District 13 welcomes new board officers

My advice is just to keep the eye on the ball and keep an eye on the kids.”

Antoinette “Toni” Pomerantz former trustee

The Valley Stream District 13 board of education held its annual reorganization meeting last Wednesday to install new officers for the incoming board as well as reshuffle its committee positions. 

Newcomer Vincent Caposio and Milagros Vicente were sworn in and took the oath of office as newly elected and re-elected board trustees, respectively. This will be Milagros’ third term on the board after serving for six years. Caposio assumed the seat of Antoinette “Toni” Pomerantz, who has been a trustee since 2013 and an elementary school teacher for more than 30 years. Pomerantz was all smiles as she sat in the front row to watch the incoming board take their oaths. “Fabulously” retired from public service, she is looking forward to attending future board meetings as a resident of the district. 

“My advice (for the new trustee) is to care about kids and do the right things for kids,” said Pomerantz. “Just keep the eye on the ball and keep an eye on the kids.”

“My priorities are to ensure that the board articulates a clear vision for a well-rounded education for our children, one that balances high-quality instruction with the community’s financial ability to support such a vision,” Vicente said in a statement to the Herald earlier this year. “I believe an effective school board must create a culture of learning, adapt and evaluate policies, and create avenues to be more transparent and listen to all stakeholders.”

“I feel I can be an asset by helping to improve transparency and communication between the board and parents and taxpayers, recognizing and prioritizing parental rights and choice, developing efforts to increase community involvement, and being fiscally responsible,” Caposio said in a statement to the Herald earlier this year.

The board nominated and made a unanimous 7 – 0 vote to appoint Jennifer Oliveri as president of the board for one year term. Oliveri was formerly the board’s vice president.

School boards are required by law to have an office of president, according to the New York State School Boards Association. Oliveri as president will provide general direction for trustees and school policy discussions to follow. Additionally, the board president speaks on behalf of its members in official communications. Trustee Gerardo Cavaliere’s name was offered as a nominee for vice president of the board as well as Patricia Farrell’s. The board ultimately voted Cavaliere 6 – 1 as vice president of the board for one year term.  The vice president resides as president in meetings where they might be absent and assumes the office should the board president vacate their position. MaryAnn Rosamilia was sworn in as district clerk.