Re-elect Mountanos, McLoughlin in Wantagh

Voters in the Wantagh School District will have a difficult decision to make when they head to the polls next Tuesday. This year’s Board of Education ballot features three candidates for two seats, and all have board experience.

Incumbents Peter Mountanos and Kera McLoughlin have each served one term. Challenger Jean Quinn left the board voluntarily in 2013, after six years of service. Regardless of who is elected, Wantagh residents will pick two people who know the job well.

It certainly poses a dilemma for us. In making our endorsement, we asked, does Wantagh need a change?

The answer is no. The current group of five trustees has been together for two years. In that time they have adopted two consecutive budgets that have reduced the tax levy while enhancing programs and services. They created a capital reserve fund to cover needed building upgrades, reached an agreement with the teachers’ union and extended the contract of their superintendent.

McLoughlin and Mountanos are a big part of this board, and both bring unique perspectives to the table. Mountanos is a 2012 graduate of Wantagh High School, and was elected during his freshman year at New York University. Board members this young are rare, but he has thrived in the role. He is in touch with students’ needs. The annual Tech Day, a Saturday program in January that exposes them to computer programming, is his brainchild. He has also pushed for many of the technology initiatives the district has adopted in the past few years or will be implementing next year, such as robotics and engineering courses at the high school.

McLoughlin is a mother of three, with her youngest entering kindergarten next year. The former Massapequa teacher not only has knowledge of the classroom, but is the only candidate or sitting board member who will be a parent of children in the district for many years to come. She wants to ensure that when it comes to testing, the district hasn’t lost sight of its mission to educate students in other areas, such as science and the arts.

Although this did not factor into our decision, it should be noted that McLoughlin and Mountanos are running as a team. Elected separately three years ago, they have come to be each other’s biggest supports. They exemplify how a board should operate: as a group of people with different perspectives and ideas coming together to work toward a common goal.

Quinn has an exemplary record of community service, from her six years on the board to her PTA leadership. She successfully organized a reunion last year for past Sports Night captains to celebrate the event’s 60th year. She is a Wantagh lifer, and her dedication is unquestioned. She was also part of the Board of Education that elevated Maureen Goldberg from elementary school principal to superintendent four years ago, providing the stability that Wantagh sorely needed at that time.

If circumstances were different, Quinn would get our support. Wantagh has experienced several rocky years, with constant changes in leadership. Now the district is running like a well-oiled machine, and it should enjoy this period of stability. We hesitate to disrupt that, and find no compelling reason to make a change.

Mountanos and McLoughlin have been excellent board members over the past three years, and each deserves a second term. They are two bright people who have shown great initiative, and we can only imagine what they have in store with that experience under their belts. We urge residents to vote for them on Tuesday.