Board of Education candidates Q&A

LEO BONACASA

Bio

I am a lifelong resident of Oceanside (OHS’79). My wife Jill and I have four children, three that have benefited from the excellent Oceanside school district and are currently in college, and our youngest daughter is a junior at OHS. I’ve been deeply committed to our community. I am a longtime member of the Oceanside PTA, and a member of Oceanside Community Service. I currently serve on the Oceanside school districts building and grounds committee. I have coached in the Oceanside United Soccer Club for 10 years where I also held the position of President from 2007-2010. In addition I was named one of Long Island Junior Soccer Leagues Volunteer of the year in 2007 and the Oceanside Kiwanis Clubs Heart of Gold award in 2009. Professionally, I am a partner in a Real Estate management corporation. I have previously served many years as a member of two commercial real estate boards. In addition I held the position of COO of a clothing manufacturing and retail corporation for fifteen years which employed 150 union workers.

Why are you running for this position?

As a lifelong resident of Oceanside, my family has benefited from all that our wonderful community has to offer including our excellent schools. I have volunteered in this community for many years and would like to continue to serve and give back to the community as a Board of Education Trustee.

Why do you think you are qualified for this position?

In these times of difficult challenges we need the skills, knowledge, insight, and commitment that I can offer. We face uncharted financial and budgetary waters ahead. I believe that both my professional background and my involvement with the school district will help me understand the complexity of public education funding. In addition our district’s leadership will benefit from my ability to listen and evaluate the recommendations from the community and administrators so they can continue to make the best decisions for the benefit of its students.

What are your opinions of the current school board?

I believe the current school board has done a fine job with the tasks of keeping financial resources available for maximum benefit in the classroom and continuing to improve the overall educational experience for all our students. However, with that being said I will never settle with status quo and always work to find ways to save the district and taxpayer’s money and ways to improve communication.

What are some of the major issues you would like to address as a board member?

I do not have any major issues that need to be addressed at this time. I do not have an agenda and I believe that the Oceanside School District is doing an excellent job at providing a well-rounded education to all its students. If elected, I am looking forward to working with the new superintendant after the retirement of our current superintendant.

What, to your mind, is the single most pressing issue facing the Oceanside School District?

I believe working within the financial constraints that have been placed on the school district without cutting programs is one of the most pressing issues facing our school district.

MIKE D'AMBROSIO

Bio

I have resided in Oceanside, with my wife and our now-grown three children for over 30 years. I am a proud grandparent. I am a small business owner (I. Chaves Flooring) and I have been an active member of the community. I serve on the Oceanside Library Board, am the Chair of the District’s Buildings and Grounds Committee and a member of the Community Advisory Board for the Department of Community Activities.

I was the proud recipient in 2011 of the Kiwanis Club of Oceanside’s Heart of Gold Award, for service to the children of Oceanside. I am an active member of Oceanside Community Service, the Oceanside Knights of Columbus and Kiwanis. I have been active in soccer both here in Oceanside and throughout the State, serving as a member of the Executive Board of Directors, Long Island Junior Soccer League.

Why are you running for this position?

I feel I can be a tremendous asset to the children of our District. I am the owner of a small business. I am the Chair of the District’s Buildings and Grounds Committee and I currently serve on the Oceanside Library Board. I have been on the Boards of a number of local organizations, and served as Chair for NYS Special Needs Children’s Soccer. I know Oceanside and I know how to get things done. My children have gone through the District and I feel I can be objective about the programs that the District has to offer. Being a resident of Oceanside for over 30 years.

Why do you think you are qualified for this position?

As a small business owner and a member of several non-profit and public boards, I know how to deal with conflicting priorities. My service as Chair of the District’s Buildings and Grounds Committee and my work on the Oceanside Library Board have given me insight into the inner workings of the district and the community. I am active in Oceanside Community Service, the Dept of Community Activities, Kiwanis, St. Anthony’s Parish and the Oceanside Knights of Columbus. I sit on the board of the largest Youth Soccer program in NYS with over 125, 000 children.

