Katonah Lewisboro Election Coverage: Q & A With Stephanie Tobin

On May 15, Katonah-Lewisboro voters will vote on a , a and

Below is a brief bio of Stephanie Tobin and her replies to a set of questions sent to all of the K-L candidates.

Tobin is a Waccabuc resident of 14 years and is an active parent of four children in the Katonah Lewisboro School district: John Tobin, a sophomore, Tess Tobin, a high school freshman, Willa Tobin, a student at and Faye Tobin, a third-grader at

You can find profiles of the three other school board candidates on Patch: is also posted today, and Mindy Yanish and Rich Delin will be posted Wednesday. On Monday, May 14, we'll post our voter's guide summarizing the issues including when and where to vote.

Patch: What prompted you to run for the Katonah Lewisboro Board of Education?

Tobin: I was recruited by a current board member and highly encouraged by friends, family and even a teacher to run for a seat on the BOE.  They all know how important I think strong academics are for KLSD.  Since my children are all still in school but old enough not to need a babysitter on Thursday evenings, I agreed that now is a good time for me to take a more active role in the district.

Patch: What strengths will you bring to the board?

Tobin: Having four children spread over all three levels of education in the district provides me with daily knowledge of what is actually being taught in their classrooms.  This first-hand experience is my greatest asset.

Patch: What issues facing the district do you feel most strongly about?

Tobin: The curriculum being taught throughout the KLSD and the pursuit of academic excellence are my top priorities.

Patch: Describe the quality of education you think students are getting in the district. Are there measures you would take to improve upon it?

Tobin: Overall, I would say the quality of education in KLSD is high.  My experience has been that once a student reaches JJHS there are good, strong, demanding courses he/she can undertake.  Where I think the district could improve is the amount of challenges available to both middle and elementary students.

Patch: All three collective bargaining agreements are up next year. Describe how you see the current state of labor relations in the district.

As an outside observer, there does not appear to be much trust or willingness to work together between the labor unions and the administration.  The slower economy and the property tax cap present a much more difficult environment for the contract negotiations.  The unions need to be realistic about the financial constraints KLSD has to work within.

Patch: What strategies would you be willing to promote for increased open and honest communication and transparency between the board, the collective bargaining groups and the community?

Tobin: I would promote a strategy that includes talking directly to the teachers.  Out of those talks, I would try to build a compromise that rewards teachers for hard work but is sustainable for our district.

Patch: Is there anything we haven’t asked that you would like the public to know about you or your candidacy?

Tobin: I feel very fortunate to live within the KLSD.  We have talented teachers, administrators who care, parents who are supportive and a BOE that is committed.  During budget season, this can easily be overlooked. Nevertheless, I think KLSD is great and I would be proud to serve on the BOE.