HCSD BOE Meet the Candidate Night 5-14-25

001Ladies and gentlemen, thank you to the Horses Central School District 2025 Board of Education Candidate Forum. Good evening and welcome to our forum tonight for Board of Education candidates. Like every school year, okay, I forgot my glasses, so I apologize. I need this a little farther away. My arms aren't that. Like every school year, we have a board of education election and the budget vote. So, we try to put this together so the candidates can inform the community on who they are as well as some of their thoughts on the district. This year, we have seats currently held by Dan Christmas, Mary Anne Corbett, and Elizabeth Odell Welling that are up for a three-year term. These seats are now uh open, and we have seven candidates running for those three seats. They are in the

002order that they appear on the ballot and that is from the camera's left to the camera's right. Starting with first on the ballot, Mr. Daniel Christmas. Second, Miss Carishian. Third, Mr. Matthew Fineberg. Fourth, Nicole Takari White. Fifth, Angie Finlen. Sixth, Liz Odell Wheeling. And seventh, Mary Joan Glanton. The budget vote and the election will take place Tuesday, May 20th from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the High School North Gym. To learn more about who you can vote for or how the information is presented on the budget, you should have received our newsletter that has been mailed out and is in the mail and is starting to receive be received at home. You can also turn into our website very quick on the front page as a toggle for all budgetary information. The Horsehead Central

003School District regularly records, streams, and presents our budget ever since the beginning of February. Unlike most other districts, we have started a long time and this is a culminating process. Tonight's forum will be moderated by students and we want to thank them for coming out. In addition, uh this is not a debate format. There should no be no cheering audibles from the audience. You're here to listen. There should be no signs uh or anything of a political nature. This is a question and answer session and this is for the board members to show their positions and statements. Each candidate will have two minute of an opening remark. They will have one minute for a response to any of the questions. All questions are meant for each candidate. And then at the end we will have

004one minute for a closing remark. We'll start off the evening with two minutes opening remarks with each candidate. I will read that question in just a minute, but I needed to make an announcement that not even my current board understands. We were informed after the budget was approved and put out that the state is including an extra $400,000 in aid. We cannot just put that arbitrarily into a budget. We have reached out to our auditors and our legal counsel how to best use that money for the community's best interest. Our budget states that right now the conservative estimate, which is always our highend on a $100,000 home, is $48 a year or 48 cents on a thousand. We've been informed by our auditor that is is it is legal for us to apply that 400

005of surplus money back to the community in August for the tax rate to be reduced. My recommendation to the board will be to do just that. The impacts of that by making this announcement tonight means that $48 per $100,000 home or 48 48 cents on a,000 would reduce to about $36 per $100,000 home, which is another way that I'm sure our board and I imagine even our candidates would agree that that is the best to do when the state unfortunately approves a budget late where we can't use it, but we can at least at least honor our community and try to lower the cost. So that would be my recommendation. We just want the public to know and also we wanted the candidates know because that could be something you want to talk about as

006well. So to start off the evening with Mr. Christmas. The question is, please include why you are running for the school board and what experience qualifications make you an ideal candidate who is well equipped to make educational decisions in a district as large as horse heads as well as your opening statement and then from Mr. Christmas when the bell goes off or before it will pass the mic. Please make sure your mics are off and only your mic is on when you're speaking. At this point, Mr. Christmas and all. Okay, thank you. So, good evening. I'm Dan Chris. Uh, I'd like to thank the students for being here this night to to ask questions and for the community, those of you who are here, and those of you who are online watching the forum. I'd

007like to briefly share what I think makes me different from the other candidates, what makes me a good candidate for the board, and why I think uh I deserve your vote. First of all, experience. Of the seven candidates who are running, five of them don't have any board of education experience and one has three years. I've served on the board for nine years. And because of that, I have a deep understanding of the role of the board, how it should operate, and how it can best serve our community. In addition, I have a legal background. I've been a lawyer for over 20 years. And while not in the education space, it gives me a unique perspective to understand legal issues that relate to the district. And lastly, I've lived in this district for over 18

008years, as you might have seen in in the bio in the newsletter, and that's actually twice as long as four of the candidates and more than five years longer than the other two. The second thing I would point out is temperament. As many of you know that this has been a particularly acrimonious period leading up to the election, including lots of negative posts on Facebook. This is not what Horseheads needs. We need people who are open-minded and collaborative, civil, professional, and positive and focused on moving the district forward. That's who I am as a person, a candidate, and a board member. I'm thankful for the trust that's been placed in me for the past nine years and I hope that you continue to place that trust in me. In return, as I always have, I'll

009focus on what's best for our students, our teachers, staff, and community. Thank you, and I appreciate your support. Good evening. My name is Cara Sheen. I'd like to thank Dom, Mia, and Serenity for being here tonight. It's great to have you here. I actually grew up in Horses back when Singh was in elementary school. Graduated from Horseheads in 1997, and my three children currently attend Horse. I'm a hairdresser by trade and I've had the privilege of teaching at Boseies for 18 years. I say it's a privilege because we truly are a team and that's something I really would like to bring to our district and horse. My job is to teach and to communicate. I've owned a private school along with many other businesses throughout my career. I enjoy being social. I have many friends

010in the district and I would like to close the gap between teachers, social workers, staff and board members to have more transparency and support of one another. I am passionate about making a positive impact in our school district with my background and I would be an excellent candidate for the school board. One quick side note, I did not real my daughter did not realize on Mother's Day that I had an event on Wednesday night and purchase tickets for us to see Menopause the Musical. So, I will have to leave a little bit after 7. So, I do apologize for that. Um, unfortunately, our children don't know our schedules as parents. Um, but hopefully I can stay and it will be done, the forum will be done before that. Um, but I'm honored to be here.

011Thank you. Good evening. Uh my name is Matt Fineberg. Uh as you've read in the bulletin that was sent to all of your uh homes, uh I'm a village resident for about 10 years. I live right here on Center Street. I have three children. Uh two of whom are enrolled at Center Street Elementary. So I am in the thick of the diaspora of Center Street Elementary uh next year. I'm an Ithaca College graduate. I have a bachelor of music in education and a master of music and education from Ithaca College. Uh and I am the high school band director at Waverly High School just down the highway a bit. Uh I've also taken administration courses at Sunni Courtland. Um my expertise as an active teacher can offer perspectives no one else can offer. No one

012else on this panel. I'm the only active teacher in the trenches seeing what our students are getting from our budget, from our teachers, from our administrators. With the changing landscape from the government, with the additional $400,000 that's coming our way, uh the superintendent is going to have to make some very difficult choices. Uh and there's going to need to be a board of education knowledgeable enough to ask the difficult questions. And I believe that I am one of those perfect candidates to know how the decisions made by a board of education impact students because I am a teacher. Many of these candidates may only be able to get information from outside sources, but as an active teacher, I am your primary source. I am a primary source for that information. I know how these decisions

013affect students and employees because like I said, I am a teacher. As previously stated, however, I'm running because I'm grateful for what Horseheads has given my family. My wife and I moved to Horseheads because of the school district and my expertise as a board of education member can help further success of the students and the community at large. Thank you. Hi, I'm Nicole Tagari White. Um, I chose to run for the school board this year because I believe that we do need to add more board members that are willing to ask the tough questions. Um, as Mr. Christmas said, you know, there's been a lot of stuff on social media, but we're just asking the questions that the community is behind the scenes asking. Um, so I'm here to advocate for our students first, our

