East Rockaway School Voters Guide 2010

VOTING

6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday at East Rockaway High School.

THE BUDGET

The district is proposing a 2010-11 budget of $33,450,435, a 2.19 percent increase over the current $32,733,570 school budget. The proposed 2010-11 tax levy would rise to $25,874,993 from the current $24,698,304, a 4.76 percent increase.

District officials said they could not provide information on the tax impact on the average home because they had not received final adjusted base proportions from the Nassau County assessor.

The budget proposal includes a 3.25 percent salary increase for teachers plus unspecified step increases.

There are no significant cuts to programs.

The budget allocates an estimated $59,000 for bus transportation for parochial students who were affected by cuts in MTA service.

Two additional propositions will be on the ballot. One proposition would authorize the district to spend up to $167,600 from the capital reserve fund on improvements and repairs to its high school, Rhame Avenue and Centre Avenue school buildings.

The other referendum would authorize expenditure of up to $112,000 in capital reserve funds for technology projects and SmartBoards for the high school, Rhame Avenue Elementary School and Centre Avenue Elementary School.

District website:

eastrockawayschools.org

THE CANDIDATES

Patricia Nicoletti, Kristin Ochtera and Samuel Schwarzman are running for two open seats with three-year terms. Vicki Alspector and Marie Girace are not seeking re-election.

Patricia Nicoletti

BACKGROUND: Nicoletti, 48, is an elementary school speech therapist in another district. Nicoletti has a bachelor's degree in teaching the speech and hearing handicapped from SUNY Plattsburgh and a master's degree in science in speech pathology from the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University. She and her husband, James, have three children who are attending district schools. Nicoletti has been active in the elementary and high school PTAs for 12 years. This is her first run for the school board.

ISSUES: Nicoletti said, "I think it would be a major advantage if there is someone who is an educator on the school board." She added, "I have over 25 years experience as an educator." Nicoletti continued, "With the trouble in the economy, we need to create new revenue, yet we don't want to cut any programs. . . . I am willing to put the time in and to think creatively about how to do that."

Kristin Ochtera

BACKGROUND: Ochtera, 40, is a homemaker and a part-time preschool aide at a nursery school in Oceanside. She also works as the part-time Christian formation director at the Church of the Ascension Episcopal parish in Rockville Centre. Ochtera and her husband, Bill, have two children who are attending district schools. Ochtera has a bachelor of science degree in education from Hofstra University. She has been active in school district PTAs for 10 years and served from 2003 to 2005, and again from 2007 to 2009, as president of the Rhame Avenue School PTA. This is her first run for the school board.

ISSUES: Ochtera said that as a "homeowner and a parent you are pushed between a rock and a hard place to either support your kids or protest extremely high taxes." However, she said, "The school district is not one of those places where we can afford to chose." Ochtera said, "When the school district succeeds, then our property values are great, our kids are going to higher learning and getting better jobs." She added, "As many years as I have been going to district meetings and participating, I needed to take the next step and become active in board of education policymaking and budget setting."

Samuel Schwarzman

BACKGROUND: Schwarzman, 70, is making his first run for the school board. Schwarzman is a brokerage compliance officer who is currently unemployed. Schwarzman and his wife, Rosalia, have two children who are currently attending district public schools. Schwarzman has an associate degree in accounting from Nassau Community College. He supervises two divisions of the Long Island Junior Soccer League and has been a soccer coach for the past 10 years for the Lynbrook-East Rockaway Soccer Club. He was a member of the school bond committee three years ago and currently serves on the East Rockaway Incorporated Village Board ethics committee.

ISSUES: Schwarzman said, "I go to most of the school board meetings, and I listen to what's going on. . . . I want the people to trust their school board more." Schwarzman said that with two children in public school he is worried that "somewhere down the line if things get tight, they might want to cut out music or sports programs." He added, "You need someone on the board with enough intelligence to understand what's important for the kids and important for the community."