Four out of seven trustees on the BOE no longer have children that attend Plainedge schools as students.  While not having children in the school system may not have been an issue in the past, COVID has revealed that the makeup of the BOE indeed matters on a go forward basis.  A trustee without school-aged children can’t truly appreciate the ever-evolving world our children face.  Some of the most poignant and relevant issues our children face are:

• Educational gaps caused by modified classroom settings due to COVID-19 restrictions
• Unnecessary stress caused by being placed in classes that are not appropriately tailored to the needs of each child
• Social stresses caused by the proliferation of cellular phones and exasperated by social media

Joe has a vested interest to ensure that Plainedge will be known as a top-tier school district on Long Island since he is a father to six young children. He is eminently focused on revisiting some of the decisions made in recent years that has had a deleterious impact on the children of this district.  Having intimate knowledge of what is happening inside and outside our schools is critical to achieving these goals.  

The current BOE would benefit from having a trustee that is specially trained and experienced in finance and accounting. Having a technical finance and accounting background enables the user of the financial statements to identify the “truth” within the numbers and ensure that the footnotes to the financials are robust and complete.  When 60% of the tax base in Plainedge is made up of households without school-aged children, we must respect how we spend every dollar levied and it should be done in a forthright and transparent manner.   

Joe has the knowledge, experience, and expertise to review financial data to ensure that the district’s finances remain strong while respecting the wallets of the taxpayer. Having a great school system with top-flight education and being fiscally responsible doesn’t have to feel like they are mutually exclusive.  

The BOE should be transparent about how it conducts business, improve its responsiveness to community questions/concerns, and act with sincere accountability to the Plainedge Community.  

Transparent about how it conducts business 

The materials and supporting info/documentation that the Plainedge BOE readily provides is not sufficient in detail or equal in caliber to surrounding school districts.  A very quick review of the materials provided by the Plainedge BOE compared to other BOEs is clearly limited.  To be considered a top BOE that truly values transparency, Plainedge must demonstrate its willingness to provide more information without hurdles in an easy to access and understand format on the Plainedge BOE webpage.  

Improve its responsiveness to community questions/concerns 

Any and all questions posed by a community member willing to take valuable time out of their day to attend a BOE meeting should feel like they are heard and should expect a courteous response with timely and substantive follow-up.  

Act with sincere accountability 

The dynamics of the relationship between the BOE and the community they were elected to serve is out-of-sync and requires recalibration.  Being a trustee on a BOE requires a genuine desire to service the community they were elected to represent by taking the concerns of parents seriously and without condescension.  The BOE oversees the administration; however, it often feels like the oversight role has been abdicated to Plainedge central administration.

Joe understands the frustrations of being a heavily taxed homeowner and parent that feels like their voice is not heard.  As a trustee, Joe will work to change how the BOE operates and interacts with the community at-large.  Joe will bring a fresh and unique perspective to revitalize how Plainedge Schools operate and identify solutions to the issues we currently face.