By Hector Flores
The spending plan, which was adopted by the Board of Education on April 12, calls for a tax levy increase of 3.9 percent, which will mean a school tax increase of $178 for the average homeowner.
But what made the night most interesting was the election of three new school board members. Incumbent Trustee Joe Parisi lost his bid for re-election to Peggy McQuade-Kaplan, a New York city teacher, who captured 1,747 votes. Parisi received 1,601, while David Rosenberg, a software designer who was also running for the seat, had 371 votes.
The two trustee seats vacated by Debra Kirsh and Barry Rubinstein, who decided not to run for re-election, will be filled by running mates Steven Jacobs and Abby Rothschild-Kaplan. Jacobs defeated Dona Davis by 295 votes, 1,941 to 1,646. Rothschild-Kaplan received 1,915 votes, and Steven Wallstedt 1,617.
McQuade-Kaplan said that the main reason she was elected was because residents were tired of being shut out of their children¹s education and wanted a change. One of her first tasks, she said, would be to create a safety plan for the district. ³I would like a safety plan created by September,² she said. ³When Woodland [Middle School] had a bomb scare, many parents didn¹t know where their child would be or if there were going to be any classes.²
McQuade-Kaplan said she would like the district¹s emergency plan to mirror that of New York City¹s. ³After 9/11, the city developed an iron-clad system, which is wonderful,² she said. ³For example, in the beginning of the school year, parents are told where their child would be evacuated to in case of an emergency. If there is an emergency, and children are out of school for a long period of time, they will be provided lunches by the surrounding schools. We need a more planned emergency procedure.²
She also said there needs to be more involvement in the district of not just students¹ parents and homeowners who do not have children in school, but of the students themselves. ³Right after I was elected, students complained to me about their lunches,² McQuade-Kaplan said. ³They told me that the food was terrible and that the portions were too small. Many of these programs are run by adults, with very little feedback from parents and students, and we have to change that.²
In addition, she wants the district to be more sensitive to working parents. ³We can¹t just have meetings when it¹s convenient for us, but we also have to make ourselves accessible to parents when they need us,² she said.
Jacobs thanked the East Meadow community for supporting him and Rothschild-Kaplan. ³We stayed with a positive message, and we indicated what we had to offer to the community and the community responded,² Jacobs said. ³Our message was that we were qualified and willing to help. Abby has 17 years of involvement in PTA and education. As for myself, I am an attorney with relevant financial experience.²
Jacobs added that as a trustee-elect, he would like to bring the Board of Education ³back to the community.² For the past couple of months, its public meetings have been held in two different rooms in the administrative building rather than the auditorium in order to keep them orderly. ³The board members were put there by the community, and we need to face the community directly [not in separate rooms],² he said. ³When the board hears testimony, we want to know if there are agreements or disagreements by the residents.²
Most important, Jacobs said, he wants to mend the rift between the teachers and the school board, who have been embroiled in a contract dispute since August 2004. ³We need to bring respect back to get a fair and equitable contract,² he said. ³It¹s not about money or benefits. It¹s about treatment. If you¹re treated with respect, there is a lot more room to compromise. We need to restore the respect with the community, staff and the kids so that everyone is pulling in the same direction, and that is to improve the education in East Meadow.²
Rothschild-Kaplan agreed with Jacobs and added that as a trustee-elect she will make sure that she is accessible to all residents.
³Unfortunately, there has been a lack of communication,² she said. ³We need to bring the board of education back into the big board room, and have its members accessible to the community again.²
Rothschild added that respect also needs to be brought back to the community, its teachers and the board members. ³There has been so much bad blood between the district and the teachers union, and we need a new contract.²
She is also looking forward to working with the other board members and promises to start work immediately. ³I believe we are all doing this for the right reason,² she said. ³I have admired [board President] Debbie Coates. She is very much like me, a background with the PTA and a love of East Meadow. I believe we will move forward on the high road and do what is best for the community.²
Coates thanked the East Meadow community for passing the budget. She also congratulated the newly elected board members, and thanked the outgoing trustees for their service. ³We, along with the entire East Meadow community, look forward to working with [new board members] on the important educational and financial challenges that face the students and taxpayers of East Meadow,² Coates said. ³Our sincere thanks and appreciation goes out to Mr. Rubinstein, Mrs. Kirsh and Mr. Parisi, who gave so many years of hard work, knowledge and understanding in their service to this community. We wish them well in their future work.²
Comments about this story? HFlores@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 283.
