In Their Own Words: Mike Licata

Hello my fellow Sachem residents. My name is Michael Licata and I am running for re-election for the Sachem Board of Education seat that I was elected to three years ago.  Over the past three years we have seen some great accomplishments in this school district.

• Our graduation rate has consistently exceeded 90%.
• Our students entering college or starting a career exceeds 90%.
• Our test scores have never been higher.
• Our Curriculum Council continues to align common core standards and make our curriculum more rigorous to challenge our students to achieve even more.
• Our Athletic Program offers students opportunities to showcase their talents, resulting in 240 athletes receiving All League, All County, All Conference, or All Long Island honors this past fall and winter season alone.
• Our Arts and Music Programs excel whether it’s our music students being recognized by SCMEA, NYSCAME, or it’s our Drama students performing in musicals at all of our secondary buildings and three elementary buildings.
• We have seen the lowest tax rates on Long Island the past three years.
• We have implemented an energy performance contract that has allowed our district to Go Green, saving us hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in energy costs, district-wide.
• We have increased safety in our schools by using drug sniffing dogs in our schools to address the presence of drugs in our schools.
• We have raised community and student awareness through various programs on bullying, cyber-bullying, and substance abuse.

The Governor cut our state aid by $14 million this year, but we will survive this cut because of the strong financial position Sachem is in.  With more cuts on the horizon in future years, we need to stick together as a community to continue to be able to offer the highest quality education for our children at rates that are sensitive to our taxpayers. 

On May 17, vote for the experience it will take to continue the great work that has gone on in Sachem.  Vote to keep our district accomplishing the achievements it has seen over the past three years.  Don’t vote for a name just because you saw it on a sign or a flier, vote for a person you know has been part of something special in our district for that past three years. 

Vote for a person who will continue to represent you and the children of Sachem in the manner that only our Sachem family deserves.  It has been a great honor representing you for the past three years.  While I am not looking forward to the hard times ahead, I always look forward to representing the fine district that I have called home for the past 36 years.

We are Sachem.  On May 17, vote for Michael Licata for Sachem Board of Education.

Mike Licata