014staff, followed by the community. I moved here from Pennsylvania 7 years ago and I chose Horse Heads because of its strong reputation, their commitment to excellence. As a parent, I have four children in the district. Um, as of the fall, they'll be from preK to 7th grade. Um, so I think I bring a direct personal investment to the future of all of the schools. Professionally, I've spent the last 15 years as a bachelor's prepared registered nurse. I may not have an education background, but as a nurse, you educate your patients every day. Um, and I may not have worked in administration directly, but I worked in an administration role as a nurse. In that role, you have to work with multiple departments. You have to collaborate from the very top of administration to, you know,

015the everyday walks of the staff. Um, so I may not have direct administrative um, experience, but I do. Um, so I think that I'm just committed to being here to be a voice for the families and working to ensure that our district remains um, strong and that it's a place that we're proud to call home. Oh, sorry. Good evening. Thank you to the student moderators for taking time out of your schedule to be here and thank you to the district for offering this opportunity. Um, what Mr. Christmas said is accurate. We, my family, is the newest to the district. Um, we moved to Big Flats in June of 2019, but we weathered the pandemic with this community and we've come out of this other side with many lessons learned and a strengthened appreciation for public

016education. We chose to move to this district from Aoka and we shopped around very hard for the right place for our kids. All three of our children are unique in their needs, talents, and challenges, and Horse met us and them right where they were at. I'm here today with a sense of pride in my community and in this school district. I believe the board of education is a group that works hard to balance the requirements and requests of many stakeholders and I would like to offer my perspective on those issues. I'm hopeful that if I'm elected, my seat at the table will offer encouraging will encourage true transparency, collaboration with the community and staff and administration as well as integrity in decision-making. Currently I'm an accountant with GST Boseies working in the grant services department.

017Prior to that I have experience with Corning City School District as well as Union Endicott School District as their accountants. All three positions provided different experiences that can be directly supportive within the Horsteads School District. My current position um allows me to be aware of current funding opportunities, state and federal mandates, initiatives being discussed. I also understand the complexities of bargaining units from the perspective as of a supervisor as also a member of the negotiating committee. I seek to always solve problems and I'm willing to get creative. I want to work to build community morale and be part of the solution to the challenges we face. My name is Liz Odell Wheeling and I am honored to currently serve as the vice president of the Horseheads School Board. I've been in this position for two

018years pure elected and have appreciated every moment I've spent at the table. Through that experience, I have gained a deep appreciation of our district and the incredible community that we serve. As a parent of two students, one in sixth grade and one in second grade at Gardener Road, I am proud to raise my children in a district that offers such o amazing opportunities of growth and learning. My background is in education. I hold a master's from the University of Buffalo, but my professional experience is in nonprofit fundraising, volunteer management, and leadership. I bring a strong commitment to public service and to collaborative to a collaborative mindset to the board. I've volunteered in our schools, worked side by side with staff, parents, and teachers. I've served on comm uh district committees, and developed a deep understanding

019for both the challenges and opportunities we face. While I'm never a big fan of sharing my own accomplishments, I would be remiss if I did not share two of my very proud proudest moments. I've started two clubs at our intermediate school that have brought in almost a hundred kids. Uh, one was our drama club where we brought in 70 students interested in theater. We learned together and put on a production of A Christmas Carol, first one ever, and we're excited for next year's production. I've also started a garden club, transforming that space at the intermediate school in the courtyard to a space that our students can be proud of and enjoy. Uh, it is an interesting conversation to have with enthusiastic fifth and sixth graders. They love to share their direct feedback. Uh it's through

020these experiences that I find a place of grounding, a place of where I remember why we're here, why we're at this table. These experiences have grounded me and reminded me that every decision we make impacts our students. Thank you. Okay. My name is Mary Joan Glanton. I have been a resident of Schmunk County for most of my life and I have lived in Horses for just about 20 years. I'm running because I love my community and I have time. I recently retired from 25 plus years in financial management positions for both for-profit and notfor-profit organizations. I love my community so much that I successfully convinced my son to move here recently when he moved back from Virginia. I graduated from St. Bonaventure University with a bachelor's degree in accounting. I've done loads of budgeting throughout

021my career um and loads of projections, five-year projections. And I believe that I would be able to contribute significantly to the board's efforts to provide guidance to the administration to create an environment where the students can be in healthy environments with motivated teachers at a reasonable cost that is sustainable for years to come. I hope I have your support. Thank you. Each candidate will now have one minute to respond. We'll start here at the end with Mr. Christmas and end with at the end. Go down the line and end with Miss Glanton. The first question reads, "Please identify and explain one issue or area in the recent past where you think the board has done well. So I think the board has done well in bringing our facilities into the 21st century to provide the

022appropriate uh environment for learning that our students need. Uh, and frankly, I know there's a lot of controversy about the capital projects, but as someone who with my five children traveled all around the state in terms of their sports activities and whatnot, I could see that our facilities were substandard compared to other districts. And we have with the support of the community invested hundreds of millions of dollars in our buildings, in technology, in uh athletic facilities, which while some say are not important, I challenge you to be at a football game on a Friday night and and not feel the electric air and what that does for our community. So all of that work to bring our the the physical plant of our district forward has been great success by the board and the community

023in the recent past. I agree with what Mr. Christmas said about how our facilities are getting better, how we're becoming more modern and really keeping up with trying to, you know, make things as best we can for children. The one thing that I think the board has done well is something that affects every single student and that's giving them free lunches with the extra money that's um you know the board has come into and maybe just you know most years like this year there's budgets that are behind in the state and then the school gets extra money and they have to choose what to do with it and I think that's something that the board did well. Thank you. Um, I think we're all going to kind of piggyback on each other, but I think

024it's important to recognize a couple of issues that were uh done well and approved by the board with the superintendent's recommendations. Of course, um the capital project was is literally in my backyard. I stare at those lights every night. And what I can tell you, um, as a teacher in another district, that those kinds of improvements, even though there was a lot of criticism that came from the community about them, not only does bring us into the 21st century with refurbished buildings and and uh, athletic facilities, but it does bring in some extra money that we're may not be aware of that because we now qualify up to certain codes with certain seating arrangements and things like that, we can now host state contests and higher level playoff contests that bring in extra revenue for

025our district because I believe Horseheads is in stack. I think that's the athletic conference. They pay horse heads those fees and that money comes right into the district for us to use in other places that we need them. So that was one issue that I did agree with. Okay. Um so I think that one of the issues that the district did very well was um ensuring equity for all the students to have um devices so all the technical like the laptops and such like that especially once um the covid pandemic happened. Uh so I think you know obviously not everyone's at the same economic level so providing those to everybody was a great thing so that the kids could still learn at the same level as their peers may have and they no one was

026left behind essentially I have um two things that I would highlight. First is um the my Jersey my impact. I think that's been fantastic. It reminds students that academics are their top priority and they get to tangibly appreciate staff. Um so it's a win for both individuals. Um more recently though at the April 23rd meeting an ad hoc committee presented on a new board self-evaluation tool and I thought that was fantastic because if I'm being honest I looked at it really closely to make sure that I can hold myself accountable to these standards should I be elected. I appreciate every position that was listed on that um that rubric and I think it offers clarity to the community on what the role of the board truly is. Um I love that it's in a rubric

027template and it keeps it consistent with current evaluation trends. So I think it's a great first step in separating the veil between the board and community and offering transparency. And I will second that. Angie, I sat on that committee and it was uh it worked really well. The team did. I will say the thing that stands out to me overall this year is our communication strategy and seeing how full this room is and how many individuals responded to the survey request for questions. That shows me as a community member and as a board member that the district is doing a very good job in communicating with our constituents and I'm really excited to see that continue. I think I appreciate most the amount of time that the board members spend their attendance at board meetings

