Sachem BOE Candidates Take on Tough Questions

Thursday Night brought about 30 plus residents to Samoset Middle School for Meet the Candidates Night. Designed as a way for community members to meet and understand the issues most relevant to those running for the Board of Education (BOE) and hear their ideologies.

Being one of the largest school districts on Long Island as well as the state of New York, Sachem has nine BOE seats each holding three-year terms. Finishing up his first term as a Sachem BOE member, incumbent Mike Timo's seat is going unopposed.  Also finishing his first term, Sal Tripi is being challenged by new comer Teri Ahearn. Tony Falco has served for 24 years and Mike Matlat is opposing him. Matlat was unable attend due to a business trip scheduled a few months back.

Teri Ahearn introduced herself first during the event. She is the mother of three children in the district and a resident since 1995. She began her career as an elementary school teacher and is presently an Assistant Principal at a Brooklyn middle school. 

"Now that I have more time, I want to give back, instead of being PTA class mother, I felt I had more to offer," said Ahearn. 

Instead of helping one school she feels she has the potential to help the entire district with her education background. 

"I have a different perspective, my experience is multi-faceted," she explained.  Ahearn has familiarity in the classroom and working on budgets in addition to affecting programming for students with disabilities (versed in Special Education mandates, IEPS, 504 plans, etc).

Tony Falco has been a resident of the district for 42 years, in addition to the 24 spent on the board, he has spent 38 years involved with the Sachem Youth Advisory Group.  The father of four Sachem graduates – he felt obliged to pay back the district for the outstanding education his children received. However, he admitted the next couple of years are going to be very difficult financially for Long Island districts and that's why it was important to have experienced people at the helm.   

"My A-1 goal is to continue what we have without raising the taxes," said Falco.   He said few things give him greater pleasure than when a Sachem student comes back to live in the district and teach in the district. 

Mike Timo proudly announced he was a grandfather and a 57-year resident of the district.  A graduate of the Class of 1969, he attended high school in what is now Samoset Middle School.  Married for 37 years, he and his wife put five kids through the district.  

"All my kids attended college – I'm thankful for the education they got, we have some of the best educators in the state," said Timo.

Tripi touted his business experience with 20 years as a Senior Business Administrator for Publisher's Clearing House in Port Washington. Living in the district since 1993, he and his wife have two children. 

"I ask people to look at my track record - 1.94-percent increase this year – an EXCEL Budget on time – compare the morale of the district to a few years back – now we're working side by side with teachers," he said. He's proud of what the BOE has accomplished – and equally proud to have helped make that change come about. 

Questions were written on index cards and provided to the moderator.  When asked about what they thought about the 2010-2011 budget – all incumbents thought it was enormously positive. 

"Costs are increasing and the board's goal was to keep it under 2-percent," said Falco.  He's talking about costs that are not variable and have zero flexibility – costs like the egregious MTA tax, increases to healthcare costs, increased pension costs and cost associated with implementing education mandates that are unfunded.    

"The average increase on Long Island is 3.41-percent. We would have been happy to give out a 0-percent budget but the MTA tax is a problem," said Timo.

Tripi voiced his financial and education concerns and said he and his board members spoke about keeping numbers low without decimating education. 

"We worked closely, the nine of us with the teachers and administrators – this is a taxpayer sensitive budget," said Tripi. 

Ahearn said it was a very positive budget but added, having not worked on it, it was difficult to have an outside opinion. 

Audience members wanted to know what will happen to the budget when Federal Stimulous funds runs out next year – an issue that will affect every Long Island school district. They sequestered the candidate's opinions about the most critical issues lying ahead for Sachem.  

One resident wanted to know why Sachem doesn't have a nine period day like many other districts.  A critical question arose about whether the board was sacrificing the future for the present (with the last few years of a 0-percent increase and this year's low 1.9-percent increase).

The latter could be viewed by many as the most relevant question in these unprecedented financial times.  You have to be curious about how a district that had an 18-percent increase a few years back went to a few zero percent budgets to this year's 1.9, well below the Island's average. 

Prior to Roslyn Gate, many Long Island districts were guilty of pumping more than the 4-percent allotted into their reserve funds and essentially overtaxing the people.  

However, when Patch questioned Tripi, Falco and Timo in a conference call the next day, they were adamant that it was due to the laborious process of cutting waste, combining services and getting the teacher's union to pay a percentage of their health care costs that led to their recent financial success.  

"We always stayed below the 4-percent for reserves," explained Falco. 

This year the board tapped into their reserves. 

"It's a rainy day fund and it's raining," said Tripi. 

All the candidates, through their various responses voiced their concern about keeping costs low for taxpayers and maintaining the educational integrity of the Sachem Central School District.