As the election for an open seat on the Oceanside Board of Education approaches, two contenders are vying for the seat of board President Kimberly Grim Garrity, who will retire after 21 years as a board trustee on July 1. Either Stuart Kaplan, a professor at Nassau Community College, or Charles Lyon, a sales representative at Richner Communications, will take her place.
The educator
Kaplan earned a bachelor’s degree at SUNY Cortland and a master’s at Hofstra University. He is the father of two daughters currently attending Oceanside schools and has been involved in the district’s PTA. He said he has attended nearly every school board meeting over the past few years. Aside from teaching full-time at NCC for 23 years, Kaplan is also the chairman of its Mathematics, Computer Science and Information Technology Department.
“These students became my students,” Kaplan said, noting the large number of Oceanside High School students who go on to attend NCC. He said he has both a personal and professional interest in becoming a trustee. Kaplan said he wants to use his experience to “make a better district,” which includes making a priority of maintaining and growing opportunities within state-mandated budgetary restrictions. He also plans to continue the discussion on safety and security, a hot topic across the country in the wake of the February Parkland, Fla., shooting, and to bring more attention to mental health issues. “People in the district are who [these students] turn to,” Kaplan said, noting the importance of taking care of the district’s children by keeping mental health programs running and making them accessible.
“Education is certainly a major factor, but might not be a determining one,” said Herb Pitkowsky, a resident who is active in Oceanside school affairs. “[It is] always good to have fresh blood circulating through.”
He added that new perspectives and viewpoints are great. Pitkowsky has worked with Kaplan on the buildings and grounds committee, and described him as “capable” and “competent.” He added that Lyon “doesn’t have name recognition,” but he looks forward to hearing from him and is intrigued with how someone with a business background would fit on the board.
Pitkowsky noted that there is a small margin with these elections and that a handful of votes could be the deciding factor.
In addition to Kaplan and Lyon, school board Trustee Seth Blau is running unopposed for his seat.