LaRocco for District 24 school board

In Valley Stream’s only contested Board of Education race this year, District 24 incumbent Donna LaRocco is being challenged by Nat Patel, a local business owner.

LaRocco has served for three years on the board. She is a past PTA president at the William L. Buck School, a member of the South High School PTA, a life member of the state PTA and a member of the inter-district health and wellness committee. Her three children have all graduated from District 24 and two are currently at South High School.

We endorse LaRocco. She has been making a positive difference in the school district for nearly two decades through her PTA service and, most recently, on the board. This past year she also joined the Central High School District Board of Educaiton. LaRocco has a strong knowledge of the issues facing the community and the challenges facing school districts.

As a homeowner in Valley Stream for the past 26 years, LaRocco knows that school districts can’t just spend at will. As a parent, LaRocco understands the value of the education system. That makes her an ideal school board member — someone who knows how to strike the delicate balance between meeting the needs of the students and being responsible to the taxpayers. The last few District 24 budgets have carried little to no tax increase.

LaRocco has a good knowledge of the programs that the district offers for children, and is protective of maintaining a quality school system.

Patel also had three children attend District 24 schools and has one child in South. As a small business owner on Rockaway Avenue, he understands the burden placed on commercial property owners in the district. However, his platform is largely based only on taxes.

LaRocco has a more comprehensive platform that focuses on both taxpayers and students. That’s why we believe she should be re-elected to the District 24 Board of Education on May 15.

Support incumbents in Districts 13, 30

Though there are no challengers for the Board of Education seats in Districts 13 and 30, we ask voters not to forget about these names on the ballot.

In District 13, Bill Stris and Jeanne Greco Jacobs are up for re-election. Stris, a board member for more than 30 years, brings great institutional knowledge to both the elementary and high school board. He has a strong understanding of the history of the school districts, ensures that his boards are always following the rules and asks the right questions. He isn’t afraid to go against the grain and vote ‘no’ when he disagrees with a decision.

Greco Jacobs has been on the board for nine years and has served two separate stints as high school board president. She also knows the system well and having students in the schools more recently — her youngest child is a senior at North High — she understands the importance of a strong educational program.

Cristobal Stewart in District 30 had his rocky times during his early tenure with the board, but he has developed into a solid trustee. He stands up for his beliefs and isn’t afraid to disagree with his fellow board members. We like his strong support for special education and student support services. District 30 has been on the upswing in recent years, and that’s no accident as the Board of Education has been very supportive of initiatives to improve student performance.