028is consistent and I also appreciate the fact that they are as supportive as they are of the school administration. Thank you. Okay, our second question will start with sorry, our second question will start with Carishian. Please identify and explain one issue or area in the recent past you think the board should have handled differently and explain what you would have done. Thank you. Personally, from speaking with people in the public, looking at things on social media, I think the board was in a tough decision, uh, tough standpoint, but the bus schedule for next year seems to be a really big issue in the community. Um, for myself personally, it might not be an issue, but if and when I'm on the board, it's not about me, it's about the entire community. And for most people,

029it seems to be an issue. So, I think that's something that the board should at least revisit. I think the community should have a say, the teachers should have a say. Um, I think it's a really important issue. I live right by Sin Singh Road and if they're going to have the intermediate and the middle schools both dropping off at the same time. It's already unsafe for my daughter to cross the street in the morning. There's one crosswalk. We need more crosswalks. We need crossing guards. Safety should be a priority. And that's something I think that could have been handled differently and maybe the board having more options in their choice. Thank you. Uh I couldn't agree more. Uh that's absolutely correct. I think uh it wasn't clear to the constituents to the community members

030that it was thought out of thought well enough to say well what about this what about that? And I think the communication to the to the community was a bit lacking when it came to making a decision like that. There were a lot of questions that weren't answered before the decision came to the forefront for the board of ed to approve. Something else that um comes comes to mind also with the approval of all of these clubs over at the intermediate school uh that Miss uh Odell was mentioning as well as it is to have those kind of opportunities for those students. I think some follow-through was lacking in that I had to tell my daughter that she couldn't participate in any of those after school activities because she had no way to get home.

031There was no second bus run. There were no aids to sit in a cafeterium to wait like an after school uh as they do in the elementary schools. And I felt as though I had to tell my child, "Sorry, hun, not this year." So, thank you. Um, I also agree with these two as well about the change in time. It doesn't personally affect me in the way I take my children to school most of the time. However, I do live right next to the middle school and intermediate school. So, getting in and out of our neighborhoods is not safe in a vehicle, let alone all the kids that are walking along the streets crossing. So, I'm hopeful that I see they're doing some kind of survey. I'm hoping that they're um like Cara said, putting

032some more crosswalks in and certainly a crossing guard if nothing else because it's not safe driving through there, let alone walking through there for the kids. So, I think that just goes upon my next thing, which is just handling it with better communication um overall as the board members. Um this year the teachers aids were kind of met with their jobs changing and they were told the morning of and it just gave the community a bad taste in their mouth because they were also misled. So, it just um speaking firsthand um I think the board could do a lot better with handling the community comment section during the meetings. I've presented to the board on a number of occasions and then always met with no response, which I recognize as board policy. Um, my suggestion

033as if I were elected would be a standing agenda line immediately after the community question section and it would be an opportunity for the board to discuss if an item deserves um followup with the district at the next meeting. Sort of like a parking lot for the agenda. Um, it's not the time to hear a rebuttal or admonish if or admonish the person asking the question or question the superintendent. It's really just a time to determine if the public followup um is necessary or if a community member can just be redirected um to a different chain. It would give an answer and and a response and I think that's important for our community. While I appreciate my fellow candidates um suggestions, I would uh like to agree that our communication could always be better. We

034can always do things better. Our work is never done. One of my suggestions would be to add in a board section into those uh monthly newsletters that go out from our building principles. Maybe that avenue is a way to drive folks to our website to board docs where this information can be found. A lot of it is there. You just need to know where to look. And I think we can do a lot better at communicating. Um, when it comes to hearing from the public, I think we can do a real a better job at communicating about community comments as well as the use of our general email inbox for feedback. I think the board could do a better job at communicating healthily with each other. I found on several occasions the board meetings very

035uncomfortable to watch. I found it uncomfortable to watch the public who were making legitimate comments and I found it uncomfortable to see that at board meetings there wasn't any real active governing. I felt when I went there that a lot of what they had been discussing had been discussed already behind closed doors. So, I think the board could do much better when it comes to transparency and uh setting an example for the community and our students as to how they should treat each other. They're all part of a common goal. Yeah, I would echo a theme that a number of my fellow candidates mentioned and that's communication. And uh I think what I have realized is despite all of our efforts and there is a great deal of effort put into trying to communicate with

036the public, it's obviously not enough in some circumstances because using the busing situation as example. We saw that there was a great deal, you know, once announced um there was a great deal of of unrest and discord that resulted. And there'll always be people that disagree, right? Not everyone will be happy with the decision, but reflecting on that, it makes me think that we need to make sure we are actively meeting people where they are. I mean, um whether that means more electronic communication, um more opportunities to see people in person, whatever the case may be, we need to make sure the community feels empowered and engaged with the district and the board. And that's something I think we can always continue to improve upon. Okay, question three will start with Matthew Fineberg. The board

037of education has had several discussions in open session on how they struggle to effectively work together. How do you see yourself navigating within this current dynamic? Well, I'd like to see Well, I'd like to see what currently exists uh when it comes to working together. You know, something I even talked to my children about is you can disagree without being disagreeable. I think that's a wonderful motto to live by that even though you might have contentious issues that go back and forth and and different points of view, it doesn't mean you still can't come together, come to a vote, vote on it, and then follow low the Robert's rules of order and move and move on. Um there takes a certain amount of maturity and decorum that I think is necessary. Um I think we've

038seen too many times at some of these meetings where ego gets in the way and they're making it more about them rather than why they're there in the first place. It's important to remember that you are a board of education member and you are representing the community at large and everybody's going to come with different opinions and different ways of doing things. and remember your role. Can you repeat that question for me, please? Of course. The board of education has had several discussions in open session on how they struggle to effectively work together. How do you see yourself navigating within this current dynamic? So, for me, I would um navigate that by getting to know everybody on a different level. I mean, it's easy for us to watch things and make an assumption about somebody,

039but when we actually sit down with people, we learn who they are and we are able to see their perspective. And maybe that's going to change our perspective, but as a whole, we're supposed to work for a team, not for ourselves, but for the community, the students, the teachers that are affected directly by these. So I think just collaborating with one another and getting to know each other is the biggest hurdle that we have in communication with each other. And we need to remember that we need to set a standard. We shouldn't be on the lives or in public um having any kind of outburst cuz that doesn't set a good standard for the school, but it certainly doesn't set a good example for any of our children that are seeing this. Um, I see

040myself as a consensus builder. Um, I'm an advocate. Uh, I listen with empathy and I listen for, um, the purpose of understanding. I think, um, it's been difficult to watch. I agree. It's been difficult to feel like people aren't being heard. Um my hope is that um adding transparency to the board, adding community involvement to the board, true community engagement, I think will go a long way. Um and I think it's really important to remember that I'm one person of nine and I'm going to rely on the other eight at the table to provide insight for me. I don't have a student in the elementary school and I don't have a student in the intermediate or middle school any longer. So, I would look to them, those people who have that um connection to help

041fill in the gap for me knowledge wise. Last year, the board uh formed a committee. I actually led the committee and created a norms document that helped outline how we would interact as individuals. Uh, I would like to see uh fellow board members really take heed of that document. It makes things pretty easy and understand that we're not always going to agree at the table, but when we leave the table, we are as one voice. It's important to remember that we can be passionate about things and passion comes out in interesting ways, but we need to remember and be grounded in the mission of the district. We need to focus on what we're here to do and who we're here to serve. I agree with Angie. She makes a good point when she indicates that

