Contested, Unopposed Races In Elwood

By Jano Tantongco

jtantongco@longislandergroup.com

With Elwood Board of Education President Michael LaMena not seeking reelection, two candidates are vying for his soon-to-be vacant seat. Meanwhile, incumbent Julia Fried is running unopposed for another term.

The candidates running for LaMena’s seat are Matthew Curiale, a father of three and special education teacher in Queens; and Becky Marcus, a former attorney and now stay-at-home mom with two children.

Curiale, 41, an 11-year resident of Elwood, has taught at at 255Q, a school for students with autism, for 18 years. He also coaches boys varsity soccer and girls varsity flag football at Townsend Harris High School in Queens.

“I’ve been a volunteer in the community for quite some time. I wanted to make a difference in the lives of the children of Elwood,” Curiale said.

He and his wife Risa, an active PTA member, have three boys, each of whom are enrolled in the district.

Curiale earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing, with a minor in special education, and a master’s degree in special education from Dowling College.

“I think that with my knowledge, being an educator, I can put a professional perspective to the board because I know how to speak the language of education,” Curiale said.

Curiale aims to focus on making sure taxes are kept low, maintain existing programs, and develop creative ways to help all of our students through tutoring and minimizing testing.

Curiale also serves on budget advisory committee for the district and has volunteered for the Elwood soccer program, coaching multiple teams.

Meanwhile, Marcus, an East Northport resident for 10 years, and her husband, Josh, have two children enrolled in the Elwood School District.

“I have a third and first grader, so I am fully invested in the continued success of the schools,” Marcus stated.

She’s an attorney who stopped practicing to become a stay-at-home mom for her children. She previously worked as an assistant corporation counsel for the City of New York from 2005-2008, with some background in the advertising field before law school.

Marcus earned her bachelor’s degree from Baylor University in 2000, then a juris doctor from St. John’s University School of Law in 2005.

She’s been a member of the district’s Curriculum Committee since 2013, Harley Avenue PTA Cultural Arts Chairperson since 2015, Harley Avenue Shared Decision Making Committee since 2015 and board member of Step by Step Preschool since 2016.

“I want to make sure that the history of excellence in Elwood continues and even grows. And, also I want to ensure through my legal background that I am able to make sure that the community’s values and priorities in education, that we can focus on that within the legal requirements,” Marcus said.

She wants to oversee capital bond projects, ensure community priorities aren’t marginalized by mandates and to routinely evaluate course offerings to develop student’s strengths and abilities.

Fried, current vice president of the board of education, is running unopposed for her seat.

She’s been a member of the Elwood Educational Endowment since its creation in 2003. She has also served on PTA committees including the Shared Decision Making Committees for both Harley Avenue and Boyd Intermediate schools and has served as a Girl Scout leader since 2004 and has worked as a CCD instructor at St. Francis of Assisi Church.

Fried received her bachelor of science in nursing from the College of Mount Saint Vincent and a master’s degree in nursing from Stony Brook University. She’s been a registered nurse since 1985.

$60.33M budget proposal, policy change ready for vote

School district residents will also vote on the proposed $60.33 million budget proposal, which marks a 1.46-percent increase from the current year’s budget.

If approved, the tax levy would increase by 1.99 percent, which is below the state-assigned tax cap of nearly 2.12 percent.

Residents will also vote for a proposed change to the board of education election process. The new measure would change the system to an at-large election process starting in 2018, where the candidates with the highest vote totals, regardless of which seat they run for, would be elected to the board.

Polls will open 2-10 p.m., May 16 in the Elwood Middle School cafeteria.

No Opposition For 3 Hills Seats

By Andrew Wroblewski

awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

Three candidates, including two incumbents, are running unopposed for the three soon-to-be open seats on the Half Hollow Hills school board.

Incumbents Diana Acampora and Betty DeSabato will be joined by newcomer Michael Prywes – who is looking to fill the seat of Paul Peller, who is not seeking reelection – on the ballot come May 16. They’re each seeking a three-year seat on the board.

