsp;as its president for the last four years.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “I stand by the accomplishments of the district. We’re upgrading our facilities with a bond issue that we passed, which shows the support of the community. Our high school kids are getting into great colleges, and we’re helping kids that are looking to transition from high school to the workforce.”</p> 
<h2>Dana Franklin</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Franklin, 38, is a lifelong district resident who graduated from Lynbrook High in 1998. She has a bachelor's degree in health and a master's&nbsp;degree in physical therapy, both from the University of Hartford in Connecticut. Franklin&nbsp;works as a pediatric physical therapist in the Mineola school district. She&nbsp;has three children, two of whom attend Lynbrook public schools and one who attends a private prekindergarten program in the district because the district doesn’t have a pre-K program. Franklin co-chairs the Compact committee at Lynbrook North Middle School and is a former class mom at the Lynbrook Kindergarten Center and West End Elementary School. She is a volunteer coach for the Mineola team for the Victory Challenge-Nassau County Empire Games for the Physically Challenged. This is&nbsp;her first run for the school board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “I’m running because I have three small kids, and I feel it’s important to be involved in their future education. I grew up here and decided to raise my family here, and I’m invested in keeping this community strong.”</p> 
<h2>Heather Hanson</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Hanson, 51, has lived in the district for 16 years. She&nbsp;is a professional fundraiser and grant writer for nonprofit organizations, and&nbsp;currently works with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island. Hanson earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Maine in Orono. She is active in the high school PTA and is a member of Parents and Friends of Lynbrook Music and the Friends of Robotics, which raise funds for district programs. She also is in the district’s Special Education PTA. Hanson is a former Girl Scouts leader in Lynbrook and a former Sunday school teacher at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Lynbrook. Her&nbsp;two children attend district schools. She was elected to the school board six years ago.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “If you look at the past six years of the district, there’s a lot we’ve done, and we’ve made some really important strides in different areas, from things going on inside the classroom to enhancing our buildings. Now we need to focus on maintaining that high level but staying within the tax cap.”</p> 
<h2>Danielle Longo</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong>&nbsp;Longo, 49, has lived in the district for 16 years. She&nbsp;earned a bachelor's&nbsp;degree in pharmacy from St. John’s University in Queens and a doctor of pharmacy degree from the University of Florida in Gainesville. Longo works as a senior medical science liaison at AstraZeneca, a global pharmaceutical company. From 2003 to 2011, she&nbsp;was a clinical faculty member in the physical assistant program at St. John’s and an adjunct faculty member in the physician assistant program at Hofstra University. Longo has two children, one of whom graduated last year and one who attends&nbsp;a district public school. She is an active member of the Lynbrook PTA and serves as co-chair of the Compact committee at Lynbrook North Middle School. Longo previously was the Lynbrook Kindergarten Center liaison and a corresponding secretary at&nbsp;West End Elementary School. This is her first run for the school board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong>&nbsp;"I think it’s important that we do everything we can to provide the kids with the foundation for a successful future. I have been involved at the PTA level for many years, and I want the opportunity to give back more to this community.”</p> 
<p>CORRECTION: A previous version of this entry gave an incorrect poll-closing time.</p>

vgLYNB190519

Lynbrook

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong> $58,774,402, a 2.89 percent increase from the current $57,123,216.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 2.98 percent increase, from $43,067,052 to $44,352,420. This is less than the district’s 3.6&nbsp;percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a 1&nbsp;percent teacher salary increase beginning in February and&nbsp;an average 2.67 percent step increase. Cuts the equivalent of 6.7 teacher positions and five custodial or clerical staff, with reduction of one student psychological/counseling position.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 authorizes the district to spend $400,000 from a capital reserve fund on school building improvements, renovations and alterations. Approval of the proposition will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Howard T. Herber Middle School.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.malverne.k12.ny.us">www. malverne.k12.ny.us </a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbent Josephine Bottitta is running unopposed for the post, elected by seat. The term is four years.</p>

