These candidates want your vote. Read about their ideas for the Lynbrook board of education.

There are three seats up for election in this year’s Lynbrook board of education race. The election takes place Tuesday, May 16 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The two candidates with the highest votes will win three-year seats on the board. The candidate with the third highest amount of votes will be elected to fill a one-year term that runs from May 16, 2023 through June 30, 2024.

SUB: Tara Aragona (Incumbent)

Herald: Why are you running for a seat on the board of education?

Aragona: I have always enjoyed volunteering my time for the Lynbrook school and community. I feel it’s important to be an active member of the community in which you live and raise your family. I devoted eight years to the PTA and was ready to make the next step. I was lucky enough to get appointed last year for a one-year term as a trustee and I hope to continue that role.

This past year has been such a rewarding experience and allowed me to really see the value in the community, staff and students coming together to make our district the best it can be. This community is very important to me and I want our district to continue to thrive.

Herald: If elected, what are your top priorities?

Aragona: My top priorities revolve around ensuring that our schools run smoothly and effectively. I believe that a smooth transition of the new administration, both at the building and district level, is crucial for maintaining continuity. In addition, I place a high priority on open communication with the public. I believe that it is essential to be able to consider multiple perspectives when making decisions and to remain open to new ideas and feedback from stakeholders. Lastly, I am committed to continuing to enhance our guidance department to better meet the diverse needs of our students.

Herald: What is your background, both professionally and personally?

Aragona: I have been an active volunteer for the Lynbrook public schools since my children entered the Kindergarten Center nine years ago. In addition to serving as the co-president for the West End PTA, North PTA and Lynbrook Council of PTAs, I’ve sat on multiple school committees. I have also taught religious education at OLP for the last six years. Professionally, I am a small business owner. I have been a cosmetologist for 20 years.

Herald: What do you want voters to know about you and your desire to serve on the board of education?

Aragona: I want voters to know that I represent them. I am there to serve the best interests of the entire Lynbrook school community. I do not have a personal agenda that gets in the way of fair and thoughtful decision-making. I am open-minded, reflective, and have the ability to look at things from multiple perspectives. This last year as a board of education member has solidified my desire to continue to learn how to better serve our community and help improve life outcomes for Lynbrook students.

SUB: Ellen Marcus (Incumbent)

Herald: Why are you running for a seat on the board of education?

Marcus: I am proud to have been able to serve this community for the past 15 years and look forward to the opportunity of serving another term. Dr. Lynch, our current Assistant Superintendent for Finance, Operations, and Information Systems, will be Lynbrook’s new superintendent in July. Consistency on the board is key during this important transition. While I have no doubt that Dr. Lynch will be successful and incredible in this new role, the Lynbrook community, and Dr. Lynch, will benefit by having an experienced board member during this transition.

Herald: If elected, what are your top priorities?

Marcus: I would like to continue to enhance curriculum and technology, expand staff, programs, athletic teams and clubs, and improve and upgrade the facilities — all while being fiscally conservative and remaining within the tax cap. It is very important to me that we retain local control and minimize the unfunded mandates coming from Albany. I also feel that addressing the mental health needs of students and staff is vital. I would like to continue to add staff and programs, as we have been doing, to support everyone in the Lynbrook schools.

Herald: What is your background, both professionally and personally?

Marcus: I have been a district resident for 25 years and have been married to my husband, Eric, for 30 years. We have three children: Ethan, LHS ’20; Jonathan, LHS ‘14; and Alex, LHS ‘12. I have been a practicing attorney for over 30 years and work for a large firm in Manhattan as a construction litigator. I am the current vice president of the school board. My volunteer experience outside of the district includes fundraising for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for 20 years, and being a member of the Anti-Defamation League’s Long Island Advisory Committee and Education Taskforce.

Herald: What do you want voters to know about you and your desire to serve on the board of education?

Marcus: There is a huge learning curve when you are a new board member. It takes a few years of contract negotiations, budget planning and dealing with issues that may arise to truly understand the inner workings of a school district. I have the experience necessary to continue to help the district move forward at this time.

