Lisa Colacioppo wants to keep North Shore special

Lisa Colacioppo, the current vice president of the North Shore School District Board of Education, is running for reelection for a second term on the board. Colacioppo, 48, of Sea Cliff, is a retired director of account management and has been involved in volunteer work within the district for years.

Colacioppo first ran for election three years ago, she said, because it was a natural progression of her involvement in the district. Now, she said that she is running for reelection because she believes in giving back to the community and serving on the board has been rewarding.

“I volunteered extensively within district committees and the Sea Cliff School PCA,” Colacioppo said. “I just felt like it was my time to volunteer more extensively.”

As vice president, Colacioppo is proud of the district’s achievements, which include ranking highly in academic, athletic and extracurricular areas. She added she believes that despite the challenges faced by the district, it is moving on the “right path.” Colacioppo wants to continue to see the North Shore schools thrive.

“Our schools continue to rise in the rankings, winning numerous awards from athletic championships to Regeneron and our robotics team to our National Merit Scholars,” Colacioppo said. “We are offering our students a world-class education, while navigating the loss of millions of dollars in LIPA revenue.”

The district’s biggest challenge, Colacioppo said, is dealing with the loss of this revenue from the Long Island Power Authority and its impact on the local tax burden. While the district has been grappling with the LIPA revenue loss for the last several years, Colacioppo emphasized that she was committed to working for the district to balance providing for district students without overtaxing the community.

“I want to continue to support our administration in making the difficult decisions about how to preserve our nationally ranked schools,” she said. “They have been cutting so strategically that our students aren’t impacted.”

The district’s budget increase this year is 1.9 percent, which Colacioppo said is one of the lowest on Long Island. To cope with the financial situation, Colacioppo wants to focus on increasing revenue generated and putting pressure on legislators to protect the district from further loss of revenue.

“As a parent, I’m concerned about the budget and how different this district would look if the budget fails,” she said.

Balancing competing interests within the district, such as the arts community, sports families, and fiscal responsibility groups, requires strong communication between the district and the community, according to Colacioppo. She also believes in giving every stakeholder an opportunity to have their voices heard.

“One of the great things about being a board member is that we are able to join different committees,” Colacioppo said. “This allows us to hear and serve different segments of the population.”

Colacioppo serves on the Athletic Advisory Committee, the Wellness Committee, and the Individualized Education Program Committee. She wants to continue her work on these committees to advocate for all students.

In discussing what makes North Shore special, Colacioppo highlighted the district’s commitment to academics and extracurricular activities.

“We offer excellent and wide-ranging electives and athletic experiences,” she said. “Our fine and performing arts department is just amazing.”

She praised the district’s special education department and the fact that students are taught valuable skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication. With language instruction beginning in kindergarten and instrumental music starting in third grade, North Shore provides unique opportunities for students.

“North Shore is a very special place,” Colacioppo said. “So many families are moving here because they have heard about the great opportunities that the district offers.”