vgMALV190519

Malverne

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong>&nbsp;$99,497,241, a 3.25 percent increase from the current $96,369,935.&nbsp;</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong>&nbsp;2.99 percent increase, from $86,421,243 to $89,003,370.&nbsp;This is equal to&nbsp;the district’s 2.99 percent&nbsp;tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a 0.75 percent salary increase and an average step increase of 1.75 percent. Adds seven teachers and 4.25 other staff members. The proposed budget funds, among other things, full-time counselors at each elementary school;&nbsp;a literary specialist to support a literacy program for kindergarten through second grade; resources and supplies for special curriculum, including grade four's "Project Lead The Way;" expansion of technology, with&nbsp;purchase of more Chromebooks; and restoration of elementary field&nbsp;trips to one per grade.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 authorizes the district to spend up to $5.83 million to undertake building improvement projects next school year at Munsey Park Elementary School, Shelter Rock Elementary School and Manhasset Secondary School. Munsey Park’s improvements include reconstruction and reconfiguration of classroom, office and multipurpose room stage spaces to create additional full-size classrooms, teaching and meeting spaces. Shelter Rock’s improvements include reconstruction of existing locker room and office space to create a new security vestibule and reconstruction of an existing loading dock space. The secondary school’s improvements include the creation of a security vestibule at the gymnasium entrance, construction of a three-stop elevator to facilitate access by the physically challenged, and reconstruction and reconfiguration of the second floor of the middle school’s wing to create a social and emotional learning and support center to house pupil personnel services. Approval of the proposition does not affect the tax levy.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Manhasset High School. <a href="http://www.manhassetschools.org">www.manhassetschools.org</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Incumbents&nbsp;Christine Monterosso and Regina Rule are running unopposed for two seats, elected at-large. Terms are three years.&nbsp;</p>

vgMANH190519

Manhasset

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong> $204,140,059, a 2.17 percent increase from the current $199,808,099.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 2.86 percent increase, from $159,106,027 to $163,655,341. This is within&nbsp;the district’s 2.89 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes raises subject to contract negotiations. Adds four special education teaching positions.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 3&nbsp;seeks authorization for the district to spend a total of $7.15 million, through a bond issue and use&nbsp;of existing capital reserve funds, for&nbsp;interior reconstruction and space reconfiguration, including auditorium and music suite renovations and improvements to ventilation, mechanical and electrical systems. Much of the work involves renovation of the Massapequa High School auditorium and replacement of seats and flooring in the Alfred G. Berner Middle School auditorium. Approval would&nbsp;authorize a $4.5 million bond issue and expenditure of $2.65 million in&nbsp;capital reserve funds. Approval of the proposition will not affect the current tax levy.</p> 
<p>Proposition 5 seeks approval to expand&nbsp;the school board from five to seven members and&nbsp;would set&nbsp;a special election within 60 days,&nbsp;at a cost of $20,000 to $25,000, to fill those new seats.&nbsp;Approval of the proposition&nbsp;will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Massapequa High School&nbsp;and Fairfield, Lockhart and McKenna&nbsp;elementary schools.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.msd.k12.ny.us">www.msd.k12.ny.us</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Erik Gustafson, Cher Lepre, Michael McCann and Allison Steakin are running for two seats, elected at-large. Incumbent Tim Taylor is not seeking re-election.&nbsp;The top&nbsp;vote-getter receives a three-year-term and the&nbsp;second-highest vote-getter serves&nbsp;a one-year term created by the departure of Brian Butler.</p> 
<h2>Erik Gustafson</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Gustafson, 43, has lived in the district nearly 10 years. He&nbsp;is an environmental consultant for Louis Berger in Manhattan. Gustafson grew up in Sound Beach and graduated in 1994 from Rocky Point High School. He earned a bachelor's&nbsp;degree in environmental science from Springfield College in Massachusetts and a master’s degree in environmental waste management from Stony Brook University. Gustafson is the treasurer and a den leader for Cub Scout Pack 776 in Massapequa. For the last three years, he has been a coach for Massapequa Coast Little League Baseball. He is the McKenna Elementary School PTA representative to the Massapequa school board and&nbsp;serves on the school board’s buildings and grounds committee. Gustafson’s two children attend district public schools. This is his first run for the school board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “My intent is to advocate for the schools to get as much state aid as possible and to keep our district financially sound. I believe my professional experience as a manager of multimillion-dollar projects will prove useful to the district.”</p> 
<h2>Cher Lepre</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Lepre, 46, has lived in the district for 18 years. She&nbsp;is an administrative assistant for an internist in Amityville. Lepre grew up in Wheatley Heights and is a 1990 graduate of Half Hollow Hills High School West. She earned a bachelor of business administration degree from Hofstra University. Lepre is the second vice president of the district council of PTAs. She is the advancement chair for Boy Scout Troop 776 in Massapequa. At St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic&nbsp;Church in Massapequa, she is a volunteer catechist and teaches religion.&nbsp;Her three children attend district public schools. This is Lepre’s first run for the school board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> "Ensuring an outstanding education for our students while recognizing how our financial decisions impact our taxpayers. My slogan is: Focused on what counts."</p> 
<h2>Michael McCann</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> McCann, 39, has lived in the district for nine years. A Local 3 Union electrician, he grew up in North Merrick and graduated from Mepham High School in Bellmore in 1998. McCann earned an associate&nbsp;degree in labor studies from SUNY Empire State College.&nbsp;He attended Norwich University in Vermont but left in his junior year to start a Local 3 apprenticeship. McCann coaches baseball in the Massapequa Coast Little League and is a coach for Massapequa Youth Wrestling. He and his family are parishioners at St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic&nbsp;Church in Massapequa. McCann’s two children attend district public schools. This is his first run for the school board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “To continue to provide all children with quality public education and to represent Massapequa with integrity and professionalism at all times.”</p> 
<h2>Allison Steakin</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Steakin, 41, was raised&nbsp;in the district and graduated in the Massapequa High School Class of 1996. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in speech pathology from New York University. Steakin lived in Manhattan from 1996 to 2007, when she and her family moved back into the district. From 2014 to 2016, she&nbsp;was a member&nbsp;of the Massapequa school superintendent’s roundtable, which sought to improve communication between the district and the community. Her&nbsp;three children attend district public schools, and she volunteers as parent advocate for families of children with special needs. This is her first run for the school board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “I believe every child should be provided with every opportunity to reach their full potential whether they are college-bound, pursuing a technical career or overcoming challenges to become a more independent member of society. As a board member, I would want to find ways to invest in programs that will enable all of our children to succeed while keeping the burden on the taxpayers as low as possible.”</p>

