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CROTON-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. Terms are up for two first-term trustees with the Croton-Harmon School District, and they, like some other northern Westchester school board trustees, will run unopposed for their seats.
Theories proposed by board members as to why neighbors didnt seek a spot on the May 15 ballot range from positive perceptions of the work done by current trustees, to increasing workloads in the private sector, to not wanting to run against a neighbor.
Lisa Davis, executive director of the Westchester-Putnam School Boards Association said, Its difficult times, and whoevers on a board of education has to make tough decision. She said she was encouraged by the fact that incumbents continued to run, despite challenging budgets brought on by New York States 2 percent tax cap, among other legislative challenges.
Trustees said they spend between 30 and 60 hours per month on work related to their position as a board member, and that the learning curve is steep. After governance and finance classes required by New York State, trustees are saddled with a mountain of information on policies and guidelines particular to their district, state mandates, and laws governing the execution of education. Elected school board members in New York State receive no remuneration for their work for the district.
As much as Ive lost sleep over some of the decision Ive had to make, I knew they were decisions that had to be made and I wanted to make them. I had the same feelings they did but in the end, were responsible, Im sure some people dont want to be sitting up there with people yelling at you sometimes, said Guiseppina Miller, an incumbent trustee for the Croton-Harmon School Board.
Miller is at the end of her first term, the 44-year-old mother of three has a background in engineering, and tutors math and science part-time. Andrea Furey is also a first-term incumbent for the Croton-Harmon School Board, running for the second school board seat. Furey, 54, works part-time in a pre-k, but has a background in communications and marketing.
Miller said she felt each person who ran three years ago could have brought something special to the board. Its not that I didnt think they could do a good job, its just that I felt I had something to give, she said.
Im hoping its basically a sign of support for us, but I do think its more complex than that. And it has been a challenging time for schools, so its not for the faint of heart. And I will say there is a very steep learning curve, so there is something to be said for people doing a second term, if you feel you can support them, said Furey.
Both trustees said that although the tax cap challenged the Croton-Harmon School District in planning the 2012-13 fiscal year budget up for public vote on May 15, they feel the real challenge will come in the next two years.
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