A vote against at-large voting

To the Editor:

I have been an active East Meadow community member for the past 32 years. I have served our school district in many capacities, including SEPTA president, PTA Council president and Board of Education trustee. I have attended and taken part in school board work sessions and public communication meetings. As a trustee, I attended every school event and graduation.

As a former board member, I took pride in the decision-making on behalf of our children and taxpayers. These decisions were based on factual research and sometimes involved lively conversations. An enormous amount of time and energy went into every school board vote.

Any time a proposal was initiated, and ultimately put on the ballot, the entire community had an opportunity to learn what was in it and how it would impact us, and thereby have the information to make an intelligent decision before they cast their ballots on Election Day.

At the work session on March 22, a last-minute agenda item pertaining to at-large voting was brought to the table and voted on without the board exercising its due diligence in researching this very important matter. Many school districts on Long Island have and continue to have a policy in place where candidates run against an incumbent or run for an open seat. This is a policy that has worked well in so many districts, and that I hope will remain a policy in East Meadow.

At the last school board communications meeting, I urged the trustees to reflect on the vote that was taken, research the possibilities thoroughly and retake the vote on this very important matter. Proposition Three will be on the ballot, and I hope our community will continue to be open-minded and see how an at-large vote would not be beneficial to our district.

Judy Shiechel

Salisbury/East Meadow School District