vgMASS190519

Massapequa

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong> $40,784,048, a .26 percent increase from the current $40,676,947.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 1.9 percent increase, from $36,163,125 to $36,850,048. This is within the district’s 2.52 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes a 0.6 percent average&nbsp;raise&nbsp;and an average step increase of 2.38 percent. A general education elementary school teacher will be laid off; two teacher assistant positions will go unfilled because there is no demand. The proposed budget adds an English as a New Language community liaison and transfers a sixth-grade teacher to coach science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) for grades K-6. Adds an AP environmental course and 13 elective courses.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 authorizes spending up to $1,960,000 on door and hardware replacement, security upgrades and cafeteria air conditioning upgrades. The money would come from capital reserves at no&nbsp;additional cost to taxpayers.</p> 
<p>Proposition 3 authorizes spending up to $1,600,000 on a new synthetic turf field with dugouts, fencing and walkways. That money would also come from reserves, so it&nbsp;would not increase the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>3 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Mattituck Jr. Sr. High School. <a href="http://www.mufsd.com">www.mufsd.com</a></p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Three candidates for two at-large seats: incumbent Sarah Hassildine, Jennifer Anderson and George Haase. Hassildine was appointed by the board to fill a vacant seat. The candidate who receives the highest number of votes will serve May 21, 2019, through June 30, 2022. The candidate who receives the second highest number of votes will serve July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2022.</p> 
<h2>Sarah Hassildine</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Hassildine, 51, has lived in the district 32 years. She is director of a digital marketing company. Hassildine grew up in upstate Mt. Morris. She graduated from Genesee Community College in Batavia&nbsp;with an associate&nbsp;degree in business management in 1989. One child graduated from district schools. She was elected to her first board of education term in 2012-2015 and was appointed to the board last year to fill an empty seat. She serves on the district’s culture and diversity, curriculum and technology, and buildings and grounds committees.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “One of our big goals is to keep improving security in our district,” Hassildine said. In recent years, she said, the district has added security staff and cameras, and are investigating card locks.</p> 
<h2>Jennifer Anderson</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Anderson, 39, has lived in the district 12 years. She teaches middle school Spanish. Anderson grew up in Montauk. She graduated from Georgetown University in 2002 with a bachelor of arts in international business and Spanish. She graduated from Dowling College in 2005 with a master of science in adolescent education. She graduated from Stony Brook University in 2009 with a degree in educational leadership. She has two children in district schools. Anderson is a PTA member and Little League coach, and she interviews Georgetown University candidates through the university’s alumni admissions program. This is her first run for the school board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> The district is getting little&nbsp;New York State aid and student enrollment is lower than it has been in the past, she said. In that environment, the district must maintain existing programs and try to stay under the state-mandated tax cap. “We’ll consolidate where we need to, while providing more opportunities to increase student achievement.”</p> 
<h2>George Haase</h2> 
<p>Haase did not respond to requests for background and issues statements.</p>

