By:Andrew Coen
Incumbent Stephanie Gould and newcomers Harold Kislik and Steven Arons are running for two available seats in Hewlett-Woodmere-s at-large election system, in which the top two vote-getters win seats.
One of the two seats is open because Board of Education President Richard Braverman, who has held the position since 1991, is retiring in July after serving 21 years on the board.
Gould, a Woodmere resident who has been on the board since 1995, said a major reason she is vying for a fourth term is the unresolved issue of trying to build a new middle school or renovating the existing building.
That-s one of the reasons I kind of feel a little bit compelled to remain on the board, she said. Regardless of whether we could build a new school or not build a new school, the building has to be attended to. Where everybody else seems to think we have to build a new school, and it could be 30 years, and we could not be getting anything passed, so to me that is not accomplishing anything. I really feel I have to remain on the board to suggest that we continue to look at other options.
Gould, who has two children currently in the district and one who recently graduated, also said she is concerned about many state-mandated requirements like health benefits and the state retirement system that have forced the district to develop larger budgets each year.
If you continue to tax people until they don-t want to approve budgets, then you are not accomplishing your ultimate goal, she said. I think education in general is in a very trying position, because you are getting state mandates, you are getting less state aid and the cost of education has gone up tremendously. The challenge is to find ways to maintain your level of programming while not increasing your budget too much.
Kislik, 47, a retired retailer and president of the board at the Peter J. DiSibio Five Towns Child Care Center in Inwood, said his business experience combined with his volunteerism would be a good addition to the school board. I feel that my experience in business and the community service would be a good asset to the board, he said. The board needs good solid people who have business sense and will do what is right for the community.
On the middle school, Kislik agrees with Gould that other options need to be explored to get the issue resolved. While, personally, I would love to see another school, I think what we have to do is to figure out the right kind of compromise that will be acceptable to the taxpayers and be right for the students, he said. We must quickly develop and implement a solution that will adequately meet the needs of our students while at the same time be financially responsible and acceptable to the taxpayers. I will apply my experience in business and in community organizations to accelerate the resolution of this issue through clear-headed analysis, the ability to synthesize diverse positions into a workable plan and the diplomatic application of compromise when necessary.
Kislik, who has a son enrolled at Hewlett High School and a daughter at The Brandeis School in Lawrence, said having a child in both the public and private schools would bring a unique perspective to the board. I think it-s a good thing for the board to have at least a sensitivity to all facets of the community, he said. I firmly believe that a trustee should represent everybody.
Arons, who has two children attending schools in the district, said a major reason he is running is his disappointment with the district-s transportation system. He said the bus for his son is late, and his son arrives at school after the bell nearly every day. The transportation hasn-t gotten better, it-s gotten worst, he said. My son-s bus, with two months remaining in the school year, still comes after the school bell has rung. He-s been to school maybe five times on time.
Arons, an account executive for Bio-Reference Laboratories of Elmwood Park, N.J., said that if he were elected, he would look into the bus routing schedule to make sure the buses arrive at the schools on time. If it means that they would have to get the buses rolling earlier, then they need to get the buses rolling earlier, said Arons, who volunteers with the Hewlett-Woodmere Little League.
Despite Arons- main platform to overhaul the district-s transportation system, he said he does not support increasing the money earmarked for transportation in the budget. I-m not for spending more money on transportation, he said. I-m more for seeing money put into the education for our children. It-s basically a time-management issue when it comes to transportation.
On the middle school issue, Arons, like his opponents, Gould and Kislik, wants to look into other options besides building a brand new building. We need to come up with some sort of practical solution that meets the needs of our whole community, he said. They need to make improvements at the middle school, and I don-t know if that means building a new school and raising our taxes to the sky, but they need to look at whatever alternatives there are. I would be more inclined to look into renovation, because it will have a better chance at getting passed in our district.
District 14 voters can get a closer look at the candidates during the annual Meet the Candidates Night, scheduled for Monday, May 3, at 7:30 p.m., at the Woodmere Education Center. All voting in the Hewlett-Woodmere school board election, as well as a vote on the proposed budget, will take place on May 18 at the Woodmere Education Center.