042we should be looking to each other. The current board members should be looking to each other. Dialogue should be invited, not shut down. That's not what I've seen. I can think of one board member in particular, Katrina, who has fantastic questions. She's shut down repeatedly. That's very frustrating to watch. So, if I were going to join the board, if I'm elected, I would invite dialogue. I would be the good listener. And if it appeared that another board member needed some assistance in expressing an idea or needed more time, I would move to give that board member more time. I would encourage the board to allow that board member to tease through whatever qualms they might have, concerns they might have. Thank you. So, so there's no doubt there's been um issues in terms of the

043dynamic amongst the board and I've experienced that personally. I think my fellow candidates have all had great ideas. Number one is we need to build a better sense of rapport amongst the board members, right? That we're all there for the shared purpose of serving our students first and the district as a whole. uh we should we need to build better connections between board members other than the time we spend in say a business meeting each month and then we have to respect each other and as Matt said disagree without being disagreeable. We will often disagree on issues and that's the purpose of having nine members. But then once there's a vote, it's an important concept that the board unify and support that. And that's in in everyone rising to that point and doing that, I

044think we'll see far greater unity amongst the board members. I think active listening is something the current board misses out on. And personally, I think the norms document is laughable. Everyone on the board puts so much time in and really cares about the community along with the seven people that are here tonight. And if you, as an adult, you can't listen and respect each other, then you probably shouldn't be on the school board. Part of being on the school board is saying what you think and doing what's best for the majority of the people in our community. Like Mr. Christmas said earlier, we're not all going to agree, but the majority is what we need to listen to and to do what's best for the most people involved. And it starts with our students. And

045right next to our students is the staff. And as a board member, I think something the current board really needs to work on is simply active listening. And as a teacher, it's something I talk with my students about all the time. Talking is not nearly as important as listening to each other to get to the bottom of what we're trying to do to [Music] succeed. Question four will start with Miss Tagari White and then continue on. Describe your view of the role of a school board member versus the role of the superintendent as well as what is the ideal relationship between the two. So for me the role of a school board member is to serve as a representative and advocate advocate for the students first our families teachers and the taxpayers. Board members are

046responsible for making informed decisions that reflect the needs and values of the community while ensuring the school district remains fiscally responsible and transparent in its operations. Um, their goal should always be to do what is best for the majority, balancing all the diverse interests and maintaining a focus on educational excellence. In terms of the relationship with the superintendent, the school board isn't here to um micromanage the superintendent um but play a crucial oversight role. Um as a board member, we should be working collaboratively with Mr. Douglas, setting policy direction for the district goals while holding the superintendent accountable for implementing these goals effectively and ethically. The role of the board is to set direction for the school to achieve the highest student performance and provide accountability for those results. They are to create a partnership

047with community stakeholders and to assist in writing policies and adopting and maintaining current ones. The board should support efforts to create a healthy school district culture for learning and working and they ratify collecting bar collective bargaining agreements and are charged with hiring and evaluating the superintendent. The relationship between the superintendent and the board should be cooperative and symbiotic in nature. The nine members of the board should serve as a sounding board for the superintendent and community stakeholders. The superintendent should serve as the chief adviser to the board. Mutual trust should guide all decision-making with the common goal to serve the students and the staff at Horses District. As a current school board member, I feel that the job of the board is to tell Dr. Douglas and his team the what and they figure out

048the how. We're looking at the 10,000 foot view and they're looking at the everyday. How do we make it happen? How do we make the day-to-day function? I'm not a subject matter expert when it comes to administration. So, it's not not my place to tell them how to do their jobs, but it is our place as a board to set the direction, set the vision, and then they Dr. Douglas and his team are to implement it. I believe that the board is responsible for creating a long-term sustainable healthy vision for the educational environment of our community. That can get as specific as determining whether or not a teacher's hired based upon the board minutes. The superintendent's responsibility is to listen to what that vision is and figure out the best way, the healthiest way, the

049most fiscally responsible way to carry out that vision. The superintendent should then be evaluated clearly by the board to determine whether or not those objectives have been met. Again, I think my fellow candidates have explained it well, particularly Liz. The school board is really responsible for the what the long-term strategic vision of the district educationally and otherwise. And then the superintendent and then his staff are responsible for the how, the execution of that vision. And at its best, that is a symbiotic relationship where there is mutual trust and respect, where there's support but accountability, where the district board recognizes that the superintendent is the key educational advisor and relies upon the superintendent for that purpose. It doesn't seek to micromanage what the superintendent does, but at the same time, as I said, evaluates and hold

050the superintendent accountable to the vision and the direction that the board has set. Bless you. The role between the board of education and the superintendent should be professional. The board oversees and leads the district, which in my point of view is currently not being done. The board makes policies and should push for true transparency and for items and issues to be given out with as much time and notice as possible. Having things handled in a timely manner, the board of education, it's their job to lead this district. Uh, it's true what everybody says, it's true. the board of education hires the superintendent to run the school district. We must remember that it is not the other way around always. We must remember that the board of education's purpose is not to be a rubber stamp

051for the superintendent's policy uh recommendations. We are the checks and the balances. Uh we put our trust in the superintendent to run the district effectively and we approve those decisions that impact the success of our students and how it affects the community at large. We revisit and pass district policies and always make sure that whatever policies are active and running are current and relevant toward what the district is trying to do from day to day, week to week, year to year, and so on and so on. I think it's also important that the board of ed be the eyes and the ears for the community and be that direct communication to the superintendent. Question five will start with Miss Angie Finlay. Over the last few years, there have been many discussions with the board about

052the district's continued work in academic, behavioral, and social emotional interventions within our multi-tered system of supports or MTSS. What aspect of this work do you find the most compelling and why? I think our district has done a really good job um weathering that pandemic and working through the the mental health needs of our students. Um I think we still have a lot of work to do. Um and to be really honest with you, I'm sitting here and not totally aware of what the MTSS thing is. So, I think that speaks volumes to the fact that probably the average community member doesn't know either. Um, I have one student in the high school who um, you know, doesn't really cause problems, I don't think, most of the time. Um, and so I guess maybe what I

053would say to that is I think it's important to reach out to the teachers, to the staff, um, and even to the stu students to find out what's working and what's not working. I personally love our MTSS um program. I love the diversity it brings, the opportunity for a very tailored educational experience for each of our students. It allows our students to be taught and supported at a level where they are uh to help get catch things before they become big problems. We've seen great success and great strides in our students and I'm really excited to see how those interventions can grow in the next year with the addition of the um RTI teachers uh that is included in the budget. I'm really excited to see how that all works out and how we can

054better support our students. So, I I'm a big fan and I'm really excited to see it grow and support our students. Can you repeat the question? Yes. Over the last few years, there have been many discussions with the board about the district's continued work in academic, behavioral, and social emotional interventions within our multi-tered system of supports or MTSS. What aspect of this work do you find most compelling and why? I think the most compelling element of that system of support would be the support lent to the students in terms of mental health. I think that we all come from backgrounds that contribute to or detract from our ability to engage healthily in society. And I think that the school's role has increased over several years because of home environments. Their responsibilities, the teachers responsibilities, the

