Oporto has dedicated much of her adult life to improving the schools. She's an accountant who stayed at home to raise her children. She earned her undergraduate degree in business administration from Adelphi University in 1981. She could have pursued a lucrative career in accounting. But her children came first.
Her kids, two of whom attend Mepham and one of whom is a junior at the Rochester Institute of Technology, led her to get involved with the PTAs. She served as corresponding secretary, treasurer and co-president of the Park Avenue Elementary School PTA; corresponding secretary, president and adviser for the North Bellmore Coordinating Council of PTA's; treasurer of the Grand Avenue Middle School PTA; and vice president and co-president of the Mepham High School PTA.
Additionally, she has served on 20 North Bellmore and Central High School District committees, ranging from the Park Avenue Crisis Intervention Committee to the Report Card Committee to, most recently, the Central District's Committee on Promoting Character, Civility and Social Responsibility, which evolved out of the Mepham football sex-abuse scandal.
Oporto has also been heavily involved in the Girl Scouts, St. Barnabas Church and the Community Wellness Council of the Bellmores and Merricks. She's a mother and community leader in whom we can all take pride.
Her opponent, Joseph Perrone, is well qualified for the school board. He has two children in the Central District. He is a charter member of the Jacob Gunther Site Based Team, and he was instrumental in starting a Drug Free School Zone in North Bellmore. He is a sales executive with FedEx and appears to have an excellent business sense. We believe his intentions are admirable, but that doesn't outweigh Oporto's incredible level of dedication to the schools.
The third candidate for Kass's seat, Patti Kobbe, could not be reached for an endorsement interview.
We applaud Mary Oporto for her service to the schools and offer her our highest endorsement.
