By Dana Williams
The majority of voters in District 12 said �yes� to the school board�s proposed $44.7 million spending plan for next year. Of 1,371 residents who voted, 862 registered their support. Under the plan, the average homeowner will pay an estimated $257 more in taxes next year. The $1.18 million tax levy increase, however, is the lowest in 12 years. The district serves residents in Malverne, Lakeview and Lynbrook.
The instruction portion of the budget accounts for $29.26 million, or 65.33 percent of the total. School officials will use the funds to expand and enhance programs next year. At the high school level, elective courses in SAT preparation, math, science and social studies will be added to the curriculum.
At the elementary level, the budget includes funding for additional club activities and the continuation of the district�s fourth grade instrumental music program. It also allots money for additional SmartBoards and computers in classrooms, libraries and labs throughout the district.
By a tally of 750-418, voters also approved Proposition 2, which will establish a $5 million capital reserve fund. School officials plan to use the money to pay for capital projects such as repairs, upgrades and refurbishments of buildings and facilities.
�We are very grateful for the overwhelming support for the budget and Propostion 2, especially since these are very hard times,� said Dr. James Hunderfund, the district�s superintendent. �We are very pleased we can continue to use these resources to maintain the educational excellence offered at the Malverne School District, as demonstrated by the improved New York state testing scores this year.�
Incumbent school board trustees Gina Genti and Danielle Hopkins were re-elected to four-year terms. Genti defeated challenger Ronica Ebron, 934 to 481, and Hopkins outpolled Lynn Singleton, 779 to 612.
In the weeks leading up to the election, both races were expected to be close. There were several heated debates between residents and administrators at recent school board meetings, and some administrators attributed them to the contentious election. Many observers were surprised by the incumbents� comfortable re-election margins.
Ebron, 47, a stay-at-home mother, said she is skeptical about the results, since she saw so many people come out to vote. �The numbers are in, but I do question the results because I think there needs to be more people from all three communities in the district involved when the votes are counted,� she said. �But most importantly, I�m very proud that I ran a clean race, no matter what.�
Singleton, a 42-year-old communications supervisor for the Nassau County Police Department, also said she worked diligently at running a respectable campaign. �I can hold my head high, because I know I fought a clean, respectable fight,� she said. �I know that God was in control and it just wasn�t for me at this time.�
The 44-year-old Genti, a retired New York Stock Exchange member, said she anticipated a closer result, but, she added, �The outcome gives me a greater confidence to continue to fulfill the promise of change I made two years ago. I believe my getting re-elected reflects the taxpayers� desire to continue to see that change.�
Hopkins, 38, an import coordinator for Livingston International Inc. in Valley Stream, expressed similar sentiments, saying that residents made clear their support for the current administration. �The election was their decision,� she said, �and I�m just thankful that the majority decided to re-elect me to another term.�
Genti said her first order of business is to �aggressively address the district�s illegal residency issue,� which could, if successful, she said, replenish district coffers and allow officials to address other needs such as technology upgrades and repairing infrastructure. �Although many districts on Long Island have this problem, our close proximity to the parkways and the city line makes our burden greater,� Genti said. �I will present some thoughts to board members in June including, but not limited to, seeking tuition reimbursement from legal residents that allow their addresses to be used by illegal students. Any resident that signs an affidavit making this claim is committing fraud, and that information will be passed to the Nassau County District Attorney�s office.�
Hopkins said the board would begin renegotiating bids with contractors for the upcoming school year. �The election is over, and now our attention is on the bids, and all of the work that we have to do for next school year,� she said. �Our job as trustees is to keep the focus on the kids and their education while keeping expenses down, and that�s what we�re going to do.�
West Hempstead
In the West Hempstead School District, the majority of voters gave the $52.6 million 2009-10 spending plan a thumbs-up. The final tally was 914 in favor and 438 opposed. The district�s tax levy for next year will be $36.8 million, or 3.99 percent more than this year. The budget, whose total is the same as the current year, calls for the average homeowner to pitch in about $220 more in school taxes next year.
School officials have proposed using roughly $4.7 million, or 9 percent of the budget, for capital expenditures, which include maintenance and repairs to district facilities. Instructional programs account for a large majority of expenditures � $43.7 million, or 83.13 percent. Among other new initiatives, the district plans to expand its Foreign Language in the Elementary School, or FLES, program to third grade. The program, which was approved by voters last year, now serves students in kindergarten through second grade.
�We are very grateful to the West Hempstead community for its support of our budget efforts this year,� Superintendent John Hogan said. �Some hard decisions had to be made and, again, we are pleased that the community recognized our efforts on behalf of the students of the West Hempstead School District.�
Voters re-elected residents James Mariano and Carole Rilling to three-year terms on the Board of Education. Mariano, who ran unopposed, received 834 votes, and Rilling defeated her challenger, Rudolf Schindler, 728 to 555.
Now that the budget has been approved, said Mariano, a 55-year-old former commissioner of the West Hempstead Police Activity League, one of the board�s next steps is to advance the goals put forth by the district�s Strategic Planning Council. The council is working on ways to improve curriculum, educational technology and community relations, among other areas.
�I�m thankful that voters re-elected me because I want to continue to help move this district forward,� Mariano said. �We�re just going to continue to do our job as board members and help our district improve for the better.�
�Putting the children first and helping our district achieve high standards is my priority,� added Rilling, a retired Garden City Middle School teacher. �We�re planning to get our students� test scores higher ... and really work to prepare them for the real world.�
The 56-year-old Schindler, a long-time engineer and businessman, said he would consider running for the school board again, but plans to urge the district to consider implementing term limits for trustees. Both Mariano and Rilling were elected to their sixth consecutive term on the school board.
�Running for the Board of Education was a wonderful experience, and I still believe that I have a lot of experience and knowledge to contribute to the board,� Schindler said. �However, I believe that term limits should be set because it�s not beneficial to the district when change in leadership is repeatedly not embraced.�
Comments about this story? DWilliams@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 205.
