Vote ‘yes’ on East Meadow school budget

Just two weeks after the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., the East Meadow School District invited parents to voice their concerns on safety and security at a town hall-style meeting.

The district’s 2018-19 budget shows that officials are listening. East Meadow is making strides to protect students while providing them with a well-rounded education. The Herald urges residents to pass the spending plan on Tuesday.

The airtight proposal, totaling $136.45 million, maintains all district programs and implements a number of changes and improvements to adapt to a modern learning environment. To make such changes, the district would increase the tax levy by 2.97 percent. Some necessary and appropriate measures include the hiring of 11 additional security guards, the implementation of a student identification system and the installation of a visitor-monitoring system.

The budget would also allow the district to hire three teaching assistants, a special-education teacher and an additional science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, instructor to help coordinate with the newly expanded elementary STEAM program, which adds the arts as well.

An additional guidance director would counsel students planning to attend college as well as those who intend to follow an alternative path, such as vocational training. The guidance director would also pilot a mental-health education program that would begin with sixth-grade students.

We believe that these improvements are necessary to ensure the advancement and equality of all students.

Elect O’Flaherty, Danenza to Board of Ed 

Voters will elect two people to the Board of Education in two contested trustee races on Tuesday. The Herald considers Brian O’Flaherty and Joseph Danenza the most qualified candidates.

O’Flaherty, an incumbent, is being challenged by Eileen Napolitano. Choosing one of these two is difficult, because they bring different strengths — and equally valuable ideas — to the table. With over a decade’s worth of experience on the board, O’Flaherty is seeking to improve his ability to serve the district and its residents. He believes that board members should attend formal training by the New York State School Boards Association, and that the board should communicate more with elected officials and law enforcement.

O’Flaherty was skeptical when the board proposed a community vote to replace the district’s election process from designated-seat to at-large. We admire his commitment to researching such proposals before they are sent to the community.

Napolitano has become known in Nassau County as a leader in the fight against opioids and an advocate for students and children. With extensive experience on the PTAs of a number of schools, she could do even more for the district’s youth by serving on the board. We support her goals to increase substance-abuse education by implementing more programs and addressing the issue when students are young. She has a clear idea of how to prepare students for graduation by giving them hands-on experiences, such as her proposal to create an apprenticeship program with local business leaders and labor unions.

Ultimately, however, O’Flaherty has more experience and understanding of the board’s workings, and we believe he is the better candidate.

Joseph Danenza is challenging Melissa Tell for her seat. An active member of the East Meadow Kiwanis and an associate member of the Chamber of Commerce, Danenza never stops showing his commitment to East Meadow. His friendly demeanor and approachability make him an admirable candidate.

He is also a past member of the school board who chaired several of its major committees, including education, business and transportation. His knows the district, and his candidacy is strengthened by his experience in business and finance.

Tell has proven her ability to initiate change on the board. In her four years as trustee, she has encouraged parents to get more involved and pushed for tighter record keeping of administrative decisions. But given the range of Danenza’s experience, we think it’s time for a change, and we encourage residents to return him to the board.