School Board Candidates Forum
The room was full last night at the Putnam Valley Free Library for the "Meet the Candidates" forum showcasing the two candidates for the Board of Education: Crystal Hernandez and Jay Lee. The questions were well conceived, the answers were thoughtful and the crowd was attentive. None of the toxicity that is sometimes prevalent in social media posts about the election was in evidence.
The president of the library board, Joseph Ferraro, served as moderator and began the evening by acknowledging that he had previously lost his own school board seat to one of the evening's candidates (Hernandez). He said he had spoken extensively with both candidates about the issue and that both were on board with the process and the event. Ferraro said the library had received dozens of questions from the community in preparation for the forum, which was live streamed. The video of the event is available here.
For those already familiar with the positions of the two candidates, not a lot of new ground was broken. The topics were familiar: the budget, state mandates (especially about EV buses), the proposed increase to the senior tax exemption, book bans, the mental health and safety of students, and the destructive influence of social media. (Lee said being on social media during these last two weeks of campaigning has given him more anxiety than he's had in years.)
About the only area where there was a notable difference between the candidates related to a question about the kind of materials a child could be exposed to in school, especially those concerning identity. Lee said he viewed the issue as a veiled attempt to impose book bans, which he opposes. He wants every kid to feel that they can see themselves represented in the school, otherwise they do not feel welcome or included. Hernandez framed her answer in terms of parental rights, of which she is a fierce advocate, saying that no book comes into her home without her approval and that she didn't want her children being taught something in a classroom that would conflict with her family's values.
In general, however, the two candidates were aligned. Lee made it clear he thought the biggest challenge for the school district was building more participation. He said he thought the brochures full of bullet points that the district issues were boring and dry and that there needed to be a fresh approach to storytelling to better engage not just parents but the entire community.
Hernandez said she thought the biggest challenge the district faces is the lack of trust between the community and the district. She thinks the district could do a much better job communicating with social media, and emphasized that she's a skilled listener and wants to learn more from the community. In her closing statement, she briefly addressed the room in Spanish.
To be eligible to vote in this election, you must be a registered voter residing in the Putnam Valley Central School District which includes portions of Cortlandt Manor and Carmel, as well as most of Putnam Valley. Those who aren't sure if they will be able to vote in person on May 19th can apply for an early mail-in or absentee ballot. The deadline for the district to send out those forms is May 12th and all of those completed ballots must be received by the District Clerk by 5pm on the 19th.
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