Ahead of the May 19 school budget votes and Board of Education elections, new candidates in both Malverne and West Hempstead announced that they were running for school board. Sandy Ronquillo announced her candidacy in Malverne on April 15, and George Damanis announced on April 20 that he was a candidate in West Hempstead.
Malverne
Ronquillo is running unopposed for the seat left open by Laura Bellamy-Avvinti, who is leaving the Board of Education after eight years.
“My children have graduated from the school district, and I feel this is the perfect time for me to step aside and focus on my family and professional commitments,” Bellamy-Avvinti wrote in a statement. “I am deeply appreciative of the experiences and relationships that I built during my time on the school board. … I will always care about the success of our schools, and wish the district continued growth and achievement.”
Ronquillo, a resident of North Lynbrook for 18 years, has been a special-education teacher of both English- and Spanish-speaking elementary and middle-school students, as well as an individualized education program coordinator, in the Malverne district, She has also served on a number of district PTAs.
“I’ve served in the roles of Vice President for Davison Avenue PTA as well as Central Council Delegate for Maurice W Downing PTA and Howard T Herber PTA,” she said. “I am currently serving as the Malverne Central Council of PTAs President.”
Ronquillo said has a deep connection with the district and her community, which she cites as her motivation for running for the school board. “The students of this district and their families are my friends and neighbors, and their experience in this district is directly shaped by the board’s decisions,” she said.
“I want to ensure that we maintain the level and quality of education and programs that we have grown accustomed to but also be open to new ideas and suggestions,” she added. “As a member of the Strategic Planning Committee, I want to ensure that we keep that plan in mind when making future decisions for this district.”
Ronquillo said she wants to build stronger connections among Malverne, Lakeview and Lynbrook, the communities that comprise the Malverne school district.
“For the first time in a long time we will have board members from all three communities sitting on the board,” she said. “I’d like to work collaboratively to identify and bridge any gaps between the communities, so that all students from the three communities feel seen, heard and represented.”
West Hempstead
Damanis is running for Trustee David Lazar’s seat. Lazar, who was the incumbent, is no longer running.
Damanis’s involvement in the West Hempstead community is extensive. He is the cubmaster of West Hempstead’s Cub Scout Pack 240 a flag football coach in Varsity Flag, a tee-ball coach in the Garden City South/West Hempstead Little League; and a member of the West Hempstead PTA .
“The prospect of volunteering for my boys is already part of who I am,” Damanis said. “What ultimately moved me to run for the school board was a matter of representation. I have three children in all three elementary schools in the district, and I feel like the matters that are important to us elementary school parents aren’t always voiced.”
He said he wants to make sure that amid budgetary issues, the district funds programs that are important to his children and their peers. “I want to make sure programs like coding club, STEAM club, and the robotics team in the Secondary School are protected,” he said. “I want to protect programs that my children and their friends are looking forward to when they get to older grades.”
Damanis, who spent 15 years as a member of the US Coast Guard, said that despite his standing in the community, coaching or mentoring many district students outside school, he is not trying to use a seat on the board for the sake of having influence. “A leader doesn’t attempt to apply influence or leverage just because they can,” he added. “What my time as a military leader has taught me is real leadership is built on trust and thrives in open communication.”
Damanis hopes instead to earn the trust of other school board trustees, pledging to be both a community presence and a positive contributor to the board.
“This amazing community, which already trusts me with their children in Cub Scouts and sports, knows that I’ll continue developing their sons and daughters in matters of character development, athleticism, and now academics,” he said “The Board can trust that I will be an engaged and active trustee that is aligned with their overall purpose.”