055school's responsibilities have changed. Uh it's a lot of social work now. I find the mental health component most compelling because I think that that's probably the one that drives the healthy environments and academics uh socializing. Thank you. The MTSS work has been a really compelling thing to see as a board member. I remember a few years ago when we were first being t uh taught about that there was a concept called the invisible backpack that every student comes to school wearing an invisible backpack. And maybe it's they didn't have enough breakfast. Maybe it's that they're coming from a home where there's discord amongst their uh parents. Uh maybe it's a learning disability. Whatever the case may be, they have that invisible backpack they're carrying. And what the MTSS system does is identifies creates processes to

056help identify that and then in a targeted way respond to the needs of that student. And it's really a compelling thing to see across the the academic, the behavioral and the social emotional how these three levels of of universal targeted and intensive support can help those students carry those those um invisible backpacks that they have. Thank you. Um, like Angie's Oh, I want to make sure. Okay. Like Angie said, I'm really not familiar with the NTSS. Um, however, from what Dan and Liz mentioned, it sounds like it's a great program that helps students because we don't know what students are going through or what they're dealing with at home. Uh something personally I think that would be great for students is to get rid of out of school suspensions and have them come to school

057when they're in trouble because if they're out of school for a long period of time, there's no guidance. There's things that they could struggle with and maybe they need more support. Um like Liz me mentioned, part of this program is RTI. Uh like I said, I'm not familiar with the NTSS program. about two out of my three children had RTI support and I think that's a great support. Um so I would look forward to trying to help develop this program because it's all about our students and trying to help them even if they don't look like they have problems um with support at school. I have seen a direct impact in my home from MTSS with my oldest daughter. She's in fifth grade. She works with Mrs. Fuller, Mrs. Katie, Mrs. McDonald, and if it

058weren't for those teachers with this system in place, I'm not sure how successful my daughter would be right now with that system in place getting her through the day sometimes and with the knowledge that these teachers have and the training that they've received to implement this program. My daughter can't wait to get back to school every day. and it is because of this system that's in place. Um, so I'm I'm very thankful for it. I am I am curious to know what um this program will do in the future when the governor passed the cell phone ban next year. We're all we're all going to go nuts. Maybe the community members and parents should get involved in this program, too, because we're all going to need it, I think. Um, but I am grateful for

059it. So for the multi-tered system support, um, this allows the students to with all their diverse needs to be assisted appropriately. I know firsthand how this works. I have two children who receive speech services. Um, they were caught early, so my son is now thriving. My daughter is now thriving. Um, also I think as far as social emotional with the all the social media, um, we had an instance where there was a lot of cutting in fifth grade and that was something new to the principal there. He Mr. Bastwick handled that very well. Um, so I believe the training for our staff members to support the children in the things that are coming because with all the new trends on social media, there's always something that we're not prepared for. But I think overall our

060teachers have been prepared well for that. Question six will start with Miss Wheeling. How would you handle disagreements or controversy on the board or in the community? How do you balance doing what is right for the district and students against what is against doing what is popular with the community? The thing to keep in mind, and I say this to my children all the time, the loudest voice is not always the majority. Just because you throw a fit and you're really upset about something doesn't mean that you're right or that everyone has to agree with you. I actually enjoy the discord. I like when we don't disagree. If we did all disagree all the time, why would we even be sitting at the board table? I think it's important that we do have diverse perspectives

061and that we do disagree. In the end though, once a decision has been made and you have cast your vote, the discussion should stop. We're done. The decision has been made. We need to move on to do the work of the board. Uh I would appreciate uh my fellow board members and any of candidates who are elected to keep in mind that you are one of nine. Your voice is one of nine. together, you're only as loud as the collective. So, keep that in mind. I think there's a big difference between uh different opinions and some of the disagreements or conflict that we've seen on the board. I myself would not engage in the uh some of the behaviors that I've seen from some of the board members this past year. Certainly, I welcome different

062ideas. I think the board should be brainstorming and I think they should be brainstorming with the community. I think that soliciting ideas from the community is fantastic. One of the opportunities for that which is very limited is at the board meetings for public comment. Another is to contact the board via email. However, it goes to a general email box. At least that's my impression. And uh I from there I'm not sure that all the communication is fared out to the board. Um so as far as community engagement, I would make that my personal responsibility. I would not rely upon the board. So, I think the Liz said it well that um certainly the loudest voice is is often not the the right voice or that's not the way to win a disagreement is to be

063the loudest. I think and what I always try to do in terms of resolving a disagreement, the first thing is to listen, is to understand each other's points of view and what it is you're disagreeing about. Disagreement in and of itself is not a bad thing. It represents that others with different points of view are sharing those. The issue is how you resolve that. And so, number one, you make sure you're treating each other professionally and with respect. You're sharing. I actually think our norms document is an important document because it creates a common expectation amongst board members of how we will treat one another and how we will approach our roles. And if we share that understanding, respect each other's different opinions and then understand the importance of consensus, I think that will go

064a long way to resolving the disagreements that we've seen. For those of you who don't know me personally, I apologize, but I'm about as evenkilled and cool as a cucumber as you can possibly be. I'm super laid-back, very easy to talk to, approachable, and honestly, it would be my pleasure to be a board member because I really enjoy the community we live in. I enjoy speaking with people. I do it often. That's my job as a cosmetologist, as a cosmetology teacher, talking to people, trying to help them. Obviously, you can't help everyone all the time, but I'm a very easy person to get along with. I don't get flustered easily, and I have no problem respecting other people. If I don't agree with their opinion, that is not any issue at all. I think that's

065one of the great things about living where we live. We can say what we feel. Um, as long as it's of course in an organized, respectful manner, you can say whatever you wish. Of course, disagreeing is not a bad thing. It's not one of those poisonous words. Uh, as as I think Liz said it before, we're we're one of nine. Um, and we need to find a way. Once again, I said this earlier, let's not forget ourselves in the moment. It's easy to get wrapped up in an issue uh when you take it personally, but you have to remember when you're sitting at a table and you're representing the community, it's it's really really important to remind yourselves and to remind each other about how to treat each other with respect and how to move

066forward uh when an issue is resolved and voted on and closed. Um community members is the same thing. You have an opportunity to speak up whenever you wish. I love an open forum. Um but yes, so I think I think having um nine members on the board is great because we have different diverse perspectives that are brought to the table. So yes, we may only be one of nine, but each one of us is bringing a different perspective, a different voice. You know, we're hearing from the community members, our own students, our own experiences. No, we cannot shape our decisions based upon our own experiences alone. We need to make that as a team. And I do agree with Liz that once the board has made a decision, they need to stand upon that because

067we are a district and we need to be strong together. If we're not standing on something together, then we're just going to fall apart and look foolish to the community. and that's not anything that we would ever want. Um, but we just really need to make sure that we're bringing the voice of the majority to the table, be respectful to one another, and treat our um, fellow constituents, our fellow candidates how we'd want to be treated. Um, I would echo what Nicole just said, and I would also point back to what Dan said. I think those were fantastic answers, but I would also say that unfortunately for the last year or two there seems to be um a bit more disrespect instead of disagreement and I think we need to be really cautious on that.

