Elmont School Board: Angel Camacho

Angel Camacho, 61, has had a short term on the school board — just three months. But in that short period, he said, he has learned to embrace the challenges of being a member of an educational team.

"I'm enjoying it, I really am. The other board members are great, we work well together," Camacho said. "They're very happy with me and I'm very happy with them."

Camacho is a corrections captain with the New York City Department of Correction, and has been for 24 years. He's looking forward to his retirement next year, and is hoping to spend a lot more of his free time continuing his work in the Elmont School District.

"It's a really enjoyable thing," he said. "I get to see how much what we do really affects them, that's where my interest really lies, to make sure they don't lose what they have now."

Camacho said he's aware that families in the area are struggling now, and said that as a taxpayer in the community, he can empathize with those who are unhappy with how high their school taxes are. Ultimately, he said, he'd like to see the district work with other schools in the area to form coalitions that would help them save money. He also said the district's attempts to work electronically with a paperless system was also a money saver.

"I don't like to see my taxes go up any more than anyone else," he said. "I understand how people feel, but we do our best as far as spending is concerned. The whole thing comes down to what shape the economy is going to be in."