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Mostly Cloudy Farrell ready to serve District 13
Evans leaves board with sense of accomplishment
The District 13 Board of Education will have a new member come July, but it’s someone who is already a familiar face in the schools.
Patricia Farrell, a PTA leader and officer with the District 13 Educational Foundation, defeated incumbent Debra Evans for one of three seats up for grabs on the board last week. Farrell had 650 votes to 493 for Evans.
Evans said she did not believe there was a particular issue that cost her the election. She noted that while there is a lot of unhappiness with implementation of the Common Core standards and corresponding high-stakes testing, she did not cite that as a factor. “People decided they wanted a change and that’s why we have voting,” she said.
Trustee Frank Chiachiere, who was successful in his re-election bid on May 20, said several sitting school board members on Long Island lost last week. However, he agreed that there didn’t appear to be a single issue that cost Evans her seat. “I don’t find it unusual that an incumbent loses,” he said, “but the twist on this is that there is no issue.”
One of Farrell’s campaign points was having more parent representation on the board and she said that might have struck a chord with voters. She has a son in ninth-grade at Memorial Junior High School, while Evans’ children have long since graduated. “I think, if anything,” Farrell said, “I’m a parent who still has children in the school and people wanted to see that.”
Farrell added that she campaigned hard, going to PTA meetings at all four elementary schools and handing out fliers. This was the second consecutive year she ran for trustee. Last year, Farrell and retiring teacher Toni Pomerantz competed for an open seat, which Pomerantz won.
“I just think I got my name out there,” Farrell said, “more than I did last year.”
She noted that running against Evans wasn’t personal. Farrell said she wants to serve on the school board and she had to pick a seat. After the votes were tallied on May 20, Farrell said she approached Evans at the district office, where all candidates had gathered, and thanked her for her service.
