ELLENVILLE – In a few weeks, there will be an election for three seats on the Ellenville School District's Board of Education. The four candidates are Iris Friedman, already an incumbent on the board, Francis Gurgui, Maxine Chapin, and Wayne Storey.

Iris Friedman is completing her third term on the Board of Education. A graduate of Ellenville Central Schools, she attended the University of Miami where she received a bachelor's degree in Elementary and Special Education. Friedman, a former Special Education teacher at Ellenville High School, is a full-time mother, and her youngest child will be graduating from Ellenville High School this June. In addition to serving on the Ellenville School Board, Friedman is also a board member of ArtsWAVE and serves on the Ellenville Farmers Market Committee.

"Being fortunate to work with the sound leadership of Board President Carolyn Kuhlmann and Superintendent Lisa Wiles, I am seeking a fourth term because of the current financial situation. The next three years are going to be particularly difficult," Friedman says. "I believe my understanding of school board responsibilities, my willingness to communicate, and my desire to arrive at equitable solutions are assets as we work to balance finances with the mandate to provide an appropriate education for all the children residing in the Ellenville Central School District."

Frances Gurgui is a certified NYS teacher of physics and math, with experience at both the high school and college level. He is a lifelong resident of the Ellenville Central School District. He positions himself as the candidate for "outsiders, for those who'd like to break in." Gurgui has a number of proposals that he would like to promote. "There should be an immediate pay freeze for basic tenured positions. They should be frozen forever. There should be an across the board pay freeze in the school for all employees. I would argue that future growth of wages for teachers should take the form of discretionary increments that lie beyond the scope of their tenure. An example would be a stipend per student above certain class size thresholds."

"I favor the summer being a separate interval of the school year, and one which would not necessarily be taught by the tenured teachers. I envisage a freer approach for both teachers and students, in a paradigm more like the college level approach. There would be requirements that they could achieve at their own pace during their time in high school."

On the matter of teachers' pay, Gurgui adds another idea. "I could see knocking out steps in the steps ladder, so that teachers would advance more swiftly up the pay grades. This would be something for the give and take of negotiations."

More specifically, Gurgui proposes that the summer semester become a "time of experimentation, incorporating the computer as a tool of learning."

On mathematics he says, "All high school students should face a math regents exam at the end of the freshman year, and those who fail should have to attend summer school. There should also be an applied math course for students who are having problems getting over the hurdle."

Maxine Chapin says she's a "Blue Devil through and through." She was raised in Ellenville and attended Ellenville Central Schools. Her children graduated in Ellenville, too. She continues to reside in Ellenville, today.

"I taught history. I taught in the elementary school, the middle school, and the high school. I'm well aware of what our children need at all those levels. I still volunteer my time and hold review classes for the global history regents exam.

"I want to see our schools provide the very best possible education for our students, because in the world we live in today, education is even more important than it used to be. I think that Mrs. Wiles is a very good superintendant, doing a great job.

"Secondly, due to the economic situation right now, the needs of the community have to be taken into consideration. One cannot be dealt with without the other. It has to be a marriage that's good for everyone.

"We, who live in this community, know what the problems are. I would work with all the shareholders to come up with positive actions to produce change where it's necessary.

"Growing up here in Ellenville, I was aware that it was a great community. I don't think we've gone past the point where we couldn't reclaim that."

Wayne Storey was born and raised in Ellenville. He played football for the Blue Devils and ran for the track team. He went to SUNY Delhi where he studied Business Administration. After college, he went to work for Gillette Creamery in Ellenville, and he has been there for the past 15 years.

"My wife and I chose to live in Ellenville. We love the area. My eldest daughter is in the third grade at Ellenville Elementary. Our youngest, Lauren, will attend the Ellenville Cooperative Nursery School next year, and I have been President of the Board of the Cooperative Nursery School for the past three years.

"On the issues, I think the first thing to say is that we need to be sure our children are getting the best possible education, but we need to do that in a way that does not burden taxpayers."

Storey does see one problem looming that he thinks must be addressed. "The economic stimulus money will be gone in two years. So we have to tighten our belts now or we will be in a very difficult situation then. That means we have to look now for ways to cut spending before the axe falls in two years time."

Storey supports the current administration at ECSD. "I think the administration has done a great job. Our kids are getting what they need to go to college or into the workforce. I think that if you balance out the pros and cons regarding Ellenville schools, the pros outweigh the cons by a large margin."

If there's one issue that Storey thinks he can put his energy into productively, it is that of energizing our community.

"If I was on the board I would work to increase community involvement in the schools. I think it would be great to get more people to come to board meetings and get involved in the issues that confront our schools."

The school board election is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19, 2009.

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