Longwood School Voters Guide 2010

VOTING

7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Coram Elementary School, West Middle Island Elementary School, Ridge Elementary School and Charles E. Walter Elementary School.

THE BUDGET

The district is proposing a budget of $208,200,000, which is a 2.26 percent increase over the current budget of $203,600,000. The local tax levy would rise from $109,101,061 to $111,846,567, an increase of 2.52 percent.

Taxes on an average home assessed at $2,565 would increase 2.52 percent from $5,236 to $5,368.

The proposed budget includes a 3.2 percent average contractual increase in salaries for teachers, plus an average step increase of 2.7 percent.

The budget calls for a reduction of teachers - fewer than five, officials say - through attrition. The budget will not include significant cuts or changes to existing school programs, school officials said.

There are two propositions on the ballot. The first asks if the district can create a reserve fund to pay for various repairs and replacements for district properties and equipment. District officials said the new $12-million reserve fund would not necessitate an increase in taxes.

The other proposition relates to the distance that district transportation can be used to bring resident students to private schools. With voter approval, the district will extend the radius from 15 to 28 miles. The move would cost $704,656.13.

District website:

longwood.k12.ny.us

THE CANDIDATES

Incumbents Michael A. Loguercio Jr. and Genine M. Schwinge are running against challengers Desiree Elliott, Frank Muraca and John Sepulveda for two seats with three-year terms.

Desiree Elliott

BACKGROUND: Elliott, 48, is a stay-at-home mother who formerly worked as a beautician. She began living in the Longwood district at age 9 and has lived in the district for about 30 years total. Elliott attended beautician school and Suffolk County Community College. Elliott and her husband, Mark, have two daughters who attend the district junior high.

ISSUES: Elliott is running on a pledge to eliminate waste from the school district budget. She promised "economizing" and to "eliminate what . . . is no longer in the best interest of Longwood's taxpayers." Elliott said she will participate in the board's legislative committee to put pressure on state government to provide the district with ample funding. She also believes that as a self-described "PTA mom" she will be able to trim the budget without jeopardizing the level of education provided in the district. Elliott said she would support a school budget that fairly compensates teachers and staff without raising taxes.

Michael A. Loguercio Jr.

BACKGROUND: Loguercio, 51, has lived in the district for all but nine of the past 33 years, and has lived in Ridge since 1997. He is the vice president of sales for a company that provides technology to financial institutions. Loguercio and his wife, Ann Marie, have two children who attend the district high school. Loguercio holds an associate degree in criminal justice from Suffolk County Community College and a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix.

ISSUES: Loguercio, who is president of the school board, is running for his third term. He believes the biggest issue facing the school district is the need to provide property tax relief in an era of declining state and federal aid. He cites the fact that the district received 54 percent of its funding through state and federal sources when he was first elected in 2004. That figure has dipped to 48 percent, he said. Loguercio said he understands "we're all in tough financial times" but still he contends that "New York State . . . shouldn't put the burden on the taxpayers of our community," he said.

Frank Muraca

BACKGROUND: Muraca, 63, is retired and has lived in the Longwood district for 37 years. He worked as a supply support manager for Northrop Grumman, the aerospace and defense technology contractor. He graduated from East Meadow High School and holds an associate degree in industrial engineering from Nassau Community College. He has completed management courses through Northrop Grumman and 25 college credits in computer technology. His two daughters attended Longwood schools from kindergarten through high school, and one is a teacher at Ridge Elementary School. Muraca, who is married, is not running as a member of a slate.

ISSUES: Muraca said the school board needs to monitor the district's cash reserves, which he fears could decline to the point where it becomes difficult to maintain the current level of teacher staffing. He said the board needs to monitor the budget throughout the year and not just during budget season. Muraca said he would like the school board to take a more active role in crafting the budget. "The future budgets are really the most important thing," he said.

Genine M. Schwinge

BACKGROUND: Schwinge, 50, is a nurse at John T. Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson and a visiting assistant professor of nursing at Suffolk County Community College. She holds two master's degrees in nursing from Stony Brook University. She and her husband, Edward, have two daughters; one graduated from the district and one is enrolled in a district school. Schwinge is running for her second term.

ISSUES: Schwinge described the biggest issue facing the district as "the fiduciary challenges we have." Another key issue for the school board, Schwinge said, is to remain connected to the community despite the district's large size - about 52 square miles. She said the district has formed strong bonds with local civic organizations, church groups and youth sports leagues, and it is important for the school board to cultivate those relationships. Schwinge said if re-elected she would work to "preserve the programs we have and not lose them because they are working." She said the board should work to maintain class sizes, and continue to support drug awareness and extracurricular activities.

John Sepulveda

BACKGROUND: Sepulveda, 35, is a senior engineer with a communications electronics firm in Hauppauge. He holds an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from Farmingdale State College, a certificate of advanced graduate study in information systems from Stony Brook University and an MBA from Dowling College. He is working toward a master's degree in financial engineering at Columbia University. Sepulveda and his wife, Ania, have a 2-year-old daughter.

ISSUES: Sepulveda is running on a promise of property tax relief, but said the district must still "meet or exceed our students' needs in difficult economic times." He said the district has more support staff than it needs, and he would seek to trim that part of the budget. Sepulveda said the school board must be careful in making budget cuts because "theoretically you can tax people to death and still never be able to pay for everything."