vgMATT190519

Mattituck-Cutchogue

<h2>BUDGET</h2> 
<p><strong>SPENDING</strong> $51,148,849, a 1.24 percent decrease from the current $51,791,334.</p> 
<p><strong>TAX LEVY</strong> 2.9 percent increase, from $39,863,661 to $41,019,707. This is within&nbsp;the district’s 2.93 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.</p> 
<p><strong>TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS</strong> Includes contractual increases ranging from 0.50 to 0.75 percent, with an average step increase of 3.2&nbsp;percent. Adds a guidance counselor position, in accordance with state Education Department regulations,&nbsp;to be shared by the district’s three elementary schools.</p> 
<h2>PROPOSITIONS</h2> 
<p>Proposition 2 authorizes creation of&nbsp;a repair reserve fund for unanticipated, nonrecurring and emergency repairs to school facilities. Funding of the reserve would come from the unappropriated fund balance from the end of the previous fiscal year, and a public hearing would be held regarding any proposed use of the fund. Approval of this proposition will&nbsp;not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<p>Proposition 3 authorizes creation of a $20-million capital reserve fund for school building improvements, renovations, alterations or construction. Funding of the reserve would come from unappropriated fund balance from the end of the previous fiscal year, and no money&nbsp;could be spent without a separate vote for specific capital projects. Approval of the proposition&nbsp;will not affect the tax levy.</p> 
<h2>WHEN | WHERE</h2> 
<p>7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Norman J. Levy Lakeside School.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.merrick.k12.ny.us">www.merrick.k12.ny.us</a>&nbsp;</p> 
<h2>CANDIDATES</h2> 
<p>Gabrielle Curcio and incumbents Sigal Negrin and Gina Piskin are running for two seats, elected at-large.&nbsp;Terms are three years.</p> 
<h2>Gabrielle Curcio</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Curcio, 43, has lived in the district 31 years and&nbsp;is a 1994 graduate of Sanford H. Calhoun High School in Merrick. She&nbsp;is a self-described stay-at-home mother.&nbsp;Curcio has a bachelor's&nbsp;degree in speech communication from Pennsylvania State University and a juris doctor degree from St. John’s University School of Law. She worked as a commercial litigation attorney for a small Manhattan law firm from 2001 to 2008 before&nbsp;leaving&nbsp;to raise a family. For the last five years, Curcio has been an active member of&nbsp;the Chatterton Elementary School PTA and&nbsp;is its co-president. Her two children attend district public schools. She ran unsuccessfully for the school board last year.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “All three elementary schools are having major work done this summer under a bond issue, and the work will continue into the next school year. At this time, there are a lot of things changing and happening at the schools, and as a parent with children in elementary school, I offer an opportunity to really give a voice to elementary school parents.”</p> 
<h2>Sigal Negrin</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Negrin, 48, has lived in the district 23 years. She&nbsp;is vice president of sales and events at RPM Raceway in Farmingdale. She&nbsp;has a bachelor's&nbsp;degree in psychology from SUNY Oneonta&nbsp;and a master's in social work from Adelphi University. She has served for six years on the district's audit committee and has been the district ‘s BOCES representative. Negrin was president of the Birch Hill Elementary School PTA&nbsp;for three consecutive two-year terms and in&nbsp;2010 was honored with the Birch PTA lifetime achievement award. She has two children, one of whom currently attends a public school in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, and one who is a district graduate.&nbsp;Negrin, first elected to the board&nbsp;in 2013, is the panel's&nbsp;president. She&nbsp;is running for her third term.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “The most important issue that faces our district is school safety and security. We need to advocate for additional state aid which would assist us in ensuring that we can continue to provide the most efficient and newest security technology available. We also need to focus on mental health and have enough support staff to adequately address the issues that are facing our younger generation."</p> 
<h2>Gina Piskin</h2> 
<p><strong>BACKGROUND</strong> Piskin, 55, has lived in the district 27 years. She&nbsp;is an administrative assistant for her family’s business, CCP Solutions, an office equipment seller in Farmingdale. She earned a bachelor's&nbsp;degree in history from Adelphi University. A school board member since 2007, Piskin has served for the last three years on the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District school board, whose members are appointed by boards in the component elementary school districts. She serves on the Merrick school board’s audit committee, which reviews district finances. Piskin volunteers for events held locally by the Robbie Levine Foundation, which provides Automated External Defibrillators and CPR devices for sports fields and schools. Her three children attended district public schools from kindergarten through graduation. She&nbsp;is seeking her fifth three-year term on the board.</p> 
<p><strong>KEY ISSUE</strong> “My key issue is school safety. It’s very important to me that the schools are protected, so we have upgraded all of our school security and provided security guards in all of our schools. We have upgraded school entrances, and are in the process of installing a new emergency telephone system, windows and doors in each classroom.”</p>

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