Matthew Paccione is facing Tara Byrne for the seat being vacated by Steve Foster on the Island Park Board of Education, and Henry Luft is challenging Kim Grim Garrity for her seat in Oceanside. … more

Next year’s budget for Baldwin schools makes the best of a bad situation. The choices district officials had to make on spending were grim, but they were realistic, and based on many hours of careful consideration. While there may be regret about the plan’s cost-cutting measures, there should not be anger, and voting “no” on the budget as an expression of vitriol would be a mistake. Voters who do so would actually be disadvantaging the students they hope to protect. The outcome would not be a restoration of programs, schools or jobs, but rather an even more savage slashing of funds that would gut district activities and significantly reduce the quality of life for students and non-students alike. more

There are five candidates for two seats on the Baldwin school board. The election will be held on May 15 from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. at Baldwin Senior High School. The last day to register to vote is May 10. The incumbent candidates for school board are Mary Jo O’Hagan, the current board president, and Robert “B.A.” Schoen. The challengers are Tracy Mahler, Eric Harrison and Michael Grannum. Below are profiles of each candidate. more

At a PTA-sponsored candidates forum May 2 at the school district office, each of five candidates for two trustee seats on the Baldwin Board of Education attempted to persuade voters that he or she was the best choice. more

Jeanne Greco Jacobs’ youngest of three sons is graduating from North High School in June. But the District 13 school board member and president of the Central High School District board will remain a prominent figure in the Valley Stream educational system. She is running unopposed for another term in May. more

With three decades of experience on the District 13 Board of Education, Bill Stris is no stranger to making tough decisions. That’s just a part of the job, he says, but for Stris, who has also served on the Valley Stream Central High School District Board of Education for 25 years, that’s a part of the job he likes. more

District 30 will be facing some tough financial challenges in the next few years, says Board of Education trustee Cristobal Stewart. That’s why he is running for re-election — to help the district clear those anticipated hurdles. more

In his 25 years of owning a business on Rockaway Avenue, Nat Patel has seen countless others businesses come and go. Many are driven away by the high taxes, he said, and that is why he is running for a seat on the District 24 Board of Education this year. more

Donna LaRocco is one of the newest members of the District 24 Board of Education, surrounded by trustees who have served one, two and even three decades. She is seeking election to her second term on the board in the only opposed school race in Valley Stream this year. more

The Board of Education voted unanimously on Tuesday to adopt the district’s $122.1 million 2012-13 budget, which maintains all existing programs, though board members and parents raised concerns … more