On Tuesday, May 16, residents in the East Syracuse Minoa school district will have the opportunity to elect three members to the board of education, as well as vote on the proposed 2017-18 district budget.
The terms of three board seats are set to expire, and three candidates are running to fill these seats. On election day, each voter can choose three candidates and the two candidates with the most votes will be elected to a four-year term, while the third place candidate will serve a two-year term. The candidates are Lori Aird, Susan Cain and Amalia Skandalis.
In addition, residents will have the chance to vote on the 2017-18 proposed district budget. The proposed budget totals $78.0 million, which reflects a 1.72 percent budget increase. ESM received a 0.85 percent ($443,284) increase in Foundation Aid over the current school year. The estimated tax levy increase is 0.32 percent ($143,786) over 2016-17.
On a home assessed at $100,000, the overall tax bill increase for 2017-18 after the Basic STAR exemption would be approximately $5.50. For senior citizens with Enhanced STAR, the tax bill would increase $2.73 for 2017-2018. In general, the tax increase equates to approximately eight cents per $1,000 of assessed property value annually.
The election will be held from noon. to 9 p.m. in the ESM High School new/small gym, 6400 Fremont Road, East Syracuse.
Note: The Eagle Bulletin typically will send a uniform questionnaire to all candidates, but was unable to reach all candidates before deadline. Below is the response to the questionnaire from Aird, and the information from Cain and Skandalis comes from the district budget newsletter sent to area residents.
Lori Aird
Professional experience: Program Manager at SRC, Inc.
Education: Bachelor of Science, Clarkson University.
Organizations/groups involved with: ESM School to College and Career Advisory Board; ESM Marching Band Boosters — treasurer; and ESM Youth Sports — past president, treasurer and director of volleyball.
Why do you think you would make a good member on the ESM Board of Education?
I bring to the ESM Board of Education my 10 years of experience managing government and commercial contracts as a Program Manager. My professional experience includes developing and executing project schedules and budgets, identifying and mitigating project risks, working with customers and leading a team to a common goal.
Please list the top three problems you believe ESM faces and how would you address these as a board member?
Three challenges that I believe many school districts are facing is graduation rates that are below 100 percent, preparing students to be successful beyond high school, and developing student character. I feel that if students have a connection to school, they are more likely to attend and be engaged in their studies. This can be achieved through extracurricular activities, clubs, anything that makes school fun. Extracurricular activities also help students develop leadership skills while giving them opportunities to be collaborative and learn how to problem solve. I would support initiatives to teach students to be compassionate and promote kindness. It is important to teach kids how to minimize conflict, to defend from bullying, and the impact destructive behavior has on their peers.
What is your philosophy on education?
As a member of the ESM Board of Education, I will advocate for our students to have a rich curriculum and learning opportunities that prepare them for global opportunities. It is important to prepare students socially, academically and help them develop the skills that enable success beyond high school.
Susan Cain
Susan Cain and her husband, Todd, reside at 7352 Spring Mountain Drive, East Syracuse and have been ESM residents since 2002. They have two children currently attending ESM schools: Joshua at ESM Central High School and Abigail at Fremont Elementary.
Cain is currently a Vice President and Senior Branch Manager with M&T Bank, where she has worked the past 20 years. She has served as an ESM Board of Education member for almost one year after being appointed to fill a vacancy.
She served as Fremont PTO Treasurer from 2010 to 2015, and is currently a board member of the ESM Education Foundation and co-chair of their annual dinner dance. Cain has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from SUNY Potsdam. She enjoys spending time with family as well as skiing and reading.
Philosophy of Education: “My philosophy on education is that the school district has a responsibility to ensure students demonstrate a proficiency and understanding of the core curriculum. By doing so, students will develop critical thinking and problem solving skills in order to make them college or career ready. I also believe every child is different with unique interests and talents. It is the responsibility of the school district to offer a curriculum of courses that fosters these interests and talents. When students have choices in their own education they take ownership and work harder to master the skills necessary to reach their individual goals. A school board member should support the objectives of the district while representing the interest and voice for the community they serve.”
Amalia Skandalis
Amalia Skandalis lives at 111 Ridgewood Drive in Syracuse with her children Niko and Teah, who both attend Woodland Elementary. She has resided in the district for three years.
Skandalis is an inclusive art teacher in the Syracuse City School District. She has a master’s degree in art education and a duel master’s degree in early childhood and special education; both from Syracuse University.
She co-chair of the special events planning committee for It’s About Childhood & Family, Inc. (IACAF). She is also a member of the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), Syracuse Teachers Assoc., Save Our Schools, CNY Educational Justice/Solidarity Coalition, Citizen’s Climate Lobby and Alliance for Quality Education.
Her interests are social justice, public schools, the arts and humanities as well as environmental appreciation and protection, green energy, whole foods and community gardens.
Philosophy of Education: “As an ESM School Board member, I would be honored to assist in the growth and progress of our district. A strong community is built on strong educational values and practices, which need to be well articulated and advocated for as a top priority amidst an ever-changing world. I will make sure our children never lack in the resources and programming necessary to accomplish the many great things yet to be achieved.
Children need a well-rounded and balanced educational experience in order to develop into happy, productive, responsible citizens of tomorrow. Individualized, authentic teaching learning experiences, assessment practices, creative process and physical involvement in their education should remain foundational over standardized measures of data acquisition.
As a board member, it is my mission to ensure that our children receive a well-balanced, quality education that delves deeper to reach the whole child through universal design.”
