Petitions to appear on a ballot for a seat on a school board were due Monday, and 13 eastern Southampton Town residents stepped up to run in their districts.
Southampton, Tuckahoe, Bridgehampton and Sag Harbor school districts will all have competitive races, while in Sagaponack an incumbent is running unopposed. School board races will be decided May 15.
Two seats are available, one for a full five-year term, and the second for an abridged term of four years. The candidate with the most votes will receive the longer term. There are no incumbents in the race. School Board President David Dubin is not seeking re-election, and former member Amy Pierson stepped down shortly after to take a job with the school district. The candidates are:
- Andrew J. Brindle
- Charles A. Styler
- James "Jake" C. Wilson
- Jacqueline Robinson (write-in)
The election will take place May 15 in the music room from 10 a.m to 9 p.m. Voters will also .
One seat available, for a three-year term.
- (incumbent)
- (former school board member)
The election will take place in the gymnasium May 15 between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Voters will also .
Two seats available, each with a three-year term.
- Gregg Schiavoni (incumbent)
- Walter Wilcoxen (incumbent)
- Thomas Gleeson
The election will take place in the gymnasium May 15 between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. Voters will also .
Three seats available, each with a three-year term.
- Ronald White (incumbent)
- Douglas DeGroot (incumbent)
- Lillian Tyree (incumbent)
- Gabriella Braia
The election will take place at the May 15 between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Voters will also decide on a $10.7 million budget.
One seat available, for a three-year term.
- Joseph Louchheim (incumbent)
The election will be held May 15 between 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. at the Sagaponack School.
Who are you backing in your local school board race? Tell us in the comments section below.
Ms. Goree said there was no clear evidence pointing to a reason for the <b>drop in sales prices in Tuckahoe</b>—a large number of houses in foreclosure, for instance—only that the sale prices of those houses that changed hands in the region were considerably lower than they have been in recent years. She said the town did look more closely at some specific neighborhoods with a higher than usual number of assessment grievances that resulted in lowered assessments last year and generally adjusted those neighborhoods down, but that the tinkering was not the force behind the drop in assessments. “There were just lower sales prices there,” she said."
By the way, your pride in the Tuckahoe school district is based on declining home sales? if properties decrease in value, so do the tax dollars that go to the school. Schools should be judged on performance standards and Tuckahoe's have declined. Thank you for your continued interest in my posts, but your apparent desperation to be contrary is a discussion killer.
When the school is in flux, the community notices. When the board looks to spend money frivolously in good times, the taxpayers will not back them in bad. Property values have indeed declined and one need not depend upon a newspaper article for proof. A decrease in sale prices has a direct effect on the property values of all residence which, in turn, has a direct effect on the school's ability to meet the needs of students.
I would hope that the board will be able to act with laser focus on ensuring that education takes precedence over everything else. I have believed for quite some time that the board needs to expand and I hope that issue will get the attention it deserves. I also believe that board term limits should be enacted because a fresh perspective often provides answers that are not immediately visible, but I will admit that I do not know if that is something that is within the Tuckahoe School Board's power to enact aside from the the individual members' choice not to seek reelection after three terms, which is the equivalent of nine years or the entire elementary and secondary education of a child.
Kevin, I agree with you completely. A 0% increase will only hurt the kids. The health insurance companies, the electric companies, the fuel companies, the repair companies, the pensions, and all the other things that a district spends money on will still get their increases. The difference will only be taken from the kids, and it's not like Tuckahoe offers all these extras and will just have to cut back. Basic programs would need to be cut. Teachers would lose jobs. Class sizes, already very large in some grades, will grow larger, busing and lunch programs will lose funding. Voting no will ONLY hurt the children. David, I understand your concern. The question going forward is, with a Grisnik/Stuedte majority, will we be given a choice on matters like renovating the house on school property? I very much doubt it. Whether or not you liked the idea, I for one really appreciated the opportunity to vote.