Two candidates run unopposed in North Bellmore

Two candidates are running unopposed for two seats in the North Bellmore School District election. They are JoAnn DeLauter and Rosemarie Corless. The following provides biographies on each.

JoAnn DeLauter

DeLauter was first appointed to the North Bellmore Board of Education in June 2008, she then ran and was elected in May 2009. Her four children have all grown up in the North Bellmore school system. They attended Park Avenue, Grand Avenue Middle School and Mepham High School, where DeLauter was heavily involved in all three PTAs. Edward, 22, graduated from SUNY Oswego this spring, Margaret, 20, is at SUNY New Paltz, Kathryn, 17, is a senior at Mepham and will start at SUNY Albany in the fall, and Jo Ann, 15, is a freshman at Mepham.

Aside from her experience with the PTAs and Board of Education, DeLauter brings years with her years of firsthand educational experience. She holds a bachelor's from West Virginia University and teaches music to nursery school-aged children throughout various schools on Long Island. She also taught religious education at Sacred Heart Academy for 10 years.

DeLauter also served as the treasurer during her time with the PTA before joining the Board of Education. She was part of electing now-Superintendent Arnold Goldstein, "which I believe was a big plus to the school district," she said.

Delauter is also proud of how easily the bond passed earlier this year. "I think that it was a great accomplishment for the community to stand behind the board to get that bond passed," she added.

While proud of accomplishments since joining the board, DeLauter said that she is also aware of the upcoming challenges that the Board of Education faces. She noted that the cuts in state aid are the primary concern for school districts across Long Island. Despite that, she remains committed to maintaining the high level of education that North Bellmore residents have come to expect. "We're in an economic recession," DeLauter said. "And therefore the job of any Board of Education is to provide the highest quality of education that you can."

Rosemarie Corless