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Nyack School Board Candidate Questions
The Friends of the Nyacks solicited questions from our community to pose to the candidates running for school board. Following are the questions that were submitted, along with links to each candidate's responses in PDF format
In an effort to provide a full and fair virtual forum to members of the public, Friends of the Nyacks does not edit the public's questions for content, grammar, spelling, or syntax, except to delete questions which are obscene, or those which contain personal attacks or racial, religious or ethnic slurs or slurs based on sexual preference, age or national origin. No such deletions were made. Therefore, all questions were submitted to the candidates verbatim, i.e., exactly as they were received by Friends from the general public.
In addition, the public has the option to elect whether or not to submit their names along with the questions. Many questions are posed on an anonymous basis.
Friends of the Nyacks expresses no opinion about the questions posed by the public or any assumptions that may be contained in such questions.
Friends takes no position with respect to the candidacy of any particular individual. We provide your answers to questions on our website as a public service.
Please visit our candidate response page to read the answers submitted by the candidates.
Questions:
1) In recent years, the school district has annually proposed budget increases greater than inflation, and has actually proposed bond issues to finance regular spending (not new capital spending). What do you think of this approach to financial management?
2) For many years, the Nyack school district has been operating with annual expense increases about doubling the rate of inflation.
Do you consider this a problem? If so, what would you do about it?
3) With the known ongoing gang involvement in the middle and high schools of the nyack school district, what do you envision the part of the school board, administration, teachers and parents in the addressing of this issue......other than budgetary concerns, as a resident of Nyack, I view this a major problem that needs be addressed and in an intelligent way.....a way that will show results and keep the community involved and have the school accept its responsibility as the "educator".....this a question to be addressed by all and hoprfully is presented for reply and not just determined of no interest....the candidates must be asked and respond intelligently as the children in your care are our future....
4) What do you consider to be more important- lower taxes or a better educational system? Choose only one, please.
5) Why do you want to be on the school board?
6) What new or changed initiatives would you support at the middle and high school level to combat gang activity, especially given recent events at Nyack High School and in the community.
7) What if any specific improvements would you advocate for on the elementary school level to better challenge and meet the needs of academically advanced students?
8) Would you support another bond proposal to fund capital improvements in the school district? If so, what changes would you propose from the last bond proposal and how would you make the bond more palatable to voters?
9) Head Start is a great success. It helps even the playing field for all children. Do you see evening the playing field for all children as a priority in our schools? If so, how do you think we can help the schools better achieve this?
10) How do you see the School Board interacting with the Schools' Superintendent?
11) What is your position on the effectiveness of school uniforms in promoting a more disciplined student body, and in leveling the playing field in a district with such broad range of incomes.
12) I've heard that over 75% of the annual budget is devoted to staff and administrative costs. That doesn't leave alot of room for new programs without significant tax increases.
a) Do you have any ideas about decreasing costs without hurting educational programs?
b) Would you support formation of a committee, composed of business leaders with an accounting background, to examine best practices in other districts for making recommendations on how Nyack can maintain high educational standards while reducing overhead costs?
Please visit our candidate response page to read the answers submitted by the candidates.
