Jordan-Elbridge voters will hit the polls from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday May 17 to vote on five propositions, including the 2011-12 budget, and elect three new school board members. The terms of school board president Mary Alley and board members Jeanne Pieklik and Diana Foote are up this spring, and all three have all chosen not to run for reelection. A public hearing for the budget is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday May 10 at Ramsdell Middle School. The May 17 budget vote will take place at the high school. Here are the four candidates that will vie for spots on the school board. (Bios and photos courtesy of JECSD). Lynette Zelias
Lynnette, her husband Robert and three children (Justin, Samuel and Alexander) are residents within the Jordan-Elbridge School District. Lynnette is currently employed with Lyons National Bank as the Commercial Loan Operations Supervisor. Prior to working for LNB, she was employed with Cayuga Bank and grew up working with her family operating a restaurant. Lynnette and her husband also operate a small farm and produce both horticultural and agricultural commodities. Lynnette is a den leader for the Jordan Cub Scout Pack 102. She is also the Secretary of the Greater Jordan-Elbridge Chamber of Commerce and volunteers in as many community activities as possible. Lynnette is interested in applying her personal business experience, 15 years of banking experience and valuable common sense to aid in the process of providing a quality education to all the children within the district. “Our district is experiencing a variety of challenges,” she said. “I believe it is our job as community members or parents to gather information and provide intelligent, proactive input to our student body to ensure all children’s education is not compromised.” Lynnette said she is a very honest, trustworthy person with a great level of integrity.
“I want to utilize all of my individual qualities to improve our district,” she said. Lisa Long
Lisa, her husband Brian, and their three children Nicholas (7), Thomas (5) and Ryan (2) reside on Crossett Road in Elbridge. Lisa and her husband are Jordan-Elbridge alumni and have been members of the JE community for more than 35 years. Two of their children currently attend Elbridge Elementary. Lisa earned her Bachelor’s Degree in 1995 from SUNY Oswego, her Master’s Degree in 1999 from LeMoyne College and her Certificate for Advanced Studies Degree for School Administration in 2005 from SUNY Cortland. Lisa has been a Spanish teacher at West Genesee High School since 1997 and an adjunct instructor at Cayuga Community College since 2006. “My husband and I chose to raise our family in the JE community. We have fond memories of attending school at JE, which provided us with a strong academic base and a range of extra-curricular opportunities,” Lisa said. “We want the same experiences for all JE students. At this time, I am concerned with the direction that the JE school district is headed. I fear that recent decisions will impact the quality of education for years to come. It is my intention that all students who attend JE receive the best education possible and that taxpayers receive the greatest possible return on their investment. My many years of experience in education have provided me with a wide range of knowledge, which will allow me to make fiscally and academically sound decisions regarding the Jordan-Elbridge Central School District.” David Gallaro
Dave, his wife Wendy and their two boys Joshua (10th grade) and Nicholas (10th grade), have lived on Athens Avenue in the village of Elbridge since 1998. When they moved back to Central New York, they chose the Jordan-Elbridge School District because of its relatively small size, its sense of community and its outstanding reputation for supporting music and the arts, which they believe promote strong academic success. Dave is originally from the town of Throop and is a graduate of Port Byron High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree in computer and information science from SUNY Potsdam. Dave is currently the Manager of Configuration Management at Sensis Corporation in East Syracuse where he has worked for the last 10 years. Prior to that, Dave spent more than 10 years working at the National Security Agency in Maryland and more than three years working at a small internet-based company located at Syracuse University. Dave has participated in a number of community activities since relocating to Jordan-Elbridge. He has been a member of the Jordan-Elbridge Community Band for more than 10 years, and he has played drums in the pit orchestra for many of the Jordan-Elbridge spring and summer musicals. For the last two years, Dave has served as a percussion staff instructor for the Jordan-Elbridge Spring/Fall Marching Eagles. Additionally, Dave currently serves as the chairman of the board of directors of the Elbridge Community Church. “After careful consideration, I decided I wanted to serve as a member of the JE school board in order to bring some real-world business sense and experience to the school district at a time when it needs to deal with major issues that may require unconventional thinking,” Dave said. “I hope to leverage my management and communication skills to help transform the Jordan-Elbridge School District into a model of public education that gives our children the opportunity to excel in the next stage of their academic careers and beyond. I would also like to work to restore Eagle Pride to our community.” Terrence Hanchett
Terry and his wife Sandy have lived on River Road in Jordan for 16 years. They have been married for 28 years and have two boys, Cody (12) and Troy (11). Cody and Troy attend Ramsdell/Middle School and both boys participate in band and Odyssey of the Mind, and Troy plays basketball. Terry is originally from Liverpool where he graduated in 1977 with a Regents diploma. After high school, Terry went on to graduate from Denver Automotive and Diesel College with a degree in automotive technology. Terry has more than 35 years of automotive and management experience. He also has many years of experience in home construction and remodeling. Previously, Terry served as a volunteer for the Liverpool Fire Department. Additionally, he has devoted countless hours to the Campfire Girls organization calling bingo and assisting operations at Camp Talooli. When asked why he wants to run for the school board Terry responded, “I feel that I bring to the board a completely objective point of view regarding the issues which have plagued this district. I am also passionate about improving the public’s ability to be heard. The proposed 2011-2012 school budget is devastating and the following year’s is projected to be even worse. In these times of financial crisis, I promise to be fair and objective in seeking the best way to prepare our children to be productive members of society as they go on to pursue a career or college. I ask for your vote on May 17. My campaign slogan is ‘A Voice for the People’ and I sincerely believe that together we can rebuild our district’s honor and pride.” Five Propositions
The first proposition is the operational budget for 2011-12. The proposed spending plan is $27,596,582, an increase of 4.7 percent from the current budget, and assumes a tax levy increase of 7.3 percent. The budget includes the elimination of 29.7 positions (three administrative, 17.7 instructional, two pupil personnel and seven non-instructional). The second proposition is the purchase of two 22-28 passenger busses and two 6-10 passenger buses at a total cost not to exceed $250,000. This proposition is part of the district’s five-year bus replacement plan. The district noted that state aid pays close to 90 percent of the cost of a bus. The third proposition, put on the ballot by a petition of more than 50 residents, is to reduce the number of board members from nine to seven. Proposition four, separate from the district’s propositions, is a request from the Elbridge Free Library that its overall funding level be increased from $47,000 to $50,000. Proposition five, also separate, is a request from the Jordan Bramley Library that its overall funding level be increased from $60,000 to $63,000.