051101Bedford Central:

Board candidates have their say

By FRANK NARDOZZI record Review

Editor's note: All six candidates for the Bedford Central School Board were invited to come in for an interview at The Record-Review on Monday, May 7, for one final story on their views.

The Record-Review has decided not to make an endorsement in the race between incumbent Mel Comberiati and Bonnie Laub because of Ms. Laub's status as a minority investor in the newspaper.

Our endorsements in the other two races between Elin Sullivan and Joe Giardina and Brad Sacks and Steve Miele appear in this edition on the ViewPoint page.

All six candidates were asked the same eight questions on May 7:

* What do you think are the most important issues in this campaign?

- What do you think are the biggest differences between you and your opponent?

* How would you propose to deal with the $91 million in school repairs and expansion projects that have been identified by the Citizens Facilities Advisory Committee?

- What do you think about the proposed $70 million school budget for next year?

- What do you think is a fair and realistic percentage increase in spending for the annual school budget from year to year?

* What do you think is a fair and realistic percentage increase for school property taxes?

- How much do you think should be set aside in the annual operating budget for maintenance and capital improvement projects?

- Would you feel any obligation to reach a consensus with your fellow board members on important issues?

The following is a summary of some of the answers they gave.

Giardina versus Sullivan

Mr. Giardina stated that the two most important issues in the campaign were quality of education and high taxes. He, decried what he described as "dramatically declining scores" on state standardized tests. He also charged that of the 717 school districts in the state, Bedford Central was one of the top three in spending.

"People are losing patience," he said, charging that the school budget could be $100 million in three years at the present rate of growth.

Ms. Sullivan stated that the most important issue was the education of "each and every child, regardless of their background, to meet the state's rigorous academic standards. " She also cited 'fiscal responsibility as a major issue , in this campaign.

"There has been a lot of criticism that the current board is not mindful of the community's ability to pay," Ms. Sullivan said, a notion with which she disagreed.

She stated that the board had considered everything it could and must do for the children and balanced those things against the cost and the community's ability to pay in arriving at the proposed $70 million budget, which she called "reasonable."

As for the $91 million in building renovation and expansion needs that have been identified by the Citizen Facilities Advisory Committee, she stated that the total price tag was "very high and needs to be scaled back."

"Satan Suit"

Mr.' Giardina criticized the district's Wending of $500,O00 in, legal fees to defend itself in the so-called Satan Suit," which was brought against the district by three conservative Roman Catholic families in Pound Ridge.

The suit alleged that the school district was fostering foreign religious customs and beliefs in violation of the First Amendment guarantee of the separation of church and state.

Mr. Giardina called the money spent on the school district's legal defense "the biggest waste of money " and stated that the charge that he supported the lawsuit was a "complete lie,"

Ms. Sullivan countered that she was glad the district had prevailed in the lawsuit on appeal, but that "it was a shame that we had to spend a half million."

She noted that it was not the school district that brought the suit, but the three Pound Ridge families, and the district had to defend its curriculum and programs.

Group homes

On another subject, Mr. Giardina asserted that he was not against providing education to youths from Mount Vernon and other areas outside of the district who are housed in Bedford group homes.

"It's not racism and I'm not against the handicapped," he said. "I object to the long delay of one, two or three years before the district is reimbursed for the cost of educating these children."

Mr. Giardina also said that he was opposed to raising the salary for Mark Betz, the district's assistant superintendent for business and administrative services, from $120,000 to $142,000, after Mr. Betz had reported that the district was behind in collecting some of these reimbursements.

Ms. Sullivan noted that the district had some issues in the bookkeeping department, with records that had been kept by hand. Since then, she said, record keeping had all been automated and computerized. She supported the raise that was given to the assistant superintendent.

District involvement

In response to the question of how she differed with her opponent, Ms. Sullivan said that she had a "history of concrete involvement in the district."

She stated that she was a parent president of the Bedford Hills Elementary School Association and a member of the citizens lobbying committee. She had also helped establish English as a Second Language parents nights and a community action committee at Bedford Hills.

"The key difference between me and Joe is that I have a commitment to the mission of public education and educating every child regardless of their abilities or socioeconomic class. I am in favor of the services and programs to allow all of them to succeed," she said.

Mr. Giardina cited his participation in a citizens facilities committee in the past, but quickly went on to criticize mandatory assemblies in the schools such as those that, he said, provided social indoctrination in such things as sex education and planned parenthood. He also criticized an assembly at which he said a psychic had spoken to fourth graders.

"My view is a more traditional approach to education," he said. "We should just give the children the tools they need to learn."

Test scores

Ms. Sullivan disagreed with her opponent that the district was ignoring the "3 r's."

"it doesn't matter how many times you say it, it still doesn't make it true," she said, stating that Bedford schools have been having "good success" on the state's new standardized tests.