As a parent of three LHS graduates, I have a unique perspective, which is important to the board and is similar to many taxpayers. My children all had great experiences in Lynbrook and I want to continue serving on the board so I can advocate for all students, while continuing to be fiscally conservative.

SUB: Patrick Palleschi (Incumbent)

Herald: Why are you running for a seat on the board of education?

Palleschi: I decided to run for the board in 2020 because I have a vested interest in our community and our school district, and that is still why I am running now. I moved to the Lynbrook school district in 2002 and was followed here by my brother, sister and two cousins. All together we have 13 family members attending Lynbrook schools ranging in ages from 5 to 16. I have seen how poor management by a school board can do extreme damage to a district. I never want to see something like that happen to a wonderful community like Lynbrook.

Herald: If elected, what are your top priorities?

Palleschi: My top priorities will be to continue to guide the district in a direction that makes our community proud and helps benefit all our current and future students. I want to ensure that a quality education is a given when a family moves into the Lynbrook school district. I also want to ensure that there is no waste in our annual budget, so that all community members benefit from responsible controlled spending of their hard earned taxes. I would like to push for more local control on many educational issues, as I feel that decisions made at the state level do not always benefit our community.

Herald: What is your background, both professionally and personally?

Palleschi: My past work experience as an auditor at the accounting firm KPMG and my 25 years as a math educator and coach at Lawrence High School make me uniquely qualified to help our school district make educationally sound decisions while remaining fiscally responsible. I have served and continue to serve on numerous Lynbrook board committees including. Personally, I live in East Rockaway and I am married to my wife of 25 years, Dr. Dina Palleschi, and have twins, Luca and Olivia, both sophomores at Lynbrook High School.

Herald: What do you want voters to know about you and your desire to serve on the board of education?

Palleschi: I know what it takes to give a child an excellent education. I intend on continuing to oversee and promote all the things Lynbrook does well, while never ceasing to search for areas where we can improve. I want voters to know that even though I would be elected as a trustee, I do not feel that this position is a political one. I believe infusing any type of partisan politics into the schools is detrimental to the educational process and should be avoided at all costs. I am for reasonable, sensible educational and fiscal decisions that benefit everyone in our community.

SUB: Jennifer Saia

Herald: Why are you running for a seat on the board of education?

Saia: Maintaining the traditions and values of Lynbrook is vital, while also supporting progress and equipping our students with the knowledge and skills to excel and achieve. I have been witness to and a part of how the organization functions from top to bottom and from kindergarten through higher education. I believe my perspective and insight can be utilized to see to it that Lynbrook continues to remain a desired, top school district. I have a genuine desire for my children and their peers to have a well-rounded, healthy, and exciting educational experience.

Herald: If elected, what are your top priorities?

Saia: If elected, I would strive to build upon the already existing excellence within our district. For the better part of 15 plus years, I have worked with students at the high school level. Noticing the trends over this period of time has alerted me to particular skills that our children might be lacking to succeed at the college level and professional world.

There is tremendous value in a K-12 district-wide Character Education program, which has the potential to create productive, motivated citizens who are kind, compassionate, and demonstrate integrity and dignity in all that they do. What I have also noticed as an educator is the lack of awareness of fiscal and monetary matters.

Herald: What is your background, both professionally and personally?

Saia: I was born and raised in Valley Stream, and as a result this pocket of southwest Nassau County has always been very special to me. When my husband, Anthony, and I were looking for places to settle and raise a family, Lynbrook was at the top of our list. Our daughter is in first grade at Marion Street; our oldest son is a Pre-K student at Grace Playschool; and our 18-month old boy is gearing up to follow in his siblings’ footsteps.

Herald: What do you want voters to know about you and your desire to serve on the board of education?

Saia: My desire to serve on the school board comes from a place of genuine care and concern for our children and their education. I believe I can offer fresh perspective and excitement, and with a baby in tow, am in it for the long haul. I will always believe that we are bonded and united in far more than what may separate us. With this concept in mind, when we as adults are working towards a common goal together and that is for the betterment and greater good of our children, all systems function and flourish at a peak level to provide our children with the best and brightest opportunities for a vibrant future.