West Babylon School Voters Guide 2010

VOTING

9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Santapogue Elementary School and district administration building.

THE BUDGET

The district is proposing a budget of $94,266,369 for the 2010-11 school year, an increase of 2.08 percent from the current budget of $92,342,203. The tax levy would rise 6.9 percent to $59,954,083 from the current levy of $56,086,680.

The average homeowner with a house assessed at $4,500 would pay $7,860, a 7.13 percent increase from the current $7,337.

The proposed budget includes a 2 percent contractual increase in teacher salaries and the reduction of two teaching assistants, three elementary teachers and 10 paraprofessionals. Equipment purchases are restored in the proposed budget, as well as seventh-grade sports and ELA elementary summer school. The proposed budget also includes the purchase of two new small buses.

District website:

westbabylon.k12.ny.us

THE CANDIDATES

Incumbents Diane Klein and Wendy DeGaetano face off against James F. Bocca, Donna Livoti and Peter Scarlatos Jr. for three seats with three-year terms. Klein and DeGaetano are running as a team. Joseph Romano is not seeking re-election.

James F. Bocca

BACKGROUND: Bocca, 50, served on the board from 2001 to 2007. He was re-elected in May 2008 but resigned for personal reasons. In 2009 Bocca ran again but lost. He has lived in the district for 16 years. A self-employed landscaper, Bocca and his wife, Jennifer, have three children, two of whom graduated from the district and one who attends school in the district.

ISSUES: Bocca said the district must try to maintain the level of education students are currently receiving. "Because of cutbacks by the governor and unemployment, just keeping the programs we already have is a real challenge," Bocca said. He said board members and administrators must work together to try to avoid layoffs because that would also cut programs that are important to the students.

Wendy DeGaetano

DeGaetano declined to provide any information about her background or issues.

Diane Klein

BACKGROUND: On the board since 2007, Klein, 46, is a teaching assistant in another school district who holds a bachelor's degree in special education from Dowling College. She and her husband, William, have two children who are graduates of the district and currently in college. Klein is a lifelong resident of the district.

ISSUES: Klein said the district is facing two major issues: producing a fiscally sound budget in light of state aid cuts and rebuilding South Bay Elementary School, which was heavily damaged in a February fire; students were relocated to Our Lady of Grace Church for the remainder of the school year. She said she has worked hard to create a budget that preserves "the quality of education we want for our children." Klein said that if re-elected, she will "continue to work with my team to ensure that South Bay gets rebuilt and that the children will continue to be housed together in the church and that we will be able to provide them with an appropriate academic environment."

Donna Livoti

BACKGROUND: Livoti, 51, is a special projects director for a Holbrook business and a graduate of West Babylon High School. A 48-year resident of the district, she and her husband Donald have three children, two of whom graduated from the district and one who attends school in the district.

ISSUES: Livoti said the most important issue facing the district is the tax increase in this year's budget due to a reduction in state aid. She said it will be difficult to balance reducing costs while striving to maintain or improve standards in education and the district's report card. Livoti said that in addition to her pride in and loyalty to the community, her "work experience and history of streamlining budgets, cost accounting and success in reducing costs will be beneficial in these difficult times to the board of education and the community."

Peter Scarlatos Jr.

BACKGROUND: Scarlatos, 41, has lived in the district his whole life. A retired New York City firefighter, he and his wife, Dawn, have two children attending school in the district.

ISSUES: Scarlatos said the board should focus on ways to have schools thrive "in a time of economic uncertainty." He said that, if elected, he will carefully review the budget and look for areas of cost savings, adding that his goal is to make the budget work without staff reductions or raising taxes. Students' needs should be a priority, Scarlatos said, adding, "Our schools are most successful when we support experienced teachers and provide them with all the resources necessary to inspire and motivate our children."