One runs unchallenged to retain East Rockaway School Board seat

What would you like to see changed during your term?
During my term I would love to see the elimination of the GEA or Gap Elimination Adjustment. Like many districts, this reduction in State funding is detrimental to our existence and day-to-day operations. East Rockaway has lost approximately three million dollars over the years. This is a large sum of money that is greatly needed for our students’ education. I would also like to see our district be able to offer more courses in both the elementary and secondary schools, to be able to offer foreign languages to our elementary school children would be fantastic. To offer more AP classes and more classes where our students could earn college credits would also be great.

What are the biggest issues facing the district that you want to solve in your term?
One of the biggest issues facing our district is our budget. East Rockaway is the smallest district in Nassau County. A fair estimate would be that our tax base is 80 percent residential and 20 percent commercial. A district like ours does not have the influx of funds like larger districts. We need to make every dollar count, more than ever. Unfortunately, because of our size and geography, increasing our commercial base is a very difficult task. Another issue we face is our comparisons to neighboring districts. Unfortunately we are not looked at as one of the more prestigious districts on Long Island. We have definitely made strides over the years, but we still have a ways to go.