Breakstone running unopposed for Bellmore board

A profile of the candidate running unopposed in the Bellmore School District Board of Education election is below. For more about the district's proposed budget, - which residents will also vote on on May 20 - refer to the informational chart below this story. 

A longtime trustee of the Bellmore School District Board of Education is seeking reelection in an uncontested race.

Jay L. T. Breakstone, who has served the Board of Education for nearly 20 years, said he has more goals that he would like to accomplish as a trustee. That is why he is once running for the board.

Breakstone, 63, was first elected as a trustee in 1996. He has lived in Bellmore with his wife, Rhonda, and family since 1984. Their three children –– Samantha, Harrison and Avery Rose –– all attended the Bellmore Public Schools, Kennedy High School and Vanderbilt University. Avery is currently studying elementary and special education at Vanderbilt; Harrison has moved on to Brooklyn Law School; and Samantha attended Case-Western Law School and is currently an assistant district attorney in Brooklyn.

The elder Breakstone children followed in their father’s footsteps after graduating from Bellmore’s schools, as he is also a career-lawyer, currently serving as appellate counsel at Parker Waichman LLP. In addition to his legal career and service to Bellmore’s board, Breakstone is the former president of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association and a member of the New York State School Boards Association.

As both an experienced board member and attorney, Breakstone said he has been able to bring a great deal of firepower to bear on school problems and solutions. He explained that, over the years, his connections and contacts in the New York State Legislature and in Albany have helped the district receive financial help that allowed it to achieve significant goals in technology, funding and taxpayer relief.

Breakstone also noted that, through his role with the Nassau-Suffolk Schools Boards Association, he has maintained a pulse on Long Island’s educational community. This has allowed him to bring new and innovative ideas to Bellmore, he said, in addition to warning the board about looming problems.

“Over the years, I have tried to be, as News12 has noted, a voice for Long Island schools and public education,” he said. “My job is not done. There are still significant problems that have to be dealt with, both on the educational level, such as Common Core and high-stakes testing, and on the administrative level, such as controlling costs and bringing in reasonable budgets.”

Breakstone said he would like assist in the expansion of educational opportunities for all children, while operating according to sound fiscal policy. He added that he wants to concentrate on “what makes good teaching” and “what a school board member can do to ensure that good teaching is fully supported” in his next term.