New Candidate Announces Run For Greenport Board Of Education

GREENPORT, NY — There's a new candidate throwing her hat into the proverbial ring for a seat on the Greenport Board of Education.

Sonia Spar, co-chair of the Southold Anti-Bias Task Force, said she's hoping to win a seat for the 2018 to 2022 term.

She spoke with Patch about her reasons for running.

"One of the constant topics of conversation with my husband is how and when we can be more engaged with the school. It is very clear to us that our schools are the most important institutions in our town and society as they play a key role in helping develop children into responsible citizens and good human beings," Spar said.

Spar believes it is her duty as a parent to do the best she can for her child and it would be a privilege to serve the community in the role.

"With everything going on in the school and the country, I feel it is important to step up," Spar said.

If elected, Spar said she feels there are two pressing issues that need to be addressed, including the budget shortfall. "School administrators should communicate clearly on what the next step will be if the state aids fail to cover the shortfall, so that we as a community understand the options and together, we act, keeping in mind what’s best for our children," she said.

Providing a safe environment for children is the other critical priority, Spar said.

"At the last few BOE meetings it became clear that this is not a single approach issue and we need to come together to understand and address all the factors and actors involved," Spar said. "Parents, school administrators, educators and the community at large have a role to play so that our children will not only have an emotional safe learning environment, but will also understand the importance in demonstrating zero indifference to bullying and cyber-bullying. We need to remember that we are the role models for our children. They will follow in our footsteps."

Spar said she brings to the table a deep commitment to advocating for children. With more than 18 years of experience in non-for-profit and higher education sectors, Spar said she is both responsible and accountable.

"I am an advocate for respect, civility and leadership, which are values of great importance to teach our children," she said.

Spar said she's also savvy with social media platforms and feels those tools should be utilized more fully to ensure the school district keeps clear channels of communication with parents and members of our community.

"My interest in working for our community is non partisan," she added. "We need to come together, for our children, regardless of political affiliation."

Looking ahead, Spar said she'd like to tackle the budget issues. "Building maintenance, security and student programs are all competing for what available in the budget," she said. "Do we need to make a choice between student education and working bathrooms? How do we upgrade the bathrooms and keep programs like STEAM?"

Her main goal, she said, is to create a Greenport School Educational Foundation, and is already speaking with the people involved in creating the Shelter Island and Southold School Educational Foundations, hoping to learn from those successful models.

"A Greenport School Educational Foundation presents a terrific opportunity to engage community members, parents, local businesses and others in a more coordinated way," Spar said. "Our Greenport community over and over again has demonstrated unwavering support for our children. The GSEF would strive to serve all students by providing additional direct financial support to enhance the students educational experience."

That support, she said, can take the shape of scholarships, grants, technology enhancements and school improvement projects, to mention a few. Individuals could present proposals of projects that can benefit the school and its students, she said.

"With so many people with experience and expertise in areas of interest to the foundation, this would be an all-volunteer led initiative," she said.

Her new pursuit, Spar said, was born of love: "I love my kids. They go to school in Greenport. I want to be able to give my kids, our kids, every opportunity to succeed — and that begins with the school and education."

Patch photo by Lisa Finn.