She specifically cited the scores of district fourth graders in English Language Arts, "which have risen significantly over the past two years," she said.

She countered that the district's program in sex education was required by state law, as are the districts many psychological services, which have also been criticized.

Mr. Giardina countered that he was not opposed to sex education or psychological services, per se, but was opposed to providing those programs and services in the district.

"We don't need $1.2 million in psychological services on the hoof in-house," he said. "We can outsource those services. Westchester County has departments galore."

$91 million in facilities needs

Mr. Giardina called the Citizens Facilities Advisory Committee report identifying $91 million in building renovation and expansion needs a "pork barrel." He charged that "nine or 10 percent of all the money" would go to the architects and construction managers who are currently proposing the projects. He also referred to a total of $24.5 million in consulting fees that would have to be paid out on the sum total of all projects.

Mr. Giardina said that the district would pay double for these projects if they were paid for with a 30-year bond. He suggested that half of the projected $7 million annual debt service be added to the annual operating budget, instead, and earmarked for maintenance and capital improvements.

"But," he said, "there is no question that we will have to do some bonding."

Enrollment figures

Ms. Sullivan cited the fact that enrollment is projected to increase by 40 percent at Fox Lane High School over the next 10 years.

"We cannot afford to bond $91 million in one single referendum," she said. "The debt burden would be prohibitive. We have to look at the plans and scale them back."

Ms. Sullivan said that not as many classrooms as have been proposed will be built and that many of the renovation projects "will have to happen over time," with more being included in the annual budget.

Mr, Giardina charged that in some cases the demographer's projections have proved to be inaccurate with the student population turning out to be less.

He questioned the need for more classrooms, stating that the schools held more students in the original "Baby Boom" wave of the 1960's, adding that "families don't have five, six or seven children anymore."

Ms. Sullivan defended the enrollment projections, stating that they were based on "proven scientific methods." She said that projections with regard to Fox Lane Middle School had been borne out "almost to the child" and that the overall total for the elementary schools had proven to be accurate.

$70 million budget

On the budget, Ms. Sullivan said that she supported it, calling the 6.9 percent budget-to-budget increase "reasonable."

She cited certain costs that had risen, including transportation and fuel costs, plus health insurance benefits that had increased by $1 million in one year alone.

She pointed to double-digit spending increases proposed in the budgets of surrounding districts, saying that the proposed budget increase in the Bedford Central School District was the second lowest in Westchester."

Mr. Giardina charged that since Ms. Sullivan was first elected, the budget had gone up from $50 million to $70 million.

"We drag around more chains than Marley's Christmas ghost," he said. "This district has never, never, never tightened its belt. It's always been whatever it can get."

He criticized the districts health plan which requires employees to pay only $300 per year, saying, "These things lurch forward like a juggernaut and we just can't kill them."

Ms. Sullivan countered that obtaining greater contributions from employees under the health plan will be an important focus of contract negotiations next year.

She identified the three key variables in determining the budget as the rate of inflation, enrollment increases and state mandates.

"These are all costs that are forced upon the district over which we have no control," she said.

Maintenance and capital projects

Mr. Giardina stated that the district had no history of capital projects and maintenance.

"We hit $1.2 million one year and then the program was gutted," he said, saying that capital projects that deal with health hazards should be addressed first.

Ms. Sullivan agreed that the budget commitment to capital projects Should be in the range of $1 million to $2 million per year, or what the school district can accomplish over a summer recess or other breaks.

"We need to renew our commitment to an aggressive maintenance schedule," she said.

On consensus

Ms. Sullivan stated that "ideally" the board likes to reach consensus and that "a majority of the board has operated that way."

"We like to have as many board members as possible agree with any given outcome. However, each member has one vote and the majority rules. it is incumbent on each member to vote their conscience," she said. "But all members should support the majority decision," she added.

Mr. Giardina stated that he believed in open meetings and that what the district wanted was for "people of good will to look for common solutions without a lot of bickering. After all, we're all neighbors," he said.

Laub versus Comberiati

Ms. Laub stated that one of the most important issues in this campaign is that all people in the district must be represented. On the board of education, including those residents who either have no children or whose children have grown and are no longer in the schools.

She charged that some older residents who are now retired are being "taxed right out of their homes" by increased property taxes.

She also stated that she did not believe that school taxes were being used to their best effect because standardized test scores, in some cases, were lower than last year, and in many cases were just equal to that of similar schools.

She charged that school windows and rooms were "filthy" and that tax money was not being spent in the right ways.

Dr. Comberiati said that generally he supports the school district administration but occasionally, "I find myself disagreeing."

"I think it's worth supporting some things that cost extra," he said, citing the new "gifted and talented" program and such things as universal pre-kindergarten.

Fountain at Fox Lane?

