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A Few Clouds How well do you know your school board candidates?
Board of Education elections for the Franklin Square and Elmont school districts will be held on May 17, in addition to budget elections for Sewanhaka, Franklin Square and Elmont. How well do you know the candidates who are running?
Local BOE candidates Jean Fichtl, Anthony Maffea, Deniese Walker and Gina Burnett talked to the Herald about what they intend to bring to the board.
How long have you lived in the district, and served on the BOE?
Jean: I’ve lived in the district for 33 years, and I’ve been on the board for the past 15 years.
Deniese: I’ve lived in the district my entire life, and I’ve served on the Elmont BOR for one term, or three years.
Anthony: I have lived in the district for 12 years, on Raff Avenue in Elmont, and I have served on the board for three years, or one term.
Gina: I have lived in Elmont for over 15 years. If I am elected, it will be my first term on Elmont’s BOE.
Tell me about your background:
Jean: I went to St. Helena High School in the Bronx, and since then I have been involved in Polk Street’s and Carey’s Parent-Teacher Associations, I worked on the local Boy Scouts Troop 93, I was involved in warrior cheerleaders and for two years I was the president of the Central Council of PTAs — the PTA for the 22 schools within the Sewanhaka district.
Deniese: I grew up on Hoeffner Street in Elmont, and then I moved to Marguerite Avenue, where I live now. My family has been in Elmont for six generations, and all of us went through the Elmont school district. I went to LaGuardia Community College, where I had my first experience sitting on a board — I was a parent representative, and then I sat on the board for the Childhood Learning Center for one year. Before I had my children, I had a small involvement in the Elmont district, and once I had my children I became even more involved. I sat on the district’s advisory board and worked very close with the PTA, I was a parent representative with Gateway Youth Outreach, and I was a member of the Jamaica Square Civic Association.
