Two candidates are competing for one open seat on the Elmont Union Free School District Board of Education in the district election on May 19.
Incumbent Trustee Angel Ramos is seeking another term against challenger Moshiur Rahman Khondokar, with both candidates emphasizing student support and community engagement while offering different priorities for the district.
Khondokar, who has been living in the Elmont community for the past decade, has worked in the technology industry for 16 years. He described his campaign as being centered on expanding science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, and artificial intelligence education in district schools. His professional background, he said, includes working as a software engineer and engineering leader for companies such as eBay and Visa, along with positions in the finance sector.
In addition to his professional work, Khondokar said, he founded Builders, Innovators and Thinkers of North America, or BITNA, in 2017 to help underserved communities gain greater access to technology education. Through the nonprofit, he said, he has organized coding workshops, A.I. boot camps and technology awareness programs across Long Island and New York City.
Khondokar said that one of his main goals would be to prepare students for a workforce increasingly shaped by A.I. and emerging technologies. He added that schools need to begin introducing students and families to A.I. tools now so that students are prepared for future careers. “We have to get our classrooms ready,” he said.
Khondokar, who volunteers as a STEM educator, said he also wants to strengthen outreach to immigrant families who may not always be aware of available educational opportunities and programs. Improving communication and accessibility for parents, he noted, is an important part of closing educational gaps in the community.
“I'm always about elevating people,” Khondokar said. “I work with people, process and technology in my community.”
A father of four children in the district, he said he has spent years hosting workshops and educational programs outside the classroom to help students learn coding, public speaking and problem-solving skills.
Ramos, who was first elected to the board in 2023, said his experience mentoring and supervising youth has guided his work as a board trustee. A lifelong Elmont-area resident, he graduated from Dutch Broadway Elementary School and later took part in the automotive Career and Technical Education program in the Sewanhaka Central High School District.
Ramos said he has spent over two decades working with young people in both professional and community settings, often focusing on mentorship and conflict resolution. He said he believes that building stronger relationships among schools, parents and students can help address challenges before they escalate.
“One thing I do actively, even with my kids, first day of school, I introduce myself to the parents,” he said.
Improving communication between parents and schools, Ramos said, remains one of his priorities if he is re-elected. He noted the district’s use of the ParentSquare, a communication platform for parents and teachers in the district, and added that continued outreach is necessary to ensure that parents stay informed and engaged throughout the school year.
Ramos also said he would like to see more transparency when parents raise concerns during school board meetings, including clearer follow-up on how issues are addressed by the district.
Along with parent engagement, he highlighted the district’s growing investment in STEM opportunities, including robotics, science programming and expanded extracurricular offerings. Programs such as Lego robotics, theater, music and Saturday enrichment activities, Ramos said, have helped increase student participation across the district.
The district, he said, should continue evaluating which academic and extracurricular programs are most successful, and direct resources toward areas in which students show the greatest growth and interest.
“If our science grades are better than our math and better than our reading, then we need to incorporate our reading and math into our science,” Ramos said.
Ramos, who has two children, said his primary goal is to continue supporting students, teachers and families while helping to ensure that equal opportunities are available in all district schools.
“I care about making sure that families feel heard, our teachers feel supported, and our students have every chance to thrive,” he said.
