North Shore Board of Education Vice President Amy Beyer and Trustee Peter Volmer are both seeking re-election to the board on May 17.

Occupation:

Business Owner; Chief Financial and Adminstrative Officer for Men on the Move Moving and Storage Companies.

Qualifications:

Board trustee for three years, currently vice president; started own business, and created all financial and administrative policies and procedures; experienced in personnel management.

School/Community Service

Board representative to Athletic Review Committee; treasurer SEPTA; parent member, Committee on Special Education; executive board member and vice president for the David Center, a not-for-profit organization; volunteer, Girl Scouts of Nassau County.

Personal:

B.A. SUNY Albany, psychology/business. Glen Head resident for 12 years; she and husband John have two children: Lauren, 15 attends North Shore High School; Gregory, 13, attends North Shore Middle School.

Statement of Purpose:

"We are facing pivotal times regarding the future of our district. Mounting fiscal pressures resulting in a failed budget last year have forced us to change the way in which our schools operate and to limit accessibility of the district's buildings and services to the community. Should we face another failed budget, the consequences will be far-reaching, affecting programs that are necessary to continue the excellent educational opportunities that generations of North Shore Students have experienced.

"I will continue working to ensure that each of our students is provided every opportunity to achieve his or her highest potential and I will maintain active oversight to ensure that the investment of each and every taxpayer is wisely spent to accomplish this goal."

Qualifications:

North Shore School Board Trustee, 2002-2005; partner, Long Island law firm, 20 years experience in litigation, and elder and estate law; board member, Catholic Charities Legal Committee, 1997-2000; founding member, Catholic Charities Volunteer Lawyers Initiative.

School/Community Service:

Newsday Long Islander of the Century Public Service Award; volunteer, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Nassau County, 10 years; coach, North Shore Soccer Club, three years; coach, Sea Cliff Junior Baseball/Softball Association, five years.

Personal:

J.D., SUNY Buffalo Law School; B.A. SUNY Albany; Sea Cliff resident for 7 years; he and wife Karen Lanning have three daughters. Eliana, age 13 attends North Shore Middle School; Sara, age 9, and Julia, age 8, attend Sea Cliff School.

Statement of Purpose

"Over the last three years, our district underwent sweeping changes in its administration (a new superintendent, two new assistant superintendents, four new building principals), and implemented many new initiatives in a continuing drive for educational excellence.

"Over the next three years, the school board must craft school budgets that acknowledge the impact of reassessment and reapportionment on homeowners while protecting and preserving the core elements that define a North Shore education. If re-elected, I pledge to listen carefully to your concerns as the board walks this delicate line, to keep a watchful eye on the budget, and to do my utmost to build consensus among the board, the administration and the community as we all come together to chart the future course of our school district."

The League of Women Voters sponsored its annual Meet the Candidates forum for the North Shore Schools Board of Education budget vote and election of trustees, which will take place on May 17 in the high school gymnasium from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Two candidates, Amy Beyer and Peter Vollmer, are running for two three-year terms. Each candidate began with an opening statement. Both candidates indicated a desire to maintain the quality and scope of the district's current programs, while at the same time seeking ways to hold the line on costs.

Mr. Vollmer discussed the crucial nature of the upcoming budget vote and expressed his concerns that another failed budget would result in the "unraveling" of many of the unique qualities and attributes of a North Shore education.

Ms. Beyer shared her desire to continue to work to support programs that provide the children of the North Shore community with the best possible education at the lowest possible cost.

Each candidate shared frustration over the limited local control local boards of education have over their district budgets. Beyer pointed out that the difference between the proposed budget and a contingency budget (based upon the NYS formula) is actually only a little over one million dollars. She said that unfunded mandates from the state and federal governments and increasing costs in goods and services essentially account for all but 1.9 percent of the budget increase.

Community members posed questions for the candidates. When asked what the board is doing to slow or reduce the cost of school property taxes for local residents, Mr. Vollmer explained that the board has successfully lobbied the county tax assessor to have the Glenwood Landing generators placed on the tax rolls, beginning in the 2006-2007 school year. As a result, he said, utilities will pay an increased portion of the total school property taxes to be collected, with a commensurate reduction in the portion paid by homeowners. He added that the School Boards Association has successfully lobbied the state legislature to once again cap the increase in base proportions, or the share of the tax levy paid by homeowners.

Ms. Beyer addressed the second proposition on the ballot, which if successful will save the residents of our community millions of dollars over the next years and into the future. She explained that the district's limited capacity to park and service its buses at the Glenwood facility has resulted in a need to contract out an increasing portion of our transportation and bus maintenance operation. She added that we have no control over the rising costs of contracted transportation. The proposition will ask voters for permission to transfer two million dollars from a tax certiorari reserve fund into a capital reserve fund, for the purpose of locating property and developing an adequate transportation facility. Provided this proposition is approved, a second referendum would have to come before voters for approval to actually expend the funds in the reserve, once a suitable site is located. The transfer of these funds into a capital reserve will have no impact on the school budget or property taxes, and will give the board the means to actually save North Shore residents millions of dollars in the years to come, she said.

When asked what the board is doing to educate the community about the budget, Ms. Beyer talked about the 40 meetings that the board held last fall, in each of the schools and in homes around the community, to discuss the views, concerns and beliefs of residents. It was clear, she said, that residents wanted the district to maintain, and not add to, the current range and scope of classrooms, maintain class size at or near the county average, maintain our buildings and grounds and maintain our extracurricular and interscholastic programs for students. The board used this information as the litmus test in formulating this budget. Any proposed expenditure that was not necessary for simply maintaining the current level of programs and services was eliminated.

Mr. Vollmer added that residents made it clear that they want the board to be as explicit as possible in sharing what will be cut if we are again forced to operate on a contingency budget. It is clear, he explained, that another year of contingency would mean eliminating approximately 12 teaching positions, a portion of the security force and at least 25 percent of extracurricular and interscholastic programs. This would have a devastating impact upon the quality and nature of a North Shore education, he said.

In their closing statements, both candidates pledged to continue their work in serving young people of the North Shore community.