068I think the other thing to consider is that right now I'm not a board member and so I'm afforded a different opportunity to speak with the community. Um once elected, I would be held to the standards of the board norms that um Liz had mentioned as well as the board policies. Um but I do think the board norms need to be looked at because I do think that um some of them really com they kind of stifle community engagement with the board. They're very confusing on, you know, have an open dialogue, don't have an open dialogue. It's it's very confusing. So I would look for some clarification on that if I were elected to the board. Question eight will start with Miss Glanton. Many of you cite your own children or family as being influences

069on your experience in education. If you were to be chosen to represent all the students in the district, what steps would you take to remain objective and not allow familiar or community ties to influence your decision, making for all students regardless of background? I think one of the ways of doing that is to be receptive to communications from the community, people who may or may not have voted for me, the teachers who work in the school district, and my fellow board members. I think that as I went up through school and as my children went up through school, we benefited greatly from an inclusive environment, not an exclusive environment. I think it's an excellent question and uh as I noted I've been on the board for nine years and I have uh three children who've

070graduated from horse heads and two currently in the school system and I can tell you I have what I think a board member needs to do and what I have tried to do is the utmost to ensure that there is absolutely no imperance that you're trying to utilize your position as a board member for the benefit of your students or anything other than what they deserve. serve like any other student. As a board member, what I do is I think about what's best for all students. Not my students, uh, children, all students. I think that's the perspective you have to have. And when I've dealt with teachers or coaches or administrators in my capacity as a parent, I have gone above and beyond to make sure that they understood that I'm there like any other

071parent. And I respect them and all the authority and responsibility that they have in their position. And I think that's critical to being a good board member. Sorry. As an instructor and a teacher, I care about kids. That's what I do. I love kids any age. If you see me out in public, I'm usually talking to other people's children. I help out with the Center Street Carnival. I enjoy going to sporting events. And yes, my three children are athletes, but I love the music as well. The show here this year at Horsesheads High School was phenomenal. And I think um you know having integrity and thinking about students as a whole body is something that's very important. I do apologize. I spoke with Serenity since I do have to leave. She's going to read my

072closing statement. So I'm sorry if I can't answer the last couple of questions, but I have a date with my teenage daughter that doesn't happen very often. So thank you all for your time tonight. Uh I think it takes integrity of the self to be objective. Uh in your life, in our lives, we wear different hats depending on the day of the week, depending on the time of day, and depending on the setting. As a board member walking into a meeting, that's the hat you put on. There's a time and a place for everything. and to remember what your purpose is when you walk into, in my instance, a classroom as a band director. Sure, I may share some stories as a father, but my role and my job in that moment is to teach

073my students just as it is when I walk into this auditorium or any other setting, whether it be the musical, a sporting event, a concert, an art show at the mall, what's my role when I walk into that setting? And it's important to remind yourself uh what you're there to do. Um and if you're elected as a board of education member, you have to wear that hat, too. So, as a nurse, I think that I bring a different perspective because um I can't take my own beliefs and put that on our patients. So maybe I don't agree what some of my patients do, but that doesn't mean that I treat them differently. I treat them all as a human because that's what we are. We all make mistakes. We all do things wrong. Our students

074deserve nothing but being treated the same. Just because we may come from a different socioeconomic background does not mean that we deserve less. As a child, I came from poverty. I now obviously live a beautiful life. U my husband's a physician. I'm a nurse. So we're afforded different things in life. However, I love sharing. I love giving back to our community. I love working with the homeless, um, our church. Anything I can do to give back. Anytime our students in the classrooms of my children need something, I make sure that's helped with because I know it's difficult on the teachers alone. Yeah. Many of you cite your own children or family as being influences on your experience in education. If you were to be chosen to represent all the students of the district, what steps

075would you take to remain objective and not allow familial or community ties to influence your decision-making for all students regardless of background? So, I think we're human in that um our community ties and our familial background, they shape our opinions. Um I think it's important again, you know, we keep hearing, you know, you're one of nine. And I think that's the key to all of this is recognizing that you get to be the voice for the community that you represent, but that doesn't hold more weight than the community that Liz gets to represent or the community that Nicole gets to represent. And I think it's important that um we recognize that every community member has the right to be heard and represented. And that's something that I don't really think we do very well at

076the board. Um and it goes back to that community comment period and we look like we do that, but we we really don't. So, um, I I think I think just making sure we keep in the foreground that all students matter and all students should be the center of what we're doing and be kept first in our decision-m. I agree with Angie in that everyone matters or no one matters. Dan did a great job when you said uh what's best for all students keeping that at the forefront of your mind and that there's a time and place for everything like Matt said. Um unfortunately for my children I hold them at a higher standard and I think it's very important to make sure that we are looking at all of these students as if they're

077our own. We want the best for every single one of them, every single staff member. We want to see them succeed and we need to make sure that our focus is on them and with every decision they are in the forefront of our minds. Question eight will start with Mr. Christmas. The current board has given the direction to explore a third capital project refer referendum to continue the improvements in classrooms and facilities for all students to benefit. explain your opinion on this direction. Ready, Kaylin? You ready? Okay. You just weren't looking. So, um I'm in support of a of a third capital project in terms of um we we talk we call it finishing the build, right? We've had three phases and the third phase would touch those parts of the district that we haven't

078been able to touch yet. It would bring uh cooling to all of our buildings which I think is an important thing for the learning environment and particularly because the state has imposed some limits on what the temperatures can be in classrooms. It would help us to uh h bring our pool into the 21st century because we have a pool that has been you know original for 40 or 50 years and is on its last legs. So I think if we don't complete the project, if we don't have a third, we are going to leave particular areas of the district untouched and then have a disparity between the environment where we have had the ability to renovate and where we haven't. I think that that the exact timing of it is to be determined depending upon

079the community and the budget, but I think it's an important part of finishing what we started. Uh I agree with Dan. Uh I'm in favor of finishing the build. Um, I was given some information about it recently over the last week or or so, uh, with the addition of the air conditioning, um, as well as the pool. I've heard I've heard about the pool. My, uh, daughter takes swim lessons on Saturday, so I'm there every Saturday with her. Uh, and I think it's important with the updates that are, you know, coming to Ridge Road. Uh, we need to bring the rest of the facilities into the next century or else things will literally start falling apart. Literally. Um, I've seen pool roofs collapse where I used to work because the community said, "No, no, no.

080Don't touch the pool. I went there. It's my pool. I swam in there. It's got to look exactly the same when my kids go there, too." And then the roof fell in. Uh, we had a crack in the bottom of I mean, we had that here in Horsheads actually. That heavy repair on there. Um, we need to get those updates finished so we can get this school district in a great place for the next 40, 50 years. Um, so I do support. As far as the capital project, I think obviously having a cooling system for children is huge. Last year we had to send kids home because it was too warm for them. So I guess dependent on when this would happen and if it were to affect the tax increase anymore. That would be

081part of my decision-m whether I said yes or no to that. I think having the pool up to date is crucial too just because our students use it, our community uses it, the PTO hosts um swim nights and such like that. It can bring funds into the school. It gives other opportunities to students. Um you know, it's like a sporting thing really with the swim team. So, I think overall, yes, we should bring these things up to date, but I also think it would be more important to have hands-on staff with the children as well. So, if it was between the two, I would pick staff. I think it's really important to consider the timing of the third referendum. Um I think it's also important to mention that in 2020 2021's budget um program was

08272% and capital was 14% and then this budget program has dropped to 66.1% and capital has increased to 20.8. Now, we can talk about percentage all day long, but dollar-wise, what that means is the increase to program is almost identical to the increase in the capital portion of the budget, which is $10.7 million. Um, and I think that's really important to recognize because that is playing a role in our taxes. Um, we do get aid for it, but it takes time and it takes time for it to catch up. So, I think if we're going to expand into a third referendum, we need to be more transparent about the impact of the taxes, the length of time on the taxes, and how that will actually affect our revenue stream, too. Because I think all of

