Half Hollow Hills School Voters Guide 2010

VOTING

7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday at Half Hollow Hills High School East.

THE BUDGET

The district is proposing a budget of $207,881,882 for the 2010-11 school year, an increase of 2.97 percent over the current $201,876,771. The tax levy would rise from $164,683,336 to $170,108,277, an increase of 3.29 percent.

The average homeowner in Huntington with a house assessed at $5,500 would pay $8,849 in taxes. In Babylon, the average homeowner with a house assessed at $4,184 would pay $5,257.

District officials declined to provide estimated percentage increases over the current year's tax bills.

The proposed budget for 2010-11 includes a 3 percent contractual raise for teachers and an undisclosed step raise. Salaries are frozen for the 2011-2012 school year.

Through attrition, there is a reduction of about 19 budgeted teaching positions and six budgeted administrative and support staff.

District website:

halfhollowhills.k12.ny.us

THE CANDIDATES

Incumbents Jeanine Bottenus and Eric Geringswald are running as a team against challengers Glen Landow and Steve Noskin, who also are running as a team, for two at-large seats with three-year terms.

Jeanine Bottenus

BACKGROUND: Bottenus, 50, has lived in the district for 26 years. She is an administrative assistant for a parking garage company and holds an associate's degree from Nassau Community College. She and her husband, Richard, have two children who attend district schools.

ISSUES: Bottenus said the challenge for the district is "balancing education excellence with its price tag." She said she has participated in a State Senate hearing on that issue and implemented a "Going Green" energy contract that saved taxpayers more than $1 million a year. She said she also has worked with teachers and administrators to achieve pay freezes and retirement incentives. She said she will continue "embracing savings measures" if elected.

Eric Geringswald

BACKGROUND: Geringswald, 47, is a director of transactional services and has lived in the district for more than 30 years. He and his wife, Victoria, have four children attending schools in the district. Geringswald earned a bachelor's degree from Washington College.

ISSUES: Geringswald said the most important issue facing the district is "keeping taxes as low as possible given the continued reduction in state aid and increase in government mandates." He said he expects state aid to be decreased further in the 2011-2012 school year and that his skills as a business executive are valuable toward ensuring "that we reduce costs without harming our educational programs."

Glen Landow

BACKGROUND: Landow, 39, works as an architect and has lived in the district for 31 years. He graduated from Half Hollow Hills High School East and earned a bachelor's degree from Syracuse University and a master of architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Caryn, have two sons attending district schools.

ISSUES: In the current financial climate, Landow said, the district has "to be even more respectful of our taxpayers and focus our resources on the programs that directly benefit all of our kids." He said the district should work to increase community involvement in the education process and empower teachers to be innovative. He said it is also important to create a "safe and supporting" learning environment for students.

Steve Noskin

BACKGROUND: Noskin, 49, owns a playground surfacing company and has lived in the district for 22 years. He is a graduate of Half Hollow Hills High School East and has a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan. He and his wife, Marianne, have three children attending schools in the district and a fourth who graduated from the district last year.

ISSUES: Noskin said the most important issues facing the district are "the need to establish an innovative curriculum, provide full transparency with community participation, ensure fiscal responsibility and enforce a safe and supportive environment for our children." As a business owner, he said, he would make tough cost-cutting decisions. He also wants the dangers of cyberbullying and drugs to become part of the curriculum.