Posted 5/3/11

On Tuesday, May 17, district residents will go to the polls to vote on the 2011-12 school budget and elect candidates to serve on the Board of Education.

There are three seats available for 3-year terms beginning on July 1, 2011. Four candidates are vying for seats on the board: Jean LaPorta, Incumbent E. Lynn Brown, Incumbent Leo Santini Jr., and Richard Carlson. Read their candidate profiles below (in alphabetical order).

E. Lynn Brown

Eleanor Lynn Brown has two children, Cherokee and Zechariah, in the 10th grade at GHS. She is seeking re-election to serve the Board of Education where she has held a seat for the past six years. Ms. Brown has her Master's Degree from SUNY Albany in Reading and has been working as a speech therapist for HFM BOCES for the past 26 years.  She has been a member of the PTA and aids in fundraising for the Class of 2013. She is also a member of the Fannie Rose Temple #1198 and Friends of the Gloversville Library.

Ms. Brown says, "I want to be a member of the GESD Board of Education because I want to be a part of a team who puts children first. I want to help improve the educational opportunities for our children. I want to help children reach their potential. I want to ensure they will have the skills needed to compete in the classroom, to compete in the community, to compete in their next educational journey and to be productive members of society.

I want to be a part of a team that will continue to foster a positive relationship between the school and the community. I want to help improve our community and make it a place where not only our children will come back and raise their children, but others will see Gloversville as a place to come to because we offer a quality educational system for their children.

Great things are happening in the Gloversville Enlarged School District despite all of the challenges that have been thrown our way. We continue to look on each challenge as an opportunity. I want to be a part of a team that always puts our children first. I want to be the change for children."

Richard Carlson

Richard Carlson is seeking his first term on the Board of Education. Mr. Carlson has a civil engineer degree and is a NY State Licensed Professional Engineer. He was employed for nearly 34 years with the NYS Dept. of Transportation. At the time of his retirement in 2003, he was the Planning and Program Manager for the Region 1 office.

Mr. Carlson is currently a member of the Pecks Lake Protective Association, where he has previously served on the Board and as President for 5 years. He also serves on the Government Affairs Committee of the Fulton County Regional Chamber of Commerce. He also volunteers to the Gloversville Chapter of the Salvation Army during the holidays. Mr. Carlson has served on the GESD Budget Citizens Advisory Committee for the past three years.

He says, "Gloversville schools are faced with the challenge of providing students a quality education at a time when the community they serve already shoulders a heavy tax burden. This challenge will only grow as educational needs increase and resources are stretched even tighter than they are today. Over the past seven years, I have regularly attended Board meetings to voice my concerns over property taxes and other District matters, and for the past three years I've served on the Budget Advisory Committee to provide citizen input to the budget process. I want to serve on the Board to help shape decisions that will ensure that Gloversville schools provide their students the education that they need at a cost the community can support."

Jean LaPorta

Jean LaPorta is seeking re-election to serve on the Board of Education, previously having served during 2007-2010. She and her husband, Vince, have six children - all graduates of the Gloversville Enlarged School District. Mrs. LaPorta has been a Gloversville resident for over 47 years and spent 30 years in education after graduating from the College of St. Rose. During her years in education, she held union leadership positions. Mrs. LaPorta is involved in many community organizations. They include serving on the board of directors for the Fulton County YMCA, the Head Start Policy Committee and is a member of the Friends of the Gloversville Library. Mrs. LaPorta is currently serving on HFM BOCES Board of Education. She has been recognized for her commitment to local youth by receiving the Lifetime PTA Award and the Children Services Award.

Leo Santini Jr.

Leo Santini Jr. is seeking re-election. Mr. Santini has been serving on the Board since July 2010. He and his wife, Lisa, have an 9 year old son attending Kingsborough Elementary. He is a member of the Kingsborough Elementary PTA and is a retired New York State Corrections Officer.

"I have a young child attending elementary school in Gloversville and feel it's time for more parents to become involved. I have a vested interest in this district and am a strong advocate for my child. I feel the graduation rates in this school are consistently too low. The emphasis of the school board needs to be focused on academics. Other school districts and communities with similar demographics and per capita incomes have turned failure rates around by setting up and utilizing programs such as "Response to Intervention". I feel changes need to be made in this school district. Education is the key to a brighter future for all the children in Gloversville. I am a retired NYS corrections officer with experience as a union shop steward. My family has lived in the city of Gloversville for nineteen years. I would appreciate the support of the voters on election day, May 17," said Mr. Santini.