Five vying for two seats on General Brown board
DEXTER — Five candidates will vie for two open seats on the General Brown Central School District Board of Education. Board members Lori S. McAvoy and Ginnie E. Savage will not seek re-election.
The election will take place from noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday in the junior-senior high school gymnasium, 17643 Cemetery Road.
Candidate Michael Kucharski did not return several messages, and candidate Michael E. Lane, who narrowly lost his board seat in 2008 to current members Richard L. Halpin and Denise Campbell, did not leave a contact phone number with the district office.
Some of the candidates have attended sometimes-contentious school board meetings at which residents voiced discontent over Superintendent Stephan J. Vigliotti Sr.'s management style.
The three-year terms for the two new members begin July 1. Here is a look at why the other three candidates say they are running:
TASHA L. RICHARDS
Mrs. Richards, a 1993 graduate of the district, said her goals would be to make educated and informed decisions and increase communication between board members and the community.
"I kind of believe in getting involved in the community, and giving back to the community," she said. "I feel stronger now as a mom about getting involved with the school district."
Having attended every school board meeting since the Jan. 25 meeting where a large group in the community aired complaints about the administration, Mrs. Richards said she's aware of the discontent but wouldn't offer her stance on the those concerns.
"I feel that I can effectively listen to both sides," she said.
At a Feb. 22 board meeting, however, she said she was "deeply concerned" with the district's leadership. She advocated a change in direction, offering support for a crowd in attendance that night that had expressed its displeasure over the superintendent and board members.
Mrs. Richards said she's thought about running for the board for nine years. Now was the perfect time, she said, because her children soon will begin school.
"My primary driving force is my kids," she said. "I feel (there should be) high accountability for students, parents and administrators. I want to make sure General Brown is staying at the high level it has always been, striving to ensure the highest level of education for my kids and everyone else's kids in the district, as well."
BRUCE STROUGH
Mr. Strough, a 1978 General Brown graduate, said the district would benefit from his business background, especially considering the current fiscal crisis and reductions in state aid.
"I feel you need to understand and have a good business background with the way the economy is and with the budget," he said.
Mr. Strough said board members have done a "reasonably good job" with having to reduce the 2010-11 budget by $1.5 million from its original proposal of more than $20 million, but he'd like to offer his business sense for the next three years.
Having attended several board meetings this year, Mr. Strough said, he's aware of some of the larger issues in the district, such as concerns about Mr. Vigliotti, as well as changing policies on public comment at board meetings.
"I will say Mr. Vigliotti has done a great job. I looked over his background. Some of his accomplishments are being overlooked, but at the same aspect they've got a couple of issues they're trying to address," Mr. Strough said, regarding a group of disgruntled residents.
Another issue that has come up at recent meetings is the restriction of negative remarks during the public comment portion of the meeting. The board is considering new public comment policies on whether to allow those remarks, as well as where or how negative comments should be heard.
"I believe in the First Amendment all the way," he said. "That should not be tampered with."
MARK M. ZEHR
Mr. Zehr, a 1990 graduate of General Brown, said he's been paying attention to the recent negativity about the school district and wants it to subside before his daughter begins school in a couple of years.
"That, if anything, makes it the perfect time to run for this," he said. "I'd really like to see the district maintain the reputation that I'm familiar with, that I was used to going to school, a district known for its academics and athletics."
Mr. Zehr said he'd like to see the Board of Education focus on students, instead of the "negative noise" that has been made. He said one of his goals would be to become "an impartial and informed observer and decision maker."
His wife, Tina M., is a special-education teacher at Brownville/Glen Park Elementary School.
Although he's never been on a school board before, Mr. Zehr said, his interest in education began when he was a student teacher and teacher assistant in the district while studying for his master's degree in education.
He said people should vote for him because he has a diverse background in education and the private sector.
THE RICHARDS FILE
Tasha L. Richards
Age: 35
/ Occupation: physician assistant at LeRay Family Health Center, Evans Mills
/ Education: associate degree in applied science from Jefferson Community College, 1995; bachelor's degree in health and human services, community mental health, from the University at Buffalo, 1997; master's degree for completing the physician assistant program at LeMoyne College, Syracuse, 1999
/ Family: Husband, David Z.; children Hayley N., 3, and Alayna M., 1
THE STROUGH FILE
Bruce Strough
■ Age: 51
/ Occupation: owner of Pala Wood Services Co.
/ Family: Wife, Lynn M.; adult children, Sandra L. Rosbrook and Shannon M. Strough; mother, Rosemary, was an elementary teacher in the district for 25 years
THE ZEHR FILE
Mark L. Zehr
■ Age: 37
/ Occupation: project manager for Black & Veatch, an engineering, consulting and construction company, which works throughout North America
/ Education: bachelor's degree in political science from SUNY Oswego, 1998; master's degree in education from SUNY Oswego, 2004
/ Family: Wife, Tina M., a special-education teacher at Brownville/Glen Park Elementary School; daughter, Lexi A., 2
