Michael McGlone brings financial experience

Michael McGlone, a seasoned banking professional and community advocate, is running for a position on the Locust Valley Central School District Board of Education. McGlone, 50, aims to bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to improve the district's performance and community engagement.

McGlone has lived in the Locust Valley area for 14 years with his wife, Elizabeth, a long-serving teacher in the district. Their two older children, Isabella and Michael, are graduates of the International Baccalaureate program at Locust Valley High School and are currently pursuing degrees at the University of Southern California and Boston College, respectively. Their youngest son, Christian, is a fourth grader at Locust Valley Intermediate School.

McGlone's professional background spans 30 years in banking, primarily in the venture investing space. He currently serves as a director on multiple FinTech boards, bringing a wealth of financial and strategic experience to his candidacy. He said he believes that his wife's experience teaching in the district complements his strong ties to the community and give him added insight into the needs and challenges in the district.

McGlone said that he decided to run for the school board to continue his service to the community and support educational advancement in the district. Previously, he served on the Locust Valley Bayville Soccer Club Board of Directors, where he said he enjoyed working on field maintenance, setting up games and organizing events.

"I'm really excited about this opportunity to serve the community, and we have a wonderful school district," McGlone said. "My view is that we can do better in terms of our scores and our peer status among other schools on the island and in the state. I believe I can achieve that by building consensus and getting alignment between the parents, students, teachers, administration, and the board."

McGlone said he intends to introduce key performance indicators for board monitoring to measure success and drive improvement. He also plans to advocate for new technologies, such as online polling platforms for board meetings, to increase community participation and transparency.

"Imagine being online and asking a question directly to the board in real-time," McGlone said. "That kind of technology can help us better engage with the community and provide timely answers to their questions."

Additionally, McGlone proposed the idea of implementing a voice of the employee survey for faculty members to identify pain points and address their concerns. He is committed to challenging the budget and questioning non-mission-critical items to ensure funds are allocated efficiently.

"I want to make sure that wherever we have needs in other programs, we have the proper coverage," McGlone said. "Whether it's additional teaching assistance or special services, we need to find the money and reallocate it to make sure everyone is covered."

McGlone also aims to leverage his financial and board experience to ask difficult, unfiltered questions and challenge his colleagues and the administration to think differently. He believes his approach will inspire progress and further enhance the district's educational offerings.

While McGlone acknowledged that the district, like many on Long Island, continues to face financial challenges due to inflation and rising insurance rates, he remains enthusiastic about the opportunity to bring positive change to Locust Valley's schools.

"Let's continue to add technology and inspire innovation," McGlone said. "And let's leverage our budget and our tax dollars to expand and build upon all the great work that's been done so far."

McGlone hopes his campaign will resonate with voters and secure him a spot on the board, where he plans to collaborate with the community to drive meaningful improvements over the next three years.