The race is onMeet the candidates running for school, library board

      Three people are running for two three-year terms on the Baldwin Board of Education, including two incumbents, school board President James Scannell and board member Mary Clark.
      The challenger, Joseph J. Carroll, is not only running for school board, but hoping to wear two hats, as he attempts to snag a seat on the library Board of Trustees, a seat that is currently up for grabs, since Vice President Janice Dellaero is retiring. Other candidates for the library board include Baldwin residents Jacqueline Minissale Tsenes and John Candido.


Vying for two hats
Carroll photo
      Longtime Baldwin resident Joseph J. Carroll is looking to serve the community in two ways, on the school board and library Board of Trustees, saying that because Baldwin is not an incorporated village, the library and school board are two entities that directly service Baldwin.
      "I believe that they should work closely together," said Carroll. "Being on both boards ... I can be the coordinator for the community."
      Carroll, 68, a graduate of the NYU School of Law an attorney since 1964, representing universities, health care agencies and public institutions, said he is looking to address a number of issues if elected to the Board of Education and library board.
      Within the schools, Carroll said he is concerned with what he said are low test scores compared with neighboring districts, building costs and the physical condition of schools, gang activity and school safety. As a board member, Carroll said, he would look into the reasons behind these issues and look into ways to move in the right direction.
      Carroll also suggested looking into having Baldwin's public school students wear uniforms in order to weed out gang colors and loyalties.
      He would also develop a strategic plan for the district that would outline long-term goals, such as anticipated growth in attendance and enrollment, as well as when new facilities and repairs need to be made in the district. "We need to look at long-term trends," said Carroll. "I'm not sure [the district] has a real long-term plan."
      He also said that state education aid needs to be looked at more closely to determine whether the district is receiving the state and federal aid it's entitled to.
      Carroll has some questions about the recently approved $88.3 million school budget, which will be voted on by the public this month, saying that the board received a little over $1 million in federal grants passed through the state. He wants to know if that type of assistance costs residents of the district more than it receives.
      Carroll said he grudgingly voted in favor of the recent $26.9 million bond referendum, which would upgrade the district's infrastructure, and said that while he wasn't happy about the tax increases to come, he acknowledged the need to maintain buildings, equipment and facilities.
      If elected, Carroll would like to set aside some money in a reserve, and said that if the state restores education aid to Baldwin this year, which has been cut by about 1 percent, he would use it to put in a reserve for replacements so the district would not have to secure bonds to pay off existing high-interest bonds.
      "It would benefit the taxpayers," said Carroll, "because [the district] would not have to go into additional debt."


President touts ability and leadership
James Scannell photo

      School board President James Scannell said that with his strong educational background as a teacher and long career as an administrator at East Williston Union Free School District, he is uniquely qualified to continue to guide the district in the right direction.
      Since being elected to the board four years ago, and serving first as vice president and then as president, Scannell said he feels he has fit in well and developed as a board member by keeping the lines of communication open with the public. He added that as a parent with two children in the district, he listens carefully to people's concerns. "I would like to expand those opportunities to have an open communication," he said.
      Scannell said he has worked hard with the board to maintain educational programs, which he said has yielded improved test scores, and noted that Baldwin's music program is one of the top 100 in the country and that the high school has a high rate of graduation.
      With the recent budget, Scannell said, it was a struggle to move educational programs like Advanced Placement and ESL courses forward in light of "out of control" health and retirement costs and cuts to state aid.
      Though there were few program additions to the 2004-05 budget, the board did the best it could, he said, by being fiscally responsible and evaluating and scrutinizing every proposal. And the board continues to aggressively lobby the state for adequate funding. "The state aid process is so dysfunctional at this point ... it is negatively impacting us," Scannell said.
      He explained that if state aid is restored, it would be used to lower the tax levy. He said the recent bond referendum was a sensible response to state changes to building aid and, in the long run, would save taxpayers money.
      And while Baldwin does not have a major gang problem, Scannell said, the district maintains a close relationship with the First Precinct and has added more security, deans at the middle school and high school, and additional resources to address the issue.
      However, there are more challenges ahead, he explained, mainly as the district office and administration undergoes a transition. Two administrators, Jeff Hollman and Lee Chapman, are retiring at the end of this year, while School Superintendent Kathy Weiss will retire at the end of the 2004-05 school year.
      Scannell said that contrary to Carroll's proposal, the board already looks at long-term goals, adding that the board developed a plan in anticipation of those changes two years ago as administrators approached retirement. The board will soon begin looking for a new superintendent, which Scannell said is a major challenge.
      "You need that stability and proven leadership," he said. "I think I'm qualified to lead that process. It's something you have to do carefully."


School board member looking to continue
      As a member of the board of education, incumbent Mary Clark feels that more needs to be done to present a more positive image of Baldwin's schools, something she continues to address.
      She said the schools exceptional music and art programs are often overlooked by the media but recognized by many colleges and universities.
      All too often, people read more about perceived gang activity and other incidents at the schools, something that she said is overblown and not as serious as some may think. "It's no more than any other school," said Clark.
      Clark, a registered nurse at Mercy Medical Center and graduate of Mercy College, lauded the district's high graduation rates and numerous programs that the district provides, ranging from after-school activities to a substance abuse counselor.
      But there are other issues that do need to be confronted, said Clark, such as the need for the community to provide more input and in the decisions made by the board of education.
      "How are we supposed to be making decisions for the community without community input?" said Clark, adding that attendance at school board meetings could be better. "We want to get more parents involved."
      Clark believes that the district is doing a great job meeting mandates created by the federal No Child Left Behind Act, as daunting as those may be, she explained, and said that the number of high school students passing the Regents is up.
      When it comes to state assessments, the district has worked diligently to meet more stringent standards, but said it was unfair to compare test scores from year to year.
      Clark, a mother of four who has two children still in the district, said she is also concerned about state and federal education aid, or lack thereof, saying that more money needs to be provided to districts such as Baldwin. Clark lobbies for more aid, and will continue do so if re-elected.
       A major issue facing the district, she explained, is how state lawmakers will agree on a plan to overhaul the state's education funding formula. "We don't know if they're going to take money away from us," said Clark, adding that under the current proposal, Baldwin is receiving no additional funding.
      Clark agreed with Scannell that the transition process at the district office will require stability on the board as they begin their search for a new superintendent.
      "The search for a new superintendent is going to be more important than ever before," said Clark. "You need somebody [on the board] who has the pulse on what's going on."