Stewart lone candidate for District 30 board

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.

Stewart is the lone candidate on the ballot this year. He was first elected in 2008 to fill the remainder of an unexpired seat, and is now seeking a full five-year term. “There’s a lot of work yet to be done,” he said. “I want to help out.”

The most pressing issue, Stewart says, is a plan by Nassau County that would require school districts to pay its share of refunds for successful assessment challenges. Currently, the money is paid back by the county. District 30 has a lot of commercial property which could become a liability, rather than an asset, if the district has to start paying refunds, he explained.

Stewart said the district has done a lot of good for students in the past few years, and he is concerned that a big financial hit like that would undo much of that progress.

Test scores are up in District 30, Stewart said, adding that board members, administrators, teachers, parents and students all should be proud of that success. He cited the district’s commitment to providing teachers with a wealth of professional development opportunities. There is also a collaborative spirit within the district, he said.

Stewart said one of the strengths of the district is that it encourages public participation. He said the Board of Education has become more open, and welcomes public comment at its meetings. Additionally, he said parents and community members are invited to serve on any and all district planning committees.

The board doesn’t always agree, Stewart said, but the five trustees all are focused on doing what is best for children. “I think all of the board members are fantastic and we’ve developed a very good working relationship,” he said.

He also said he hasn’t always agreed with Superintendent Dr. Elaine Kanas, but overall is impressed with her leadership of District 30. Stewart said one of the board’s greatest accomplishments from the past year was giving her a new five-year contract. “I have confidence in Dr. Kanas,” he said. “She is our No. 1 instructional leader. She’s a very strong administrator.”

While District 30 has had much turnover in its principal ranks in the past five years, Stewart said he sees stability finally starting to develop. He said the current group of building leaders is very strong and they rise to the challenge to meet the high expectations of the board and superintendent. Like the board, he said, that is also a group of individuals all focused on student performance.

Stewart was the lone board member to vote against adopting the proposed 2012-13 budget because it eliminated the social worker. He said wants to make sure the district is meeting the social and emotional needs of its students. While western Valley Stream is primarily a middle class area, he said there are some families in poverty. The district can’t close its eyes to them, he explained. “We have to pay attention to it,” he said. “We are all one community.”

He also said he wants to ensure that the district is adequately meeting the needs of its special education population. Additionally, he wants to keep the focus on early intervention and using data to formulate instructional plans.

Stewart served for one year on the Central High School District Board of Education in 2009-10.

Noting ever changing state mandates, Stewart said that District 30 is well poised to meet these challenges. In fact, he said, the district is often ahead of the edicts that come down from Albany, a trend he wants to continue. “If you have a good plan,” he said, “you have to do a lot less work to meet whatever expectations come out of state ed.”

About Cristobal

Age: 44

Family: Wife, three sons ages 12, 10, 6

Career: Administrator with the adult and continuing education
program at LaGuardia Community College