Letter To The Editor: Board of Education Candidate Thomas Loughran

The following was submitted to Northport Patch by Thomas Loughran:

"Editor:

I would like to thank the Council of Parent Teacher Association for hosting Tuesday's"Meet the Candidate" event as the community prepares to elect a Trustee to the Board of Education. I would like to thank Donna for her service and regardless of the outcome on Tuesday, I look forward to working with her in our respective roles. Events like "Meet the Candidate" are at the cornerstone of our democratic society. This event and this entire campaign has filled me with a renewed and profound respect for those who are willing to step forward in pursuit of service to our community.

I was reminded Tuesday - and joyfully - that the threads that unite us are far greater than those that divide us as candidates. The question left for you, the voters, is what will best serve your interests in the future? Are your interests best served by someone who has been entrenched in school governance for years and has been there to watch us arrive at the difficulties that are before us - or is a fresh set of eyes and a new perspective what we need to help steer the ship into the future?

As a resident of the Northport-East Northport community for most of my life, I love living here. My experience working with school districts and municipalities as a Federal Litigation Paralegal combined with my love of service and community will lend perspective that will enhance the education of our children and financial security of the residents of Northport-East Northport. I humbly ask you to come out and vote on Tuesday, May 16th between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Yours in Service,

Thomas Loughran"

PERSONAL DATA

1. What is your educational background and current occupation?

Response: I am a Federal Litigation Paralegal with a law firm in Nassau County that focuses on the defense of School Districts and Municipalities in Federal lawsuits involving civil rights, employment, free speech, police procedure, land use, tort, and contract claims. I am currently working to finish my Bachelor’s Degree at Fordham University in New York City.

1. How long have you been a resident of the Northport-East Northport area? _____ years. Do you have now, or have you ever had, children attending the District Public Schools?

Response: I have lived in Northport most of my life. My mother owned a pre-school in Northport Village over which we resided. I attended Ocean Avenue Elementary and Northport Middle School and graduated from Northport High School in 1997. Outside of a few years living in neighboring communities, most of my adult life has also been in the Northport-East Northport area. I currently reside in East Northport with my girlfriend whose 2 children attend schools in the district.

1. What do you see as the primary role of a Board member, and how much time do you have to spend on Board matters?

Response: I feel that the primary role of a Board member is to be a conduit between the community and the Superintendent. To set policy that finds the optimal balance allowing our teachers and educators to provide the best possible education for our students while being completely and utterly respectful of the tax burden placed on the residents and business owners in the district. I am willing to set aside a minimum of 20 hours per week working on Board matters – more or less depending on the needs of the school district.

1. How many board meetings did you attend during the 2015-2016 school year? ______ During the 2016-2017 school year, 14 meetings have been held so far, how many of these have you attended?

Response: The Board of Education primarily meets on Thursday nights, which has posed a scheduling conflict for me during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 school years. Having enrolled at Fordham University in 2015 to complete my Bachelor’s Degree, the courses I have chosen happen to fall on Thursday nights. Despite these scheduling conflicts, I have been able to attend 4 School Board meetings in 2016-17 and will commit myself to clear my schedule for conflicts with any and all public meetings and as the needs of the district dictate.

1. What strengths and talents do you possess that would make you an asset as a member of the Board of Education? (3 or 4 sentences)

Response: For starters, I possess a unique perspective that I believe is currently missing on the board. I do not have children of my own enrolled in the school district, but I assist my girlfriend in the raising and caring for her now 6th and 2nd graders. I remember what is was like to go to school in the Northport-East Northport School District and understand first-hand the current demands of the undergraduate collegiate life and coursework. I have a strong desire to completely understand every issue that comes before me listening to multiple points of view and look forward to working with anyone to negotiate and accomplish favorable outcomes to multiple parties in a responsible and productive manner.

1. Describe what you have done in the recent past and present to support the Northport community and its schools. (3 or 4 sentences)

Response: Although I love living in this community, and am very connected to the people around me, I had not paid much attention to local governance until recently. In late January I noticed the signs for the proposed Bond. While investigating, I discovered that our schools have been mostly untouched since I graduated. This is unacceptable and as a member of the board, I will make sure that our contractors and administration is held to task going forward. I value education and the role our schools play in our community, I am worried about the ability of people of my generation to be able to build a life for ourselves and our growing families in the Northport-East Northport community. This has awoken a desire to have my voice heard and a sense of urgency to not remain on the sidelines.

1. What do you feel are the most pertinent issues facing the Northport-East Northport School District? (3 or 4 sentences)

Response: I believe without a hesitation, that financial stability is the number one issue facing the Northport-East Northport School District. The District is losing approximately 140 students a year, which means families are not moving into the community and/or the population is aging. The power plant is looking to significantly reduce their contribution to the School District’s budget, which has a great possibility to come to fruition in the next few years. Meanwhile, past efforts of the School District has not produced the desired results, which is evident if you look at our buildings and facilities.

1. A major portion of board responsibility is creating effective policy. Please give your thoughts on any recent enacted policy (pro/con) and/or suggestions on a policy the board should consider. (3 or 4 sentences)

Response: The School District just asked the community for $40 million, which, out of their generosity, the voters supplied. I think it is most imperative, moving forward, that the School Board, District Administration, and community be vigilant in making sure that money gets spent not only as proposed, but a strategy is developed to potentially stretch the limits of the projects proposed, meaning the district and the taxpayers get more bang for their buck. Looking into the future, I think the roofs on our buildings need to move up on our to-do list, which would open ourselves up to federal/state monies to install solar panels on our buildings, simultaneously lowering out rate contribution to LIPA and harnessing the power of the sun to run our facilities. Luckily, we are a school district and mostly operate on the same schedule as the sun.

1. It is becoming increasingly expensive to provide the quality of education that the Northport community expects. What would be your strategy to balance enhancing programs while reducing the burden on the taxpayer? (4 or 5 sentences)

Response: I believe that goal one of the Board of Education should be reducing the burden of the taxpayers, so that parents could spend more time being involved in their children’s education and less time working 2 and 3 jobs to pay the tax bill. I believe the Northport-East Northport community is unique with extremely hard working individuals and successful businesses. I think rather than just reaching into the community’s pocket and raising the tax levy, it should be the district’s focus to engage its citizens. I think the time has come to start thinking about looking for untapped resources rather than burdening young families and retired citizens that increasingly can’t afford to move into and stay in our community.

1. What ideas do you have to increase community involvement in our schools? (3 or 4 sentences)

Response: I would advocate that the School District be more proactive in seeking community involvement, which I believe starts with being more transparent. I would advocate that the District court private sector sponsorship to mount a social media campaign that will bring the District into the lives of the community and in turn bring the community to participate with the District. I would advocate for publish a video session of all public meetings via the District website, to allow 2nd shift workers and busy parents to catch up on meetings at their leisure, if not broadcast the meetings in real time via Facebook Live or other social media platforms. I would invite the public at large into school activities more and allow them to see a return on their investment.

1. Do you support the current budget? Yes____ No____ Why? (3 or 4 sentences)

Response: Yes. I support the current budget. An overwhelming majority of the budget is set by contractual agreements and therefore are non-negotiable. The remainder of the budget I believe is prudent and responsible. I think historically, the School District has operated from a position of triage, meaning they deal with emergencies as they arise, and while emergencies will always come up, I believe the District would be best served by developing a policy that is strategic and not responsive. I look forward to lending my voice to the develop these policies.