Meet Hicksville Schools' New Trustee Ryan Chaplin — And The Changes He Wants To Make

HICKSVILLE, NY — After winning a seat in the Hicksville School District's Board of Education election, Ryan Chaplin will be taking office on July 1.

Chaplin, Kim Raspanti, and Mary Dwyer-Johnson were all elected as new trustees in the contested school board race. Chaplin defeated incumbent Danielle Fotopoulos, receiving 890 votes to her 656.

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As he prepares to step into the role, Chaplin told Patch his immediate focus will be on learning Board procedures and preparing for the New York State Board Member training. After he's settled in, he hopes to address curriculum changes made as part of the district's newly approved $186,315,191 million budget.

The budget eliminated one instructional period for sixth- and seventh-grade students and replaced it with a success studio.

"This decision was a tough pill for the community to swallow as it directly impacted the students' ability to explore subjects outside the core curriculum," he said. "I hope, while on the Board, to be able to amend this change and restore a full-day curriculum."

Along with this goal, Chaplin said preserving Hicksville's fine arts and music programs will be a major priority during his term, pointing to the impact the programs had had on his own family.

"With regards to a specific organization/program, the fine arts and music program in Hicksville has played a huge role in my boys' lives and is a cornerstone of the school community," he said. "It has been named a 'Best Community for Music Education' for the past 10 years, and upholding that legacy is a high priority."

He added that maintaining strong programs across the district is pivotal to success.

"Budget is the backbone of the district's success, and it will be key to ensuring the success of the organizations within the district and helping maintain high educational standards," he said.

Transparency and hearing families' voices are also important to him.

"I think as a whole the community feels there is a lack of transparency with regard to decisions that are made throughout the district," he said. "The choices we make as a board should be driven by the needs of the community, not by individual agendas or opinions."

Chaplin said his years of involvement in Hicksville and watching his two boys grow up in the community helped inspire him to run for office. He previously served as president of the Hicksville Music Parents Association for five years and is also the president of a BNI networking chapter.

A Hicksville resident for two decades, Chaplin said the community has become an important part of his family's life.

"Having grown up in Brooklyn and never really knowing what living in a 'community' was like, I fell in love with Hicksville the moment I moved out here," he said. "I'm inspired by the diversity of our community and am looking forward to serving as a resource for all the voices that are present here in Hicksville."

Chaplin is looking forward to working in the office alongside Mary Dwyer-Johnson and Kim Raspanti.