083those things matter. I'll go back to my previous statement. Everyone matters or no one matters. If we don't move forward with the third project, we will have areas in different buildings that are not complete. I'm of the opinion that all of our students deserve the best of the best. I am so proud of our district. It's beautiful and I want to see it completed. I want to complete the build. I want to see every student have the same opportunities, the same space that every other student has. I think it's important that we also keep in mind that it's about the students. They they deserve this. They deserve the newest and the greatest technology and space to live in. I think it's also really important to keep in mind that I'd love to see us host

084events one day. This space would also be included in that new capital, that third referendum. I think it's important to know that we could be the place to host sectional events, to host music events. We could be that place and I'd love to see us be the host. I agree. I think it would be great to complete the build. I think the build is a fantastic idea. My concerns stem from what's how how how is it happening? What's been prioriti prioritized? and what is it going to cost the community? Is it fiscally sustainable? We have several elements right now. They're all variables. The first of which is the market. What's the market doing? The school district has to contribute to the retirement fund, which is a defined benefit plan. So, if the market's down, their

085contribution increases. That's a variable. That's a priority. The second thing is tariffs. What's going to happen to the cost of the materials that have to be provided for the construction project? The third one is interest rates. We have to pay interest on our portion of the debt. That's going to be part of the budget. That's going to be money that isn't going to go to program. That's a problem. My question regarding the capital project is prioritization. Why are we talking about air conditioning now after we constructed an arena? Shouldn't that have been one of the first things done for all of the buildings? Question nine will begin with Mr. Fineberg. What do you believe is the role of the board during the budget development? In this role, how would you balance the student and operational

086needs with current economic environment of revenue shortfalls and inflationary pressures? I think Mary Joan just brought up a good point and answered the question for us all. I think she's absolutely right. There's a lot there's a lot of bottom lines that need to be considered. However, however, be that as it may, the role of a board of education during the budget process is to take recommendations from the superintendent and the staff he hires. We are the checks and balances. There is no doubt about that. However, we hire board of boards of education hire superintendent to build a budget for the district. That is one of the primary responsibilities of a board of education. It's also to ask questions. And even though uh some people may disagree, we do not micromanage when uh given opportunities. We

087have to let the superintendent do the job we hired him for or her for. whatever future that we have coming when Dr. Douglas does decide to retire. That's the role of the board of education to be the checks and balances but to also let the superintendent do their job. Can you repeat the question for me please? Yeah. What do you believe is the role of the board during budget development? In this role, how would you balance the student and operational needs with the current economic environment of revenue shortfalls and inflationary pressures? So, for me, I don't know exactly all of the things that go into what the board, the superintendent and his team do. I do know that it's a lot of work and Dr. Douglas's team seems to do a great job. However, I

088think the biggest thing as a board member when making any decision with that in mind is what is best for our students first. No, we may not have the newest this or that, but is that really going to affect their learning? Um, and we have to prioritize those things first, but remain fiscally responsible. I know personally I've got a child that had to repeat prek. So, we're at St. Mary, our mother. Everything's not updated there. But let me tell you, those kids leave that school um two grades ahead. So maybe we don't have the newest, greatest things, but that does not mean we cannot teach our children. I think the board's responsibility is to rely on the the business office to to provide us the information we need in order to set the direction and

089and make sure things are being addressed. But I believe our process needs to be more transparent for the average stakeholder. I think we should begin each budget budget season with a baseline cost to maintain exactly what was approved in the prior year from the taxpayers. And then the next step in my opinion should be you know increasing and adding the costs that are associated with any federal or state mandates because they're often non-negotiable. After that you need to consider enrollment changes, special ed students that have moved into the district or out of the district. um you know, needs of more classrooms at a certain grade level or less at another, those need to then be added. The very last thing to consider is the luxury of adding things that can strengthen our our academic and

090extracurricular programming. And if we're clear on adding those items to the budget with a plan in place to monitor um and adjust if needed, I think our community would respond to the resounding yes to maintain the educ educational excellence in horse heads. During our current budget season, we were faced with several options, one of which was three vice principles, one to be at each of our um elementary schools. I personally was in favor of having all three. However, after a discussion and listening to the guidance of our subject matter experts uh who presented to the board, I understood why three new admins added would not work right now. While it would be wonderful, our current situation and our current community may not support that. So with that in mind, I did vote in favor of

091having one VP uh to float between the elementary schools, but I appreciated the opportunity and I understood that while it sounded really good that it may not be the best fit for right now. And I think it's important to weigh that back and forth um knowing what our vice principles or what our principles do on a daily basis. My answer to this is going to mirror my answer to another question. The board is responsible for setting vision. The board is responsible for setting large priorities. Kids come first. Kids education comes first. Anything after that, it's like Maslo's tower of needs. You have to feed the child. You have to clothe the child. then worry about costs associated with other really wonderful activities but perhaps not fiscally possible. Now I fear on occasion the tail is

092wagging the dog. The board is approving a budget and not verifying that the vision that they've set forth is being accomplished with that budget. I think budget setting is one of the most important things that the board does and the role of the board in that is is sort of twofold. On the one hand, it's to reflect the strategic goals of the district and and the and the will of the community in terms of what it's looking for and and to embody that in terms of what the board sets as the overarching budget principles. And then on the other hand, it's to listen to those in the district who who are hired and are professionals in the area of budget development, the business office who are educators and understand best what it takes to teach

093students. So the board every year in the budget development, we hear from those folks. Every function comes and presents and we ask them, what do you need? What could you use more of? And then it's the board's job to weigh those against what the community is willing to support. and ultimately put forth a budget that it thinks best balances those and that the community will approve. Question 10 will start with Nicole Tagari White. The current proposed budget requires a 60% approval by the community to pass and maintain current staffing and programs. How will you be voting on the 2025 to 2026 school budget? And please explain your position. I would absolutely be voting yes for the budget. Yes, things are going to increase. Um, however, I think if we do not pass this budget, we

094are going to lose frontline staff that was going to be cut last year and we do not want to do that. If anything, our students deserve more, not less. So, if we don't pass this budget, all we're doing is taking from the students. And I would hope and pray that everyone could agree that that's why we're here. That's why school is here. So, I'm going to be voting yes. and I hope that our community does as well. I will also um be voting yes on this budget. Um I charge the board at the last public hearing to just keep in mind that if the board if the vote is um not successful that the the board really look hard at what's being said by the community and make some adjustments. But honestly, I'm really thankful

095and and hopeful that the additional state aid that's come in that um the district has decided to use toward the tax levy. I think that that's excellent and I think that really helps our chances of this passing, but it 100% has my vote. Yes, our budget is a reflection of our community values and I truly believe that our community deeply values our students, our staff and our teachers and because of that I will be voting yes on May 20th for our budget. I mentioned earlier that I want to contribute. My way of contributing will be to be on the board if I'm elected. Last year, I indicated I would not be voting for the budget. I think that influenced a lot of people. This year, I am voting for the budget. I'll vote yes. I'll

096be plugging my nose because I think that part of the problem we have right now with the budget is are some of the expenses that we have to pay. interest on debt, principle on the debt. And I find it a little premature that at this stage with news that we're getting another $400,000 from the state, we're automatically reducing the tax rate. Why don't we pay down some of the debt so we're we're paying uh less in interest in future years? You know, give us some time to figure out how might that money best be used. Thank you. I will absolutely vote yes for the budget on May 20th. And in setting that budget as a board member, I can assure you I certainly did not take lightly the fact that it will raise taxes for

