The Newly Elected Mamaroneck School Board: Q & A With Melany Gray

The Mamaroneck Community voted three new school board members into office last week: Incumbent Robin Nichinsky and newcomers Roger Martin and Melany Gray. Larchmont Patch will be running a series of Q & A articles this week to introduce the new board members to the community and present their views on district issues.

In this editon, we spoke with Melany Gray, who, with her husband, has resided in Larchmont for 21 years.  Their two sons attended , the , and  (MHS); their youngest is a senior at MHS.  Gray received her BS from the University of North Carolina and her J.D. from St John’s University School of Law.  Currently, Gray is a part-time associate attorney for Collazo, Florentino & Keil in New York.  Gray has been a past president of the Central and Hommocks PTAs, the MHS PTSA, as well as PT Council.  She has written about everything from district budget negotiations to school awards ceremonies for the online local news resource, The Larchmont Gazette (no longer in publication). 

Larchmont Patch: With your wealth of experience covering school board issues for the Larchmont Gazette, how do you think the issues affecting the Mamaroneck District have changed, if at all, over the past 5-10 years?

Melany Gray: Certainly the budget is a bigger issue than it was 10 years ago, both because of the tax cap and the economic downturn.  People in the community are looking at the numbers a bit more carefully, which is a good thing.  The board has worked hard over the past several years to improve communication, and in the years going forward, it will be increasingly important for our community to understand the process. Our local press certainly can help with that. 

In addition, our district is looking much more carefully at data, which is, for the most part, a good thing.  As we work to assure that all students in all classes are supported and challenged, we need to make sure that we don't discourage teacher creativity and innovation.  All the testing required by the state does not necessarily make for a better educational experience.  I hope as a district we will continue to work to teach our kids to analyze and solve problems, not just take tests.

Larchmont Patch: What are some of the major issues facing the district this upcoming year?

Gray: Negotiating a fair teachers' contract will be our primary challenge in the year ahead, I think. Certainly we value our teachers, and they should be fairly compensated.  That said, raises and health benefits that may have been appropriate in better economic times aren't necessarily realistic going forward.  In addition, we have some restrictive language in our contract—unlike many other districts—which limits our ability to find efficiencies through scheduling.  Making these types of changes is not easy, and that's why the district and teachers' union have been unable to agree on a new contract and currently are in mediation.

Larchmont Patch: Do you think it will be difficult for the district to stay within the two percent tax cap going forward? What are some solutions to dealing with mandated expenses that continue to get higher year after year?

Gray: Yes, I do think it will be harder to stay within the tax cap going forward.  We will need to continue to look for efficiencies but also need some significant change from Albany. 

Larchmont Patch: What made you want to run for the school board?

Gray: In a month my youngest will graduate from MHS. Both my kids have had an excellent education in this district, and I've learned a bit about how things work while doing my PTA and Larchmont Gazette service.  I know that I have a lot to learn and that the years ahead will be challenging, but I hope we can continue to provide excellent educational experiences for our students in a way that our community can afford.

Larchmont Patch: What do you think are the greatest strengths of the Mamaroneck School District?

Gray: Hard to say ... Our students are probably our greatest strength, but that is because of the nurturing and support they receive from their families, their teachers and administrators, and the community overall.  Larchmont-Mamaroneck is a great place to grow up!