Acampora, a 27-year Dix Hills resident, has been married to husband Anthony Acampora for 29 years. The couple has two children, both of whom attended and graduated from the district.

She’s a product of St. John’s University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in speech pathology/audiology, and later went on to earn a master’s degree is speech pathology from Queens College.

Professionally, she’s worked as a buyer of women’s business attire in New York City’s garment center, and also spent 10 years in retail menswear opening, staffing and merchandising over 20 new locations.

Acampora has been a board trustee since 2011 and has served on several board committees.

She said priority issues include offering “first-class education in a fiscally manageable way;” maintaining the district’s aging infrastructure through its capital budget; and providing a safe environment for students and faculty to thrive in.

Acampora added, “There’s immense gratification being part of a community that supports a public school district with a reputation for excellence and diversity.”

She’s also the founder and president of the Acampora Concussion Awareness Foundation and a served in several PTA roles for over 15 years. Acampora also supports the American Red Cross; was a member of Dix Hills Soccer Club for 10 years; and was part of the campaigns against two local projects, the rest stop on the Long Island Expressway in Dix Hills, and the Pilgrim State intermodal facility.

DeSabato, an 18-year Dix Hills resident, has been married for 25 years and has three children. Two of her children attended and graduated from the district, and the other is currently enrolled as a 10th grader.

She is a graduate of both Pace University and LaGuardia College, and served as a business administrator for over 26 years.

DeSabato has served on four board committees; has been chairperson of the Suffolk Hispanic Advisory Board; executive committee member of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association; and league director of Dix Hills Basketball Association.

“It has been an honor to be a member of the Half Hollow Hills school board for the last six years,” said DeSabato, who currently serves as school board vice president. “To have the opportunity to continue to preserve and improve the education of excellence that our children receive is the reason why I am running for a third term.”

She cited the 2-percent tax cap, district’s aging infrastructure and changing technological landscape as areas of importance for the board.

“My experience as a business administrator, project manager along with strong leadership skills contribute to working collaboratively with the board of education, superintendent and district’s administrative team,” she said. “This is important to continue to build on educational goals now and in the future for all students.”

Prywes, an attorney who is married and has two sons, is a new candidate for the school board.

He’s a graduate of Northwestern University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in creative writing. Prywes later earned a professional certificate in writing from UCLA; and a juris doctor from Hofstra School of Law.

Prywes, 42, has worked for two and a half years as managing attorney of Prywes, PC, a Manhattan-based startup law firm.

He wants to join the school board because he sees it as a way to “give back to the community that has given me so much.”

Prywes grew up in Dix Hills and returned to live in the town with his wife, Devra Prywes, and their two sons. His sons are currently enrolled at Vanderbilt Elementary School.

“I am an attorney for artists and entrepreneurs, and I see my role as counselor in the truest sense of the word. I counsel and teach my clients to be adaptable and strategic, and to pay attention to trends on the horizon,” he said. “I believe those skills will translate well to a school board.”

Prywes said he wants the district to adapt to evolving educational needs; continue to be fiscally responsible; and get creative with problem-solving.

He’s also a coach for Half Hollow Hills Little League, a member at Dix Hills Jewish Center and has been a coach on a local First Lego Robotics team.

$248.04M school budget readies for vote

The Half Hollow Hills School District’s proposed $248.04 million budget for the 2017-2018 school year will also be up for a vote next week.

The proposed budget marks a roughly $6.75 million, or 2.8-percent, increase from the 2016-2017 budget, and sports a tax levy increase of 1.93 percent in line with the district’s state-mandated tax cap of 1.89 percent.

Polls for both the budget vote and school board election will open 7 a.m.-10 p.m. at Half Hollow Hills High School East.

Two Incumbents Seek Reelection In Cold Spring Harbor

By Janee Law

jlaw@longislandergroup.com

Two incumbent Cold Spring Harbor school board members are unopposed in their quest for reelection, but a third incumbent isn’t seeking reelection and there’s no apparent candidate to fill the soon-to-be vacant seat.

William Bernhard, interim assistant superintendent for business, said the third, three-year seat, currently held by Janice Elkin, will likely be filled by a write-in candidate.