In response to the question about the $91 million in school repairs and expansion projects suggested by the citizens facilities committee, Ms. Laub stated that the district has occasionally spent money on frivolous things like a fountain on the pond alongside the Fox Lane campus driveway

Dr. Comberiati countered that the fountain was not ornamental, but was rather meant for aeration of the water to prevent stagnation and algae.

Ms. Laub criticized the board for failing to perform such necessary maintenance work as the replacement of windows at Pound Ridge Elementary School, a project that was provided for in the last bond issue.

Dr. Comberiati responded that the window replacement had to be postponed because the school district is planning some expansion of the Pound Ridge. school to accommodate rising enrollment.

He stated that the high schools renovation and expansion projects were kept out of the last bond issue to wait for the swell in enrollment to work its way up the grades closer to the high school level.

"Look only at high school

Dr. Comberiati stated, "I guarantee that there wont be a $91 million bond issue" and suggested that maybe the board should "look only at the high school's needs for renovation and expansion" for the next bond issue, if there is one. He stated the board could leave the rest of the school buildings' needs to be met by a long-term capital projects plan to be funded through the budget.

He noted that, unlike the high school, whose enrollment is expected to increase by 40 percent over the next 10 years, the elementary schools are not expecting a drastic increase.

Ms. Laub criticized the schools administration for "taking no responsibility" for taking care of the school buildings' maintenance and repair in-house.

She stated that every school room, every person and every program in the budget should be looked at. She charged that many classrooms were not being fully utilized. if they were, it might result -in the need for fewer new classrooms, she said.

"The American Revolution was a tax revolt," Ms. Laub declared, wondering what taxes would be like if the currently proposed budget increase of 6.9 percent was extrapolated over nine or 10 years.

"You can't argue that this accelerated taxation needs to continue," she said.

Teachers' contract

With regard to the new teachers' contract that has yet to be negotiated, Dr. Comberiati said, "We raised teachers' salaries seven years ago and made them competitive with the finest school districts in the country. I think they are successful enough at this point."

However, he noted that a new teacher hired in Bedford would make less than a new teacher hired in Mount Vernon.

Ms. Laub called that kind of district to district comparison a "round robin" in which districts seek to outbid each other, driving salaries and benefits spiraling upwards.

"Teachers are not starving," she said.

Budget-to-budget increase

Dr. Comberiati said that 'he was not unhappy with the currently proposed budget- to-budget increase of 6.9 percent, which was still under the combined percentage increases in enrollment of 4.15 percent and in the Consumer Price Index of 3.4 percent. But he stated that new state academic requirements and facilities needs must also be met.

Ms. Laub charged that even when inflation was lower, the school budget sill went up considerably "Some years still there should be no increase," she said.

"Free education is a cornerstone of our society," Ms. Laub stated. "We need to have a permanent source of funding that does not harm the community At this rate, I don't know if we will always be able to count on free schools."

She called for new ideas like heating the schools with heat pumps that tap into the earths warmer core and "more creative ways" of refurbishing -the schools.

On reaching consensus

On the importance of reaching consensus, Dr. Comberiati said that he liked to work hard toward general agreement but that "consensus doesn't always work at meetings. A strongly held opinion of one board member is worth something," he said.

Ms. Laub stated that one of the prior boards of education had a "huge amount of vitriol," with one group for standardized testing and one group for more subjective evaluations. "They fought all the time," she said.

I want real good education and fiscal responsibility," she said. "Let each boa

member do what they do best and bring the information they get back to the board. What's wrong with asking questions?"

"Consensus is important, but not mandatory," she said.

Sacks versus Miele

Mr. Miele stated that the biggest issue in the campaign was bringing together all of the people who are going to use the school system with all of the people who are going to pay for it.

He decried the "divisive nature of t e community," with one group characterized as being for education and the other group characterized as being against it.

Mr. Miele called those characterizations "untrue" and founded in fear, not fact. The issue, he said, was one of communication and "people dialoguing."

"if we can bring people together now, it will last a long time, because there is a lot of money at stake," he said.

Mr. Sacks said that the major issue was how each candidate plans to approach the 40 percent increase in enrollment expected at the high school, the district's aging facilities and the state's higher academic standards.

"Those three things have been imposed on us and they are all coming to a head," he said.

Mr. Miele referred to the $91 million in identified building renovation and construction needs as a reflection on management and symptomatic of poor communication.

Mr. Sacks countered that he thought that the districts facilities had been properly maintained, but that enrollment growth was forcing the district to consider expansion. He stated that from his involvement as a member of the Citizens Facilities Advisory Committee, he knew that about $8 million in building maintenance and renovation work could be saved by building the expansion projects instead.

Major differences

Mr. Sacks stated that one of the most important differences between himself and Mr. Miele was that he had children. in the public schools, whereas Mr. Miele does not.

