East Meadow School Voters Guide 2010

VOTING

7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the five district elementary schools.

THE BUDGET

The district is proposing a 2010-11 budget of $178,184,341, a 1.71 percent increase over the current $175,185,406. The tax levy would rise to $123,355,451, a 1.36 percent increase over the current $121,702,416.

The dollar amount of the school tax paid on an average single-family house assessed at $370,000 would increase by 3.6 percent, to $5,404.08 from the current $5,216.29.

The proposed budget includes a 1.8 percent salary increase for teachers and an average step increase of 1.9 percent.

District website:

eastmeadow.k12.ny.us

THE CANDIDATES

Five seats are open. Jeffrey Rosenking and incumbent Abby Rothschild-Kaplan are running for a three-year term. Joseph Parisi is running unopposed for a seat being vacated by Steven Jacobs. That term is three years. Jacobs and Corey A. Fanelli are running for a one-year term to fill the seat being vacated by Parisi. Parisi had been appointed to fill the seat after the resignation of board member Diana DeVito in June. Joseph Danenza and Robert Kushner are running for the seat formerly held by Al Semonella, who resigned from the board in October. The term is one year. Incumbent Marcee Rubenstein is running unopposed for a three-year term. Fanelli, Kushner and Rosenking are running as a team. Joseph Danenza

BACKGROUND: Danenza, 54, is assistant director of Police Information Systems for the Nassau County Police in Mineola. Danenza has lived in the district for 27 years. He and his wife, Meri, have two children, one attending a district public school, the other a district graduate. Danenza has a bachelor of arts degree from St. John's University and an MBA from Baruch College in Manhattan. He ran last year for the school board and lost. He is endorsed by the East Meadow Teachers Association.

ISSUES: Danenza said, "I have extensive background in management and consulting in the financial industry at several of the world's largest financial institutions. . . . I have managed multimillion dollar budgets during times of fiscal uncertainty and can bring this experience to the board." Danenza added, "I have a strong background in technology, which I believe will be extremely useful in aiding in the management of these issues."

Corey A. Fanelli

BACKGROUND: Fanelli, 20, is a junior political science major at St. John's University and a graduate of the district. In high school he was a member of the Mock Trial Team, which won the Nassau County Mock Trial Championship twice. In college he was on the debate team in 2008. Fanelli is single and has lived in the district for 18 years.

ISSUES: Fanelli said, "Since I was a student in the school district a few years ago, I have firsthand experience in seeing how money is spent in the district. . . . My unique perspective will help bring new ideas to the board." Fanelli said that although he is young, "I am passionate about education. I received an excellent education in East Meadow schools, which opened up numerous opportunities." He said he wants to do what he can "to make sure that students have the same great opportunities that I had while in the East Meadow School District."

Steven Jacobs

BACKGROUND: Jacobs, 52, is an attorney for the New York State Insurance Fund in Melville, specializing in workers' compensation claims. He has served on the school board for the past three years. He is divorced, with three children, two of whom attend district public schools, and one who is a recent district graduate. Jacobs served as a trustee from 2004 to 2009 at Temple Emanu-El in East Meadow. Jacobs has a bachelor of arts degree from Brooklyn College and a Juris Doctor law degree from Brooklyn Law School. An 18-year district resident, he has served on the school district's financial advisory committee and coached Police Athletic League basketball in the early 2000s.

ISSUES: Jacobs said that as a member of the school board financial advisory committee he suggested installing elevators in school buildings to accommodate the Americans With Disabilities Act and also to assist students who suffer sports injuries. Jacobs said that this year "we face the challenge of maintaining programs." "We need to cut by attrition," he added. He said his background - three years as a board member, 25 years as a government attorney/supervisor, and other financial experience - "uniquely qualifies" him. Jacobs added, "My opponent is 20 years old. With all the challenges we are facing, this is not the time to go with someone who lacks experience."

Robert Kushner

BACKGROUND: Kushner, 84, is retired. He is the former president of a small manufacturing company in Union City, N.J. Kushner served six three-year terms on the East Meadow school board between 1978 and 1998. He ran again and lost in 1999. Kushner and his wife, Edith, have four children who are graduates of East Meadow public schools. He serves as an elections inspector for the school district and is on the board of Reform Educational Financing Inequities Today (REFIT), an organization he said represents "high-tax, low-wealth" school districts. Kushner has lived in the district for 50 years. He holds a bachelor of science degree in physics from Brooklyn College.

ISSUES: Kushner said that he is a "lobbyist" who meets with legislators, "here and in Albany," to ask for increased school funding. Kushner said that the current East Meadow school board suffers from "the loss of civility" and from "antagonisms" and "tumultuous meetings." Kushner said, "When asked by some people, I agreed to run for the board again." He added, "The most important issue for me is to help re-establish a harmonious, constructive, functioning Board of Education."

Jeffrey P. Rosenking

BACKGROUND: Rosenking, 49, is a project manager for a global financial services firm. He has a bachelor of science degree from Stony Brook University, a master of science degree from the New York Institute of Technology and a master's certificate in information technology project management from George Washington University. He and his wife, Carol, have two daughters in district public schools. This is his first run for the school board. He has lived in the district for 16 years.

ISSUES: Rosenking said that the most important issue is to "determine how to maintain state-of-the-art academic, sports, art and music programs." He said that as a board member he would collaborate with other board members to adopt a "fiscally conservative school budget." Rosenking said he wants to identify methods to "increase aid from Albany." He wants to reduce costs by forming "purchasing, construction and maintenance co-ops" and by "utilizing alternative energy sources to help power our schools and possibly generate revenue in the summer months."

Abby Rothschild-Kaplan

BACKGROUND: Rothschild-Kaplan, 49, is a freelance photojournalist and a part-time property manager of commercial real estate in Queens. A lifelong resident of the district, Rothschild-Kaplan has served on the board for the past three years and is currently its vice president. She is married to former East Meadow School trustee David Kaplan. Rothschild-Kaplan has a son and daughter who graduated from East Meadow public schools. She has a bachelor of fine arts degree from New York University and took 24 credits toward a master's degree in secondary education and psychology at Adelphi University.

ISSUES: Rothschild-Kaplan said she is "thrilled" that the school board has completed negotiations and approved contracts with the teachers, administrators and school-related personnel unions. The board did so months before these union contracts were up in August, she said. Rothschild-Kaplan said, "This is a fiscally sound budget, but the teachers have to be treated with respect." She said, "My three years of service as a member and vice president of the [school board], the conferences and workshops I've attended, and the challenges I've already faced have all contributed to build my readiness to continue to lead our district at this critical time."