Meanwhile, other incumbents Mark Freidberg and Mark McAteer, vice president of the board, are seeking reelection to their posts.

Freidberg, a board member since 2014, has worked in the education industry for 20 years. He is currently the global operations director and senior vice president of Embassy English, a division of Study Group. Before that, he was general manager and vice president of Kaplan’s Pre-college business.

Freidberg said he is, on a daily basis, thinking up all the tasks that must be completed to run great schools. Like every district, Cold Spring Harbor faces challenges, such as running beneficial programs for students while staying within the yearly tax cap, he said.

The school board will soon be tasked with appointing a new assistant superintendent of business and a new principal for the high school, and Freidberg said it’s important for the board to provide stability and continuity with those changes.

Other challenges he sees include integration of technology into classrooms and helping students prepare for college and careers.

“We’ve made some really good progress in accelerating our efforts around integrating technology into the classroom,” said Freidberg, 47, a Lloyd Harbor resident for 15 years. “I think we’re going to need to continue on that path as well.”

Freidberg lives with his wife and two daughters, one of whom is a 7th grader and the other a 10th grader at Cold Spring Harbor Jr./Sr. High School.

Freidberg earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Columbia University in 1992, and his master’s in business administration from Fordham University’s Deming Scholars Program in 1999.

Meanwhile, McAteer was appointed to the school board in December 2013 and elected to a three-year term on the board in 2014. He couldn’t be reached for comment before deadline Wednesday.

$66.62M budget proposal also goes to vote

Cold Spring Harbor residents will also be tasked with casting their say on the district’s proposed $66.62 million budget for the 2017-2018 school year. The budget proposal stays within the district’s state-assigned tax levy cap with an expected increase of 2.42 percent. It also sports a 2.52-percent increase from the district’s current budget.

Polls will open 6 a.m.-10 p.m., May 16 in the Ralph Whitney Field House at Cold Spring Harbor Jr./Sr. High School (82 Turkey Lane, Cold Spring Harbor).

Four Candidates, 2 Seats In Commack

By Andrew Wroblewski

awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

An incumbent is being challenged for her seat, and two newcomers are looking to fill a soon-to-be vacant seat, on the Commack school board this election season.

Newcomer Jen Carpenter is challenging Janine DiGirolamo, incumbent and current board vice president, for her seat. Meanwhile, April Haupt and William Hender are vying for the seat of incumbent Mary Jo Masciello, who isn’t seeking reelection.

Polls for the election and budget vote will open 6 a.m.-9 p.m. at Commack High School. The district’s proposed 2017-2018 budget comes in at $190.16 million and sports a 1.99-percent tax levy increase.

Jen Carpenter

Carpenter is a 36-year Commack resident and graduate of the high school. She’s been married to Douglas for almost 19 years and the couple has three children. All three of her children, one a kindergartener, another a third grader and the third a seventh grader, are enrolled in the district.

She’s a product of Dowling College, from which she earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and secondary education in 1995l. She later earned a master’s degree in special education in 1997.

Carpenter, 44, previously taught special education and kindergarten within the Half Hollow Hills School District from 1997-2004. Later that year, after her first child was born, she began teaching a field trip program at a local farm and is now the lead teacher and director of the program, which serves kids in grades pre-k-12 from across Long Island and New York City.

She has been a PTA member since 2009, and is also part of SEPTA. Carpenter is also an administrator for Uniting Commack for the Love of Learning, an advocacy group that informs Commack families, community members and teachers about current policies and issues in education. And she is also a liaison for Long Island Opt Out.

If elected, Carpenter said, she’d like to address priority issues. The first is that she wants to advocate for children to receive the developmentally appropriate experiences needed to grow at each level. The second is to advocate for multiple pathways toward graduation and career readiness for all students, including those in special education services. She also wants to urge state lawmakers for proper and fair funding.

Janine DiGirolamo

DiGirolamo has served on the school board since 2014, and currently serves as its vice president. She’s married to husband Ben and has two sons. Her older son graduated from Commack High School last year and her younger is a sophomore there.

