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Three seeking two seats on F'dale School Board in at-large election
Incumbent trustee and vice president of the board Tina Diamond says her involvement and commitment to the school district, its students and residents, should earn her reelection. "My work with local clubs and the New York State School Board keeps me in front of the legislature and lets me collaborate with other school boards," said Diamond, 53. She is a freight payables manager, whose son went through the district. Her opponent, first-time candidate Anthony Sagginario, said he should be elected because he can bring his expertise in security as a 26-year New York City Police Officer in this post 9/11 world to the board. "I believe that money can be saved in the district and still add safety measures," he said. "For example, the current security guards should have additional duties such as screening delivery trucks and controlling the students, and we need to negotiate harder for more security services."
He would also work to hire a director of security that would oversee all the security guards and keep their skills and tactics updated. Right now, he said, the security guards report to the building principals who, he said, "know nothing about security." Sagginario is a widower and the father of four children. "I believe I see both sides of the fence in education because I have two typical children and two with special needs who attend the BOCES program," he said. Diamond said that during her tenure on the board, the district has been able to keep down education costs during the last five years, without curriculum or staff cuts. And, she said she would like to continue doing that. "We must continue to find revenue sources by state and federal legislators and self sustaining programs. Increased funding decreases cuts in the budget - good for the schools and good for our community," said the lifelong Farmingdale resident. In addition to her duties in the school board, Diamond is an executive board member of the Nassau- Suffolk School Board Association, the Farmingdale Lobby Committee, past president, vice president and secretary of the Rotary Club, former president of the PTA, PTA representative to the school board, devel- opment committee chair of the Farmingdale Committee Summit and the Farmingdale Cope Committee. Sagginario calls his platform a commonsense approach that would fit well in the district. "Let's try to stabilize taxes while saving money. I think the board wastes money on certain things and turns a blind eye to other problems, for example instead of putting all our money into sports, let's fix up the playgrounds, which are in dire need." Another waste of money, says Sagginario, is a crosswalk the district put in as a safety improvement at one of the schools. "Just tell the teachers to slow down," he said, adding that he is also opposed to the hiring of another dean of students at the high school, which the district is considering. "It's a waste of money," he said. "All they do is go looking for kids who skip class." Incumbent trustee Russ Catanzaro did not return phone calls for comment. Trustees are volunteers who serve with no financial compensation. They are responsible for formulating and monitoring the school budget, setting school policy and hiring staff. Elections and the budget vote will take place on Tuesday, May 15 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Howitt Middle School at 70 Van Cott Avenue, Farmingdale.
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