To the editor:

I seek re-election to the Fayetteville-Manlius Board of Education because our community undertakes no more important endeavor than educating our children. I am optimistic that the voters will find me uniquely qualified, and I respectfully request their support.

I offer a district-wide perspective. I have lived in both Fayetteville and Manlius. My children attend Mott Road Elementary School and Eagle Hill Middle School. I taught social studies at Eagle Hill Middle School and Fayetteville-Manlius High School. I coached modified cross country at Wellwood Middle School. Moreover, my first term as a Board of Education member enhanced my appreciation for the unity of purpose that our entire community must maintain to ensure the best interests of all of our children.

I offer experience. As a former F-M teacher, the only incumbent seeking re-election, and the current board president, I have strong working relationships with many of our district’s administrators, faculty and staff. I consistently stand in awe of their extraordinary work.

For the last three years, I have been actively involved in the development of strategies to address the district’s facilities in both the short term and long term. By returning me to the Board of Education, our community will benefit from the continuity I would bring to the board’s continuing development of a facilities plan, and my familiarity with the board’s many other responsibilities.

I am proud of my first term and wish to continue. I was honored that my fellow board members unanimously elected me to serve as board president during the 2016-17 school year. In that leadership role, I am pleased to have helped focus the board’s and community’s efforts on stewardship of our district’s facilities. I advocated for increased board transparency by supporting the video recording of all meetings and by supporting a “facilities committee of the whole” so that all discussions regarding facilities would include all board members. I have striven to maintain civility at board meetings, so that our children and community witness good governance and remain confident in their elected officials.

Our district will undoubtedly face challenging issues in the next few years. In addition to those about which we are not yet aware, we face: facilities which, though impressively maintained by our talented district personnel, are now in need of further attention; increased enrollment that is pushing our elementary schools to capacity; underfunding by the state; and an ongoing need to remain fiscally prudent. If re-elected, I look forward to continuing to serve our children and community, and to furthering F-M’s commitment to providing excellence in education for all students for decades to come.

Tim Crisafulli

Manlius