Thursday, October 1, 2026
Incumbent Krystina Tomlinson and newcomer Lindsay Fox are running unopposed for two seats on the Locust Valley Central School District Board of Education in this year’s election. Tomlinson is seeking a full three-year term after being appointed to the board in 2025, while Fox is running for her first term after years of involvement in the district’s parent councils.
Both candidates bring professional backgrounds and deep ties to the district. Tomlinson, 47, is a retired corporate attorney and mother of two children in the district. Fox, 45, lives in Locust Valley with her husband and three sons, all of whom attend district schools. She works as a risk strategist in the insurance industry.
Tomlinson said she didn’t initially plan to run when she was first appointed. What convinced her to stay was seeing firsthand the collaboration between the board, administration and families.
“Just seeing how the board works with administration and the process behind things like putting the budget together and just seeing all the thoughtfulness that goes into it,” Tomlinson said. “All the hard work was really incredible.”
One experience that stood out for Tomlinson was attending the district’s annual ceremony honoring the top 15 graduating seniors.
“The students are given the opportunity to recognize and invite to the ceremony teachers who have impacted them,” Tomlinson said. “So every part of their lives at Locust Valley was represented.”
Fox, who has spent over a decade volunteering with the district’s parent organizations, said her motivation to run stems from a desire to bridge gaps between the board and the wider community.
“I feel like I could bring my experience leading parent councils,” Fox said, “and really come together and bridge communication between parent groups and the community and the Board of Education.”
Fox previously served as co-president of the Coordinated Parent Council, which connects the district’s five parent councils with the Board of Education and Superintendent Kristen Turnow. She said the district has made significant progress in recent years after frequent administrative turnover.
“I feel the stability that’s in place now, and the hard work the Board of Ed and the superintendent has done to kind of steer the ship towards stability is great,” she said. “There’s more work to be done there.”
Both candidates acknowledged declining enrollment as a concern, noting it is part of a broader trend affecting districts across Long Island.
“We want to attract families to come in, and we want to retain families,” Tomlinson said. “It’s not just Locust Valley. It’s happening everywhere, I think, really across the world.”
Fox agreed, adding, “We’re certainly not alone in facing the decline of enrollment. It’s the cost of living out here, you know, there’s a lot of different factors that play into it.”
Tomlinson and Fox both emphasized the district’s strong academic offerings and extracurricular programs, including the International Baccalaureate curriculum, robotics, music and DECA.
“We meet every student where they are,” Fox said. “We have an amazing life skills program, and our special Ed is very strong. I think we’re unique in what we offer.”
Tomlinson added, “We have kids getting into really great colleges. I think there’s some good fundamentals, and we just need to keep building on the building blocks that are already in place.”
The Locust Valley Board of Education election will take place on May 21 alongside the district’s annual budget vote.
