PINE PLAINS — Five hopefuls want to earn a spot on the Webutuck Board of Education, which will have two open slots by the end of this school year.
Last Thursday in the Webutuck High School cafeteria, district residents got the chance to meet three out of the five candidates so they can make an informed decision when they step in the booth this Tuesday, May 15.
Current board members Joanne Boyd and Joe Matteo’s terms are up this year and both are running for reelection.
Former board members Bill McGee and Andrew Jablonsky, as well as town of North East resident Robert Trotta, are also running for the seats.
Matteo and McGee were absent from the event.
The night was presided over by Al Benson, the regional coordinator of the Taconic PTA.
Members of the audience jotted down questions for the hopefuls on notecards and were also permitted to ask questions during the proceedings.
The first question was: "With graduation rates down and dropouts increasing, how do you justify salary increases?"
Boyd said the Building Excellence Team (BET), a district improvement-minded group, has been addressing that very issue since it was formed.
The current graduation rate is between 85 to 90 percent.
"The whole high school staff is looking at this issue,’ she said.
"I don’t. That’s my answer," Trotta said.
"We want the best teachers for our school, no question," Jablonsky added. "I’m all for paying the school teachers as much as possible. That needs to be addressed with contracts. The environment needs to be exciting to keep them."
The member of the public who wrote the question asked the candidates to address administration, too, not just teachers.
"I don’t. I already answered that," Trotta reiterated.
Salary increases, especially those that come about from tenure, need to be addressed by a "case-by-case basis," Jablonsky added.
The candidates were asked what their educational priorities would be if they were elected, or re-elected, to the board.
"It all starts with the lower grades," Jablonsky offered. "It prepares you for high school and the years after."
Boyd referred to the district mission statement ("give students the knowledge and desire to make a significant contribution to society") in her answer to the question.
"I want to make the school district number one in the county and the state," said Trotta. "It’ll take a lot of hard work on the part of the board and the administrators."
"What is the top priority you feel the board must address in the next year and how do you plan to get it done?" was asked.
Although she said "numbers and finance isn’t her strength," Boyd wants to have district budgets that balance educational needs and tax impacts.
"Give the student a good, solid education" was Trotta’s response.
The budget was Jablonsky’s answer, as well.
"Education is a must and all avenues need to be explored before diminishing any educational activity," he continued.
"What programs are essential to keep in order to maintain the level of education in the district?" Benson read.
"We should take a look at teachers. Are the performing, are they not?" Trotta said.
In Jablonsky’s opinion, principals and Superintendent of Schools Richard Johns need to let the board know what program areas need improvement so the board can address them.
"I agree," said Boyd.
"Do you hold administrators responsible for their results, or do you micromanage," was another question.
All three present candidates said they were vehemently opposed to the second option.
"My style is ... to get good people in place," Trotta said. "You have to evaluate performance, you have to listen to the administrators and you have to make your own decisions. The most important job down here is the teacher. Their needs to be something in their file, a record of nonperformance. Making sure that it’s documented so the board can make an accurate decision."
Chip Barrett, a resident of the village of Millerton, asked the board how they would deal with a teacher who was not doing his job.
With the threat of litigation from the teachers’ union, what would their philosophy be on the issue?
"I’m not afraid," answered Trotta. "I don’t think you can operate out of fear. I don’t want my life or my law practice that way. You step up to the bat and do what you’re supposed to do."
"You have to have a backbone," agreed Jablonsky, who works in construction management.
"It’s not a case of being afraid, it just gets taken care of," Boyd added.
"What is your plan to lower school taxes in the community?" was the next audience question.
While Jablonsky said that, as one board member out of seven, he can’t independently do anything, steps can be taken to lower the taxpayer’s burden, such as the curbing of administrative salary increases.
"We need any and all information on how to get the tax levy down," he said. "A six point yearly [budget] increase is unacceptable in my opinion ... There’s no reason a freeze on administrative salaries can’t happen."
According to Boyd, for the last three years, the district finance committee has been working tirelessly to come up with ways to lower the increases and the levy, as well as get the word out to the public.
For example, the committee held public forums for next year’s school budget as early as last fall.
"The work is being done," she said. "I feel that’s been done this year."
"If I am on the board, I will take a long look at the budget," Trotta said, adding that costs can be cut in creative ways, such as using geothermal heat or solar energy to power district facilities. "The salary end of it, I’m a firm believer in rewarding good teachers.
Boyd said conversing with representatives from New York State or Dutchess County could help solve the problem no.
Town of North East resident Peter Judge asked the candidates if they would close the Millerton Elementary School to reduce the budget and where they stood on centralization of the campus on the Webutuck High School grounds, an option that has been discussed at past Board of Education meetings.
"If there’s a possibility to put them here, then ‘yes,’" answered Trotta, referring to moving the pre-kindergartners, as well as Amenia Elementary School students, to the central Haight Road campus. "But we need to develop a plan for the building."
"The short answer is ‘yes,’" Jablonsky added. "But it’s obvious things have to be considered.
"I could agree with both gentlemen and it’s in the long-range facility plan," Boyd said, referring to the five-year plan for district expansion or renovation. "It’s good that there’s a plan."
Judge asked the candidates to answer the centralization part of the question.
Jablonsky said centralization is an option, however, purchases of land, especially without infrastructure, should not be considered at this point.
"Centralization, ‘yes,’" Boyd said. "But it wouldn’t be something that started right away ... Would I go with more property right now? No."
"I hope [district buildings] are used to full capacity," Trotta continued, adding that the district has the capacity for about 1,200 students and roughly 800 are currently enrolled. "We’ve got plenty of room there."
Each candidate had the option to sum up their platform in the final minutes of the meeting.
Jablonsky said he would like to "get a handle on the school budget and long-range facility plan.
"I don’t think there’s to much disappointment here," Boyd said.
I’m glad to see we’ve got five people running for two seats. It’s dynamite and I’d like to thank the other four people running," said Trotta.
"I would like to thank Mr. Benson," said Webutuck K-12 PTA President Valarie Corcoran, who organized the night.
Neither McGee nor Matteo were available for comment at press time.
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