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050704 Bruce Pavalow seeks to address district's woes
Katonah-Lewisboro School District
To the Editor:
This year I am running for the Katonah-Lewisboro Board of Education. My mission is to provide our children with the best possible education in an efficient and optimal way.
Over the years, I have talked with many community members, many of whom have issues with our school district. One major issue I have heard over and over again is that school officials are not listening and responding to resident's concerns. After years of frustration, these community members have decided that the only way to have their voices heard is to vote down the budget.
I can understand this scenario because I have faced the same predicament. Twelve years ago my family and I were looking for an excellent school system and so we moved to Lewisboro. For many years I voted "yes" for budgets even though I questioned the district's efficiency. Two years ago I attended my first board of education meeting, which happened to focus on technology - my profession. The information presented was confused and, frankly, incorrect. Based on this meeting, not only did I become a regular attendee at board meetings but I finally decided to voice my displeasure by voting no. My hope was that a "no" vote would trigger a second budget that would eliminate school-district inefficiencies and provide a wake-up call to our school officials on future budgets and propositions. I have come to the realization that although "no" votes are heard, the results are not what I had hoped for. Rather, the cuts are superficial and do not address the underlying inefficiencies.
I believe that the best way to change the budget process and to bridge the deep divide within our community is not to vote down budgets year after year, but to become a member of the KatonahLewisboro Board of Education. I plan to use my management skills and experience to construct a more meaningful budget for our community. Many residents can testify to my conviction for strong communication and community involvement as they have used the Web site I created, www.lewisboroonline.org, to access community information and the various interactive forums.
Please allow me to represent your views by voting for me on May 18.
Candidate for the Katonah
Lewisboro Board of Education