Candidates vetted at PTA forum

As Island Park residents gear up to vote on a $32.5 million budget on Tuesday, candidates vying for an open seat on the Island Park school board fielded questions about the budget and a slew of other issues at a PTA-sponsored candidates forum on May 4, a venue that allowed residents to gauge how the prospective candidates might perform as trustees.

About 50 residents turned out to hear from candidates Richard Schurin, a Manhattan-based attorney who ran unsuccessfully two years ago, and Richie Hayes, a supervisor at the Wantagh Animal Shelter, who are running to fill a five-year seat being vacated by Trustee Barbara Speight. Both Hayes and Schurin pledged to act as advocates for the community, preserve educational programs and find ways to cut costs.

The forum was moderated by a Nassau Region PTA representative, with each candidate given one minute to answer written questions submitted by residents.

The race comes on the heels of the board's recent adoption of the 2010-11 school budget, which would increase spending by $1.29 million over the current budget. The tax levy, the amount of money the district would raise in taxes, would increase 2.83 percent. Both candidates said they support the budget and emphasized the importance of its passage.

Hayes, who has one child in the district, said that one of his main initiatives would be to reinstitute a high school committee among Island Park residents. The idea, Hayes said, would be to get the community more involved on the high school level, creating an inclusive environment with the Long Beach and West Hempstead high schools. He also pledged to do more to keep residents informed about the school board and how it does business.

Schurin, who has two children in the district, pledged to be an advocate for the community as well, and wants to bring greater transparency to the board if elected. He said that as an attorney, he is qualified to provide input as a board member on financial and legal matters. Like Hayes, he believes that extracurricular activities don't end with the school day, and that these programs are essential to learning.

And while both candidates portrayed themselves as independent thinkers and demonstrated some similarities — such as their firm commitment to the district and community — the forum revealed some stark differences between the two.

Perhaps the most striking difference was how they viewed the district's fiscal practices. While Hayes said that the current board is doing a great job overall and praised the work it did on the budget, Schurin was more critical, and said more could be done to eliminate wasteful spending.

Specifically, both were asked their thoughts following calls from some in the community to sell the conference center on Radcliffe Road. The building is used for Board of Education meetings and other district activities. Hayes said he would have to give it some thought to see if it was a viable option, keeping in mind its many uses in the district. Schurin believes the district can do without it, noting the expenses earmarked for repairs to the building in the 2010-11 budget, in addition to the cost of maintenance to the building.

"It won't affect education and it can save the district money," Schurin said.

Residents also asked where the candidates stood on the issue of concessions by teachers, especially if the budget fails to pass. Both candidates emphasized the importance of getting the message out to the public to vote in favor of the budget, because if it were to fail, programs could suffer. However, Schurin said he believe teachers need to make a sacrifice in these tough economic times if the budget were voted down, while Hayes said he would need more information if the budget were to fail before he would consider any type of concessions.

The issues went beyond the budget, however, as residents inquired about whether the candidates have the time and energy to serve the district (both said they do); their stance on the option to choose which high school parents send their children to (they support choice) and where they stand on the issue of consolidation.

In regard to the latter, Hayes said that the community would "lose its identity" if the district were consolidated, not to mention the small class sizes and rich curriculum that the district enjoys. Schurin said that despite some rumors that he was in favor of consolidation, he is staunchly opposed to it, saying that the community would "lose control of our schools" and it would negatively impact taxpayers, since 46 percent of the district's tax levy is paid for by the power plant.

Schurin clarified further, explaining that at board meetings, he had said that "we needed to get our finances in order and present ourselves as an efficient district, so legislators wouldn't force consolidation on us."

Schurin said he was partly referring to the district's use of reserve funds, saying that New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli criticized the district last year for "inappropriately" keeping excess money in reserves. DiNapoli said that the funds should have been kept in the general fund balance, according to an audit released last year. Schurin brought up the issue when the candidates were asked whether the district should float bonds for capital projects instead of using reserve funds. Hayes said that he would avoid using bonds, saying that they are "like using a credit card ... you don't want to worry about it 10 years down the line."

Schurin too was opposed to bonding, although he was more critical. He maintains that the district should have established a capital reserve account for the purpose of things such as new boilers, which were purchased two years ago.

"The right way to do it is to establish a capital reserve. The district hordes its reserves and uses it for other projects," Schurin said. "The New York state comptroller was critical of that. I think that establishing a capital reserve is the honest way to do it."

After the meeting, board members took issue with Schurin's contention, saying that the comptroller's criticism was misleading and that the recommended changes in the audit have been made. Board member Diana Caracciolo said that the district successfully passed the state audit and that the comptroller's concerns were addressed (See letter, page 36).

"The comptroller had brought that to our attention and the board quickly addressed it," Caracciolo said. "There are certainly no illegalities; it's very difficult. There are so many checks and balances in place today after the Roslyn situation. It's frustrating when you're sitting in the audience and you're not able to rebut a statement like that."

Schurin said that he blamed the previous superintendent for allowing such practices to occur. He said he believes that current Superintendent Dr. Rosemarie Bovino is doing an excellent job. And while the board is doing a good job, he said the board and administration could do better when it comes to finances, something he would continue to address if elected.

"If I see something that is wrong, I say that it's wrong," Schurin said. "I truly think that I'm qualified and that's what this board needs."

Hayes too, said that Bovino has benefited the district in her new role as superintendent. In response to a question about how the board could find ways to maintain programs in light of cuts to state education aid and other factors, he said that he agreed with the district's use of reserve funds for such contingencies and that the board worked diligently to put together this year's budget. If elected, he said, he would look into services in the district that "overlap" and see where money can be cut so that programs wouldn't suffer.

"My heart is here," Hayes said. "I want the chance to give back to the community that gave me so much."

After the meeting, some residents said they felt more informed about the issues. One resident, who asked not to be named, said he felt Hayes was knowledgeable and would "get along" better with the board than Schurin, while another said that Schurin seemed more informed and would bring more transparency to the board.

Overall, PTA members said the meeting was a good way to help residents make an informed decision.

"I think it was a good way for the community to be more involved," said PTA Vice President Patti Ambrosia. "We had a great turnout and I think the candidates pretty much touched on all the issues."

Voting for the Island Park 2010-11 school budget and school board trustee will take place next Tuesday at the Lincoln Orens Middle School, Audobon Boulevard entrance, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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