Eastport-South Manor School Voters Guide 2010

VOTING

6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Eastport South Manor Jr.-Sr. High School.THE BUDGET

The district is proposing a budget of $79,349,290 for the 2010-11 school year, an increase of 1.95 percent over the current budget of $77,833,860. The tax levy would rise 3.61 percent to $43,609,301 from $42,089,358.

The average home assessed at $3,500 would pay $7,436 in school taxes, an estimated increase of 3.61 percent over the current figure of $7,177.

The proposed budget also includes a 3 percent salary increase and a 2.8 percent step increase for the average teacher.

The proposed budget does not call for teacher and staff reductions, and it does not call for specific program or service cuts.

District website:

esmonline.org

THE CANDIDATES

Incumbents Arthur Abbate and Karen Kesnig are running against challengers Marie T. Brown, Ralph C. Fuccillo, Michael Lieberman and Donna Moeller for three seats, each with a three-year term.

Arthur Abbate

BACKGROUND: Abbate, 54, has lived in the district for 16 years and is a manager for National Grid. Abbate and his wife, Benedetta, have three children, one attending the district high school and two who graduated from district schools. Abbate received a bachelor's degree from New York Institute of Technology and a master's degree in organizational management and an executive MBA, both from St. Joseph's College. Abbate is vice president of the school board.

ISSUES: Abbate said the challenge for the district is to provide quality education in the midst of cutbacks in funding. "One of the things I've done is implement zero-based budgeting. You start out with zero . . . and [all] spending has to be justified. That allows us to hold the line on certain expenditures in the district for the last three years," Abbate said. "It also brought a new discipline to the spending process in the school district." Abbate said he would support another round of early retirement packages for teachers as a way to cut costs. The move saved $1 million last year, Abbate said. "We have delivered some meaningful cuts to the district, and at the same time we've been able to grow tests scores, expand programs in education and maintain excellent sports programs," he said. Abbate, who chairs the audit committee, said he was "extremely proud" that Eastport-South Manor received a clean audit from state auditors.

Marie T. Brown

BACKGROUND: Brown, 47, has lived in the district for 12 years. She was a bank assistant vice president and is currently a full-time homemaker. Brown received a bachelor's degree in business administration from Iona College. She and her husband, Anthony, have two girls, both of whom attend district schools.

ISSUES: Brown said delivering responsible budgets to residents and taxpayers while maintaining quality education for all is one of the most important issues facing the district. Board members are charged with making decisions about facilities, money, programs and community relations, Brown said. Brown said she has already shown her commitment to the community by becoming an executive member of the school's PTO and taking part in the Character Education & Shared Decision Team. "I would like the opportunity to continue to make a difference in our community," Brown said.

Ralph C. Fuccillo

BACKGROUND: Fuccillo, 46, owns an air conditioning company based in Hampton Bays. He and his wife, Nancy, have two children, both of whom are attending district schools. Fuccillo received a bachelor's degree in finance from Catholic University of America and was inducted into the college's Hall of Fame in 2007. Fuccillo, who has lived in the district for 17 years, is chairman of the Southampton Town Board of Assessment Review.

ISSUES: Fuccillo said it's important that school board members work with administrators and educators to provide a quality education to the students without imposing a large burden on taxpayers. He said the cost of education continues to rise while funding from New York State continues to decrease; school board members must cut back spending without sacrificing the quality of education. "My experience as a businessman and chairman of the Board of Assessment Review provides me the insight and ability to make the tough decisions," Fuccillo said.

Karen Kesnig

BACKGROUND: Kesnig, 50, has lived in the district for two decades. She is an attorney specializing in estate planning and administration. Kesnig and her husband, Richard, have four children, two of whom are attending district schools. The couple's older children graduated from district schools. She received a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University at Albany and a law degree from St. John's University. Kesnig has served on the board since 1997.

ISSUES: Kesnig said the most important issue facing the district is "trying to get more money from the state" in order to continue to pay for an "excellent" education. The district has a "healthy" level of reserve funds, Kesnig said. "We're particularly lucky in that we're in excellent financial shape," she said. She pledges to lobby State Sen. Kenneth LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) to increase funding. "I will work to try to bring expenses in line," Kesnig said.

Michael Lieberman

BACKGROUND: Lieberman, 47, is director of sales for a manufacturer and distributor of vinyl and wood chain-link fences with offices in Medford and Calverton. Lieberman and his wife, Natalie, have three children: two currently attending district schools and one graduated from the district. He received a bachelor's degree in business and public administration from the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University. Lieberman served on the school board for a year and a half earlier in the decade. He has lived in the district for more than 10 years.

ISSUES: Lieberman said the educational system in New York State is broken and in desperate need of reform. School boards across Long Island and around the state, he said, could band together and lobby state lawmakers to make changes. "This is a government issue," Lieberman said. "It's costing taxpayers a ridiculous amount of money." School taxes, he said, are going up every year and single-digit increases add up after a decade. Lieberman said people are frustrated. "I don't have the answer. The people in the community, they know about my energy and drive and that I will do the right thing."

Donna Moeller

BACKGROUND: Moeller, 47, has lived in the district for 16 years. She is a nurse in the district's middle school. Moeller, a widow, has three children. Two of her children are attending district schools and her eldest son graduated from the district. Moeller received a bachelor's degree in nursing from Mount Saint Mary College.

ISSUES: Moeller said board members need to collaborate with teachers, administrators, parents and students to forge a better relationship so they can build a "solid" foundation for the future. "I'd like to be the catalyst to foster this dialogue. It truly does take a village to raise a child," Moeller said. "My priority is to become an integral part of every child's individual education." She would like to reach out to the district's alumni to get feedback on what type of education the district provided to them and whether the district met their needs. "They have a vested interest in the community to pave the way for future generations. They are our legacy," said Moeller.