The 53-year Commack resident attended both Suffolk Community College and SUNY Farmingdale, and earned a computer programming degree from Grumman Data Systems Institute. She’s been a stay-at-home mom for the past 18 years.

For the last 14 years, she’s been a PTA advocate, and she’s also an honorary life member of, and lifetime achievement award recipient from, the state PTA. She’s also been involved in several local committees and councils.

“I believe my affiliation with the many school based groups and community organizations, which it has been my pleasure to serve, especially the last two years as Vice President of the Commack Board of Education, has given me the experience and skills necessary to continue to serve on the School Board,” DiGirolamo said.

She said that, if she’s reelected, she’ll continue the advocacy efforts that made up the district’s 2017 Lobby Day Advocacy Agenda, including Common Core testing, teacher evaluations and mandate relief.

She views her role as a board member as a one of advocacy and responsibility.

And, she added, “A board member must possess an open mind and the will to represent the interests of the community at large and never use their position to further their own agenda.”

If reelected, DiGirolamo said she “work tirelessly, with an open mind and open door, to protect this district from the threat… that comes in the form of the many mandates, laws and policies passed down, by state and federal governments without regard for our wants and needs as taxpayers and voters.”

April Haupt

Haupt is a 13-year Commack resident and is married to Walt Haupt. The couple has two children, both of whom have attend Commack schools since kindergarten and are still enrolled in the district.

She’s a graduate of Half Hollow Hills High School West, and later earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and philosophy from Boston College, from which she graduated magna cum laude in 1989. She later earned a juris doctor from Boston College Law School in 1992.

An attorney, Haupt, 49, previously worked for several law firms, but later opened her own estate planning and elder law offices in Commack and Brooklyn. She’s also an instructor in Hofstra University’s Continuing Education Department.

She’s been an executive board member of the PTA at three different Commack schools, and has also sat on several district committees. Haupt also has other roles in the community, including Girl Scout leader for the past 10 years, and member of the Booster Clubs for soccer, track and field and softball.

Haupt said she wants to join the school board to work with fellow board members to provide the “highest-quality educational experience both inside and outside the classroom.

“I want to work to maintain our small class sizes, continue our enrichment programs in all schools, enhance community awareness of the great programs offered in our schools through programs like the Ambassador Program, and continue to maintain the high standards in our special education program, which is known as one of the best in Long Island.’

She cited priority issues as class sizes, maintaining and adding programs for students and raising community awareness.

William Hender

Hender is a 30-year Commack resident who is married to KristiLee and has two children. One of his children is set to enter kindergarten at Wood Park Primary this September.

He graduated from Commack High School in 1997 and earned a bachelor’s degree in child study from St. Joseph’s College in 2001. Hender also earned a master’s degree in literacy from Long Island University CW Post, and an advanced certificate in educational leadership from Stony Brook University. He’s currently finishing a doctoral degree in educational administration in St. John’s University.

Hender, 38, teaches and coaches within the Kings Park Central School District, where he’s worked for 16 years. He also works for Western Suffolk BOCES Regional Summer School as an administrator.

“I am in the ‘trenches of education’ on a daily basis and I am well versed in the current trends and issues in the world of education,” Hender said, adding that his administrative roles also give him insight into how school districts work.

In the Commack community, he’s been a coach and manager for Commack South Little League, and actively participant in the Commack Relay for Life and Commack Soccer Memorial Day Tournament.

If elected, he said, Hender wants to ensure that more learning opportunities are available to students; establish a legislative committee to pitch common goals to local lawmakers; and “create an environment of collaboration.”

“It has often been said that ‘it takes a village to raise a child,’ and I agree with this statement,” he said. “Therefore, I will look to bring even greater transparency and education to the community into why and how decisions are made.”

The Long Islander

School Budget Vote 2017

Contested, Unopposed Races In Elwood

No Opposition For 3 Hills Seats

Two Incumbents Seek Reelection In Cold Spring Harbor

Four Candidates, 2 Seats In Commack

Long Islander News