Meet the District 13 school board candidates

Joseph DiSibio   

    Joseph DiSibio says his first term on the District 13 Board of Education has been a positive experience. The 45-year-old father of three from Franklin Square is running unopposed for a second term.
    “It was quite an eye-opener as to how much work the board actually does,” he said of the past three years, “and what goes on behind the scenes in the school district.”
    DiSibio said his wife, AnnMarie, has long been involved with the PTA. In 2004 and 2005, after the school budgets were voted down on the first try, DiSibio took more of an active role himself and used his financial background to explain the details of the budget to parents. He described himself as an unofficial liaison between the Board of Education and the PTA.
    When a seat opened on the board, he was encouraged to run by his wife and others. DiSibio lost to Debra Evans, whom he would later serve with on the board. He ran again in 2007 and won.

    DiSibio, an administrative officer with the Diocese of Rockville Centre, said his financial expertise has served him well on the board, especially his familiarity working with a non-profit organization. He said his goal has been to get other board members to at least look at things from a different perspective. “I think that’s what I bring,” he said. “There was nobody on the board when I joined with that background.”
    The district has made progress in managing expenses and contracts with the bargaining units, he said. “We need to continue to move in that direction,” he said. “There’s always things that can be done better. New opportunities come up as you move along.”
    The challenges that face the district, he said, are unfunded mandates and reductions in state aid. District 13 has no control over those areas, but DiSibio said it is better to be proactive than reactive to these challenges. “We are prepared for the bumps in the road,” he said.
    DiSibio said he is proud of the technology introduced into District 13 classrooms in recent years. He said these enhancements make students want to learn. “Today’s classroom is completely different from when I was going to school,” he said. “These kids are enthusiastic about using technology to further their education.”
    DiSibio said it is important to maintain the art and music programs in the district to create well-rounded students.
    He still considers himself new to the board, but DiSibio said was welcomed from the start. Each trustee, he said, brings their own expertise to the table. This past year, DiSibio served as board president.
    He has two children at North High School — Vincent, a senior, and Samantha, a sophomore. DiSibio’s youngest daughter, Jessica, is in the fifth grade at Willow Road School.

Joan Gartner

    In her first year serving on the District 13 Board of Education, Joan Gartner said she has learned a lot from the experience. “It gives you a first-hand glance at what people do to keep our schools running,” she said.
    Gartner, after being elected to fill a vacancy last year, is running for a full three-year term.
    Everyone in the District 13 community values education from the top down, Gartner said. She lauds the work of Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Lison, the assistant superintendents and other administrators to do what’s best for the children of Valley Stream, Franklin Square and Malverne.
    Gartner, 51, of Malverne, said the board has a great working relationship. There are trustees who have served for many years and bring a wealth of experience to the table, she said, and new board members who come with fresh insights. “It’s a wonderful mix,” she said. “I think our community should be thrilled with the board they have.”
    The board’s biggest accomplishment this past year, Gartner said, was adopting a budget that doesn’t cut any programs for children despite challenging economic times. The district could be losing a half-million dollars in state aid next year.
    Additionally, she noted, the board and administration pared back expenses as much as possible so homeowners would not be hit with a huge increase in taxes.
   Gartner said one of the biggest responsibilities of the Board of Education is to balance the needs of the students against the needs of the taxpayers. As a parent and a taxpayer, she said she understands both sides. She also has a background in finances, as she is employed as a brokerage assistant for a stock broker.
    There are still challenging financial times ahead for schools, Gartner said. It is important for the administrators and board members to continue to work together to weather the storm as they did in preparing the 2010-11 budget. “I don’t know what next year will bring or the year after,” she said.
    Gartner has two children. Her oldest daughter, Lindsay, 20, attends the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Morgan, 15, is a freshman at Valley Stream North High School. Her children attended the James A. Dever School, where Gartner was very active with the PTA serving on numerous committees and as president for two years.
    Running unopposed for her seat, Gartner said she has no specific goals for the next three years besides ensuring that students get what they need so they are prepared for high school and college.    
    She said she comes to the Board of Education with no agenda other than to serve her community. “I think that’s most important for me,” she said, “to give back.”