Bayport-Blue Point School Voters Guide 2010

VOTING

7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Bayport-Blue Point High School gymnasium.

THE BUDGET

The proposed 2010-11 school district budget is $61,989,773, a 2.56 percent increase over the current budget of $60,441,711. The proposed tax levy of $41,969,256 is an increase of 3.59 percent over the current $40,513,597.

The tax bill paid on the average single-family house would rise by 3.59 percent, from $6,502 now to $6,736 under the proposed budget. The assessed value of the average house is $37,350 in Bayport in the Town of Islip and $2,604 in Blue Point in the Town of Brookhaven.

Teachers salaries are currently being negotiated. The proposed budget calls for a reduction, through attrition and layoffs, of 28 staff positions, including four clerical, four custodial/maintenance workers, 13 teacher assistants, three teacher aides, 1.8 teaching positions and 2.2 administrative positions.

No programs have been cut or added.

An additional proposition asks for a yes-or-no vote on a community-generated petition to reduce the number of board members from nine to seven.

District website:

bbpschools.orgTHE CANDIDATES

Incumbent Leonard Camarda is running unopposed. Rita Palma is running against incumbent Molly E. Licalzi and William P. Zoller is challenging incumbent James S. March. All terms are three years.

Molly E. Licalzi

BACKGROUND: Licalzi, 44, is running for her first full term, having been named a trustee replacement two years ago. She and her husband, Edward, have two daughters who attend district schools. A 13-year district resident, Licalzi works as a coordinator for curriculum and assessment in another district. She received her bachelor's degree in English from SUNY Fredonia, a master of science from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, a second master of science in elementary education at Dowling College and an advanced graduate certificate in school district administration from Stony Brook University.

ISSUES: Pointing to drastic program cuts by the Board of Education this year and a coming year with even harder challenges, Licalzi said, "We must think out of the box, in order to maintain the current core curriculum for our students while being fiscally responsible. Our community cannot afford higher taxes." She said that voters would benefit from her experience and that it would take time for any new member to learn the "rules, regulations and protocol of being a trustee. I welcome change, and I am prepared to make these tough decisions."

James S. March

BACKGROUND: March, 58, is a lifelong district resident. He and his wife, Kathleen, have three grown children who all attended district schools. He is the owner and manager of a full-service marina, where he's worked full-time since graduating from Hamilton College in 1974. March has been on the board for 12 years, nine as president, and is seeking his fifth term.

ISSUES: March said the most important issue facing the district is the unsupported mandates imposed on public education by the state and federal governments. "The result becomes an increasing burden upon the property taxpayer, a totally unfair and regressive form of supplementation." He said his consistent message has been the need for legislation allowing the board of education to impose identified but so-far-prohibited cost-saving measures. He holds positions with the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association, which "successfully fought for expense reductions for all LI schools. . . . I cannot continue that battle without my community's support."

Rita Palma

BACKGROUND: Palma has lived in the district for 42 of her 47 years. She and husband, Ronald, have three sons who attend district schools. A graduate of Syracuse University with a bachelor's degree in journalism and a minor in public affairs, she's currently pursuing a paralegal certificate.

ISSUES: For Palma, "The most important issue we face is the current system's lack of sustainability with the consequence of unmanageable property taxes." She said her goal is to be a strong voice for the taxpayer "as we renegotiate with all our bargaining units. . . . We can find an approach that values taxpaying families while not compromising education for our kids. The status quo has to go."

William P. Zoller

BACKGROUND: Zoller, 43, has lived in the district for 16 years. The retired New York City police officer is married to Roberta and has three children in a district elementary school. Zoller attended Suffolk County Community College before entering the city's police academy in 1986.

ISSUES: The most important issue facing the district, said Zoller, is "how to reduce our soaring tax burden." Zoller said his goal if elected to the school board would be to examine the "approximate 70 percent school tax which makes up our annual tax bill." He said he would oversee spending to identify operating inefficiencies and eliminate waste. "Business as usual must stop," he said. "It's time for a change. The change is now."