097the community. I think as a board we were faced with the direction that the community wants us to maintain the programs that make horse the special place that it is for an education and so we've tried to work as well as we could to minimize that impact and uh if you look at numbers right now our horse's tax rate while I know it feels high it's 20% less than the tax rate in Corning right we we have always been lauded for being a very efficient district and providing a quality education for a reasonable cost. And I think while there's an increase in this budget, it is minimal and it is important to maintain the level of education that the community wants. I agree. I will be voting yes for the budget without question. Um I

098think it's important to compare one district to neighboring districts. Yes, our taxes will be going up and the percentage asked is higher than people think it should be at times, but you compare surrounding districts to what they're asking for and our district is asking for less. Um Dan brought up Corning, I can tell you uh what Waverly's asking is for a hefty amount as well. Um but I think Mary Joan brought up something too that that the $400,000 that's wonderful. I mean, that's insanely good news. But if we have a vision as a board of education, if I were a member, and if we have to think a little long term, then maybe the 400 right now may not be as wise as paying down for future debt. I don't know the answer, but it

099is worth discussing, but I will be voting yes. We're now going to move on to closing statements. Everyone will get one minute. Um, and we're going to go in reverse order. And we're going to start with Miss Glanton. Thank you very much. Those were really great questions and gave us all an opportunity to pose our positions on a lot of different issues. One thing I want to mention about the tax rate, it's a little bit of spin. The tax rate may or may not be less than other districts. May or may not have gone up or down, but the truth of the matter is the assessed taxable values of our properties have increased, which means in real dollars, our taxes have gone up. I don't take issues with paying more taxes if I think that

100the fiscal management of the district reflects the community's needs and wishes. What I want to say is I think one of the benefits of electing me is that I'm new. I haven't been here for nine years. I haven't been here for three years. I've been watching, but I'm new. I'm a fresh face. I have new ideas. I have different experiences, valuable experiences. I'm currently volunteering on the Steel Memorial Library Foundation board as their treasurer. So, I'm honing I'm continuing to hone the skills that I think this board would benefit from. Thank you. I want to first start off by thanking um everyone who attended today and my fellow candidates. It's great to see that we live in a community where so many people are so passionate and willing to step forward and take on this

101task. It is a herculean task to be a board member. It's many hours away from home. It's many hours at a table. It's a lot of debate and a lot of work prior to the meetings to prepare. Um I am very proud of what I've accomplished in the last three years. I know that the work's not done yet and I hope that you will consider reelecting me um again for another term. And in doing so, I promise to continue the hard work that I've already achieved. Thank you again for the time um that you gave to be here tonight. And I want to encourage each eligible community member to plan to vote on Tuesday, May 20th from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the North Gym at the high school. If you're unable to attend

102the vote in person, you can still collect an absentee ballot from the district office. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to serving alongside eight other individuals who have the um heart to put the students first in every decision that we make and who have the mindset to offer um transparency and community engagement and integrity um as we make those decisions. Thank you. I just wanted to thank everyone for um coming and tuning in and just say that while sitting up here I've heard valid points from every one of us up here. Um, so I think that would be great that we we can all communicate together and bring our different opinions together to rebuild the trust with our community because right now I think the community is very questionable on how the board is running

103things and what's going on. So we need to start with being transparent, having the best open communication as soon as we can get it out there. Um, keeping our district strong, stable, and forwardlooking is essential, not just for today's students, not just for my students, but for the future. While I may not yet know all the New York State requirements, I can promise this. I will do the work to learn just as I do in my profession as a nurse, I don't take any responsibility on blindly. I'll approach this role with diligence and humility. You know, the only time anybody really talks about a board is for two months, 60 days, April, May, because there's a budget vote and people are worried about their wallets. There are 10 other months in our in our calendar

104year that a board of education operates. They're not just about dollars and cents. There are policies that need to be passed, cultural policies regarding our students behavior, academic success, and so on and so forth. And I am fully invested in that process, in that 12 month process. Yes, two months. We fight about money every year for two months, but there's 10 more months out there, ladies and gentlemen. and we need to represent that community, your community, our community, for 12 months out of that year and not just be concerned about dollars and cents. Um, and hopefully a vote for me is one of those people. So, please come out and vote next Tuesday. Thank you. Hello. Um, I am reading Cara Sheen's closing statement this evening because she had to leave to attend a play

105with her daughter. Thank you for this opportunity to speak. I hope it was helpful this evening, especially for those I don't know on a personal level. I appreciate the students and staff that have organized this event. I love this community and hope to serve it as a board member. Please vote on May 20th. And if you can't pick up an absentee ballot at 143 Hiward Road in Big Flats. Thank you. I'd like to thank everyone for participating in this forum tonight. Those of you here, those of you online, the students for your excellent job in asking questions, and my fellow candidates for all the wonderful ideas that they shared. It's been an honor to serve on the board for nine years and more than that a responsibility. As I said in my introduction, I've always

106acted in the best interest of students, all students. And that's what I will continue to do as a member of the board. Who the community elects to the board is a very important decision. We need to avoid having board members with specific agendas. We need board members with experience and commitment. We need board members who are here because they want to serve. That is exactly who I am. I humbly ask for your support and your vote on May 20th. And in return, I promise I will continue to serve with integrity and always act in the best interests of our students. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, let's have a round of applause for all the kids. [Music] And now how about for the students to introduce I want to thank the candidates for offering their opinions

107and perspectives. Do we throughout tonight's uh questions and forum? Now it's time for factchecking. I'm just kidding. So we're not doing that. Uh but I do want to restate something at the beginning. I now that I mentioned at the beginning in case people were tuning in after the start. The state budget did not get approved when it should. It was approved so far after that we did not have our actual aid runs. You heard some comments tonight, but we have received an additional $400,000. The board gave the administration the directive when they finalized the budget to try to get the best overall tax rate for the community. Therefore, my administrative recommendation, because that is what I have to do to meet their objective, is that in in August, I will recommend that the board of

108education use the new aid from the state's government budget that was very late to reduce taxes from our initial conservative estimate of $48 per $100,000 or 48 cents per thousand dollars of full home value that is noted in our newsletter for this 60% budget challenge. And I will recommend that it reduces the overall tax rate down from these numbers to no more than $36 per 100,000 or 36 cents per thousand of full home value to better meet the needs of our district's taxpayers and to do what the board has asked me to do. produce the best rate for our community. I'm sure everyone will support lowering our conservatively estimated tax rate for this budget. Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to thank our students representatives, Serenity, Mia, and Dominic for all their work. And I'd like

109to thank all of our candidates in the order they will appear on the budget, Daniel Christmas, Carian, Matthew Fineberg, and Nicole Tigeri White, Angie Fin Len, Liz Odell Welling, Mary Joe Glanton. Each household in the district should have received our budget newsletter, which is also available on our website. This is a great resource to explain what the community will be voting on. Additionally, please remember, regardless of who you vote for or how you vote on the budget, please get out to vote and encourage others to come out and vote on Tuesday, May 20th from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the high school North Gymnasium. It is the same exact location we have been voting, but because of construction, we are moving it to the north end. If you follow the signs, Mike Coglin and

110team will do a great place and you will get to those locations. You as long as you come like you normally do, you'll know exactly where to go. I have great confidence in our facility staff. Ladies and gentlemen, we are the only government organization that allows the community to make the final decision on a spending plan. No town, no municipality, no city, no government does it except for school districts. We go in the direction of what the community decides. So, please remember to get out to the votes. We'll see you next week at the polls Tuesday, May 20th, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. High School North Gym. Thank you everybody and have a good night.