"While Mr. Miele's desire to bring the community together is no different than mine, I believe that I have demonstrated my commitment to quality education," Mr. Sacks said.

Mr. Miele said that he was not from one of the "me too" organizations in the district.

"The district does not invite voices from outside their own circle to participate. As a result, opinions are already pre-shaped and pre-formed," he said, "and there is a diminished ability to see outside the box."

Since his children did not go to the public schools, Mr. Miele said that he "had no ax to grind" but was willing to give his time and effort.

He charged that Mr. Sacks' opinions were already will represented on the board by Ms. Sullivan, Dr. Comberiati and Dot Fallon.

"I broaden the dialogue," he said, commenting that many members of the community would be able to say, "Now we have someone who speaks for us."

Mr. Sacks said that he had a commitment to the public schools whereas his opponent "has a narrow focus on budget and taxes."

He described himself as an independent person who has his own law practice and is "very well aware of budgeting and overhead." He said he was just as focused on budget and taxes as Mr. Miele, but had also demonstrated his commitment to public education by serving on the Facilities Advisory Committee and the Compact for Learning Committee at West Patent Elementary School.

Facilities Advisory Committee

Mr. Miele countered that his children had attended public schools in the Bronx and in the Katonah-Lewisboro School District. He said that he had served on the facilities advisory committee in Katonah-Lewisboro prior to its last bond issue.

There, he said, he had worked for "the best return for our dollar" and the "greatest utilization of space."

He stated that when he had called to volunteer his services to the school district, the president of the school board had not called him back. "Apparently, they are not looking for people with different opinions," he said.

Mr. Sacks extolled the work that had been done by the Bedford Central facilities advisory committee, stating that it had been "quite comprehensive."

He noted that the current school board had taken the committee's recommendations out to the public at public meetings in the schools following a tour of each school building.

Mr. Sacks agreed with the board's efforts to try to obtain input from the public on what they want to do with the schools and what they feel they can afford.

$91 million bond issue?

He stated that everybody "loves numbers" and sometimes they are used to "inflame the public," but that the facilities advisory committee had not recommended a $91 million bond issue.

"But that $91 million figure was floated out there with no disclaimer," Mr. Miele interjected. "No one said that some of it could be done on a triage basis from year to year. Then when we called it a bond issue, they said, 'No, no, no. It's something else,"' he said.

Mr. Sacks countered that the facilities committee knew all along that all of the building projects they identified could not be done immediately Their job was to define all of the building needs and not to worry about how or when the projects would be financed.

On the budget

Mr. Sacks noted that the proposed 6.9 percent increase in spending in the proposed $70 million budget is the lowest in the surrounding area and characterized it as "the best that could be done."

Even if the budget was not passed, a contingency budget at $69 million would not be much lower, he said, calling the budget "responsible and streamlined."

Mr. Miele criticized the current "trajectory" of budget increases, stating that at the present rate, the budget would soon rise to $100 million. He asserted that if a bond issue was approved of the size* that some had suggested, the debt service alone would push spending increases into double digits.

He also said that one of the biggest problems with the current budget was employee health care and wages. This, he said, accounted for more than 75 percent of the spending "and there's nothing we can do about it."

Mr. Miele suggested that the cost of living should be used as the basis for all contract negotiations. As it is now, Mr. Miele asserted, the cost of labor never rises by less than five percent.

Mr. Sacks pledged to set goals for the budget and to examine it "line by line" to "see where inroads can be made." He noted the teachers' contract was up for renewal next year and said "we must insure that we get the best talent in our schools for educating the children."

Annual capital projects

Mr. Miele said that in order to increase the school district's capacity to perform capital projects on a yearly basis without incurring the cost of borrowing, he would be in favor of more "creative ways" of doing it, such as a one-time hike in the school tax.

He noted that the school board had once set aside $1.2 million every year for capital projects and suggested that given the size of the school district, maybe that should be increased to $2 million or $3 million,

Mr. Sacks maintained that most, if not all, of the building projects that were identified by the facilities committee were not maintenance or repair projects, but rather were for the replacement of aging systems. These, he said, should not be budget items. They should be financed over a number of years, he said.

On consensus

Mr. Miele stated that in electing a school board, the community was saying, "OK, you seven people go and figure it out and don't say nasty things about each other while you're doing it."

He said that there was a lack of consensus in the school district today because there is a "hardening of the attitudes."

He said that he had been described as a member of the Christian Coalition and other things because "fear drives smear."

He stated that he wished to conduct himself in a way in which his family and children and community could be proud of him.

Mr. Sacks stated that "consensus is the only way to operate effectively Of course, I don't have to agree with everything everyone says.

"Ideally, seven people elected to the board should start out with seven different answers to seven different problems. Then we should meet until we reach a decision," he said.