What are your opinions on the work of the current school board?

I believe our School Board is doing an excellent job balancing the needs of the students, staff and taxpayers. Although I have the ability to work as a team player, I believe I can bring a fresh perspective to some of the problems we face.

What are some major issues you would like to address as a board member?

I believe the state is over testing our children. As a result, they have created undue pressure on our students and teachers forcing them to choose between academics, creativity, socialization and extra curricular activities. Yes, we must educate our children and make them globally competitive, however, we cannot take the joy away from learning. Secondly, We need to keep our facilities in good repair.

What, to your mind, is the single most pressing issue facing the Oceanside School District?

We have to find the right balance between providing excellent educational and extracurricular opportunities for our students within the boundaries of the tax cap. As a small business owner, and as a member of several non-profit and public Boards, I know how to deal with conflicting priorities. I know, for instance, which building projects can be delayed—and which must be addressed now to keep the students and staff safe and to save the taxpayers money in the future. I have for years regularly attended school board meetings and budget workshops. I have observed how important transparency is, and how important it is to lay out the facts and the reasons behind decisions.

BOB TRANSOM

Bio

Bob Transom is a 1972 Baldwin High School graduate. He enlisted in the Army and served three years active duty with the Army Security Agency in South East Asia during the Vietnam War. He received an honorable discharge in 1978. He attended Campbell College in Buies Creek, North Carolina, graduating in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology. He has worked in Real Estate, Property Management and Construction Management for the past thirty years. He owns Realty Construction Consultants, Inc which provides management services to small commercial buildings and neighborhood shopping centers.

Bob is married to Betsy Tooker-Transom. They have three sons - Michael, Christopher and Craig who were educated in Oceanside Schools..

Why are you running for this position?

I believe that over the last 15 years I’ve been able to work effectively on the School Board, maintaining the highest standards of education for all students in the District — the high achievers as well as middle-of-the-road and at-risk students. We worked hard and have made it an achievable goal that all students receive a diploma. I have worked successfully with other school districts, BOCES, County and State Economic Planners to save money through effective purchasing programs and continual review of long- term maintenance/operational programs.

Why do you think you are qualified for this position?

My professional background in real estate, property management and construction management has saved Oceanside Schools millions of dollars over the years. I have a positive attitude with one agenda – to maintain the excellence of Oceanside Schools and the Town of Oceanside. I bring to the Board Room a positive attitude and work ethic. I work effectively with the administration and teachers — always keeping an eye out for the taxpayer. These are tough fiscal times and it is going to get tougher. I believe I can still make a difference as we navigate the bumpy economic road ahead.

What are your opinions on the work of the current school board?

I believe we have done a good job, but realize there is much more to do. You could define “good job” as the Board agreeing and providing funding necessary for our educational programs, our sound fiscal planning and friendly approachable style of governance. The hardest part of being a board member is that you are one of seven and your idea may not always be what your colleague would agree to.

What are some major issues you would like to address as a Board member?

1.Managing all our programs under the 2% tax cap.

2.Projecting a five-year budget, taking into consideration the Taylor Law and all its implications.

3.Continuing with our 10-15 year capital improvement plan.

4.Continuing cooperative purchasing and cooperative contracts through the Nassau School & Municipal Savings Incentive created in 2009 under the 21st Century Demonstration Shared Service Grant.

5.Fighting federal and state un-funded mandates. They are no good for the children and no good for taxpayers.

6.Continue implementing technology in a useful cost-effective manner districtwide.

What, to your mind, is the single most pressing issue facing the Oceanside School District?

The single most worrisome issue is budgeting under or at the 2% tax cap when all the real costly line items are excluded from the cap and rise dramatically year to year - or are foisted on us as unfunded mandates. We have been successful in our approach to handling this issue in the past thanks to the leadership and business acumen of our Superintendent.