By PAUL J. CONDRA
David Penso will run for a second term on the board and Alicemarie Bresnihan will seek to hold onto the seat she has occupied for 27 years. The seats held by Penso and Bresnihan are the only ones up for a vote on the seven-member board. The terms are for three years and no other candidates have filed to run against the two incumbents.
Both candidates expressed an eagerness to stay involved in the school community and help guide the future of education in the district.
Although it has been at times a challenging three years, it has also been one of satisfaction, Penso said. Be assured I have always been someone who was willing to listen to concerns and suggestions and shared those with my fellow Board members and central administration.
Penso said working for the school district is a team effort. The board is distinctive from the PTA in that it oversees and manages a public school district's affairs, personnel and properties, while the PTA acts as a liaison between the parents and teachers of the district.
My number one concern has and always will continue to be the health and safety of our students and staff, Penso said. I have been actively involved with the Taskforce on School Violence as well as the facilities budget planning committee during my first term.
Bresnihan, who has raised nine children in the district, said she has always enjoyed the community service aspect of her job.
I enjoy service and seeing certain programs develop, she said. Even after 27 years, the probation officer who is this year serving as president of the Nassau/Suffolk School Board Association feels no desire to be less involved.
You need to have a dedication to our schools, she said. You have to be able to look at the schools objectively and have a vision. Bresnihan said she thinks the current board is doing a very good job, and she has seen many people come and go. She said board members are working hard to keep the district moving forward, which has been made more difficult this year as school aid from the state is being tightened.
Still, for Penso the job is a labor of love.
I love the Lynbrook school district and the children that attend school here. While the responsibility is great, the rewards are even greater.
The budget vote and school board election will take place on May 21.
