Meet Donna Hochman, BOE 2012 Candidate

On  Lindenhurst residents will not only cast their votes for or against a   and   the Board of Education  on , but they'll also in the board  running for re-election that day.

There are three candidates - all of whom are incumbents - and they're running unopposed.

Trustees and met the public at the  portion of the  meeting and  by Superintendent Richard Nathan on .

Current BOE Donna Hochman was unable to attend due to a personal matter, according to Nathan.

However, in an effort to keep voters informed, Lindenhurst Patch is presenting profiles of each incumbent - in no particular order, using the same topics - in the days leading up to BOE Election and Budget Vote next .

Today's BOE Candidate Profile focuses on Donna Hochman.

Qualifications/Experience: "I've served for three consecutive terms on the board, and I'm very familiar with all the latest guidelines, information and changes the State has imposed. I believe it's important to be familiar with everything in order to educate the public and present a budget that's fiscally sound.

"I also work in this community as the Senior Justice Court Clerk for the . I deal with many community members, and I'm very aware on a personal level of the challenges facing many of them. I'm also a parent of a special-needs child, and aware of the obstacles many of these parents face."

Reason for Running: "I believe my experience on the board and my knowledge of special education contributes towards many decisions we have faced now and in the future."

If Re-Elected to Another Three-Year Term, Then I'd Like to: "In the next three years I'd like to update some of our policies and procedures, [and] also look at and enhance some of our existing programs - and possibly create some new programs/electives based on the student's needs."

Key Accomplishment(s): "I'm proud to have been a part in some of the changes of policies and procedures I believe have enhanced our schools and strengthened our programs in order to give our children a solid education foundation."

How will you continue to balance preserving program, jobs and reserves with the reality of the tax cap?
"Going forward it's important to educate the community about the tax cap and what it means to Lindenhurst. We'll have to be extremely creative in crafting a budget that's fiscally sound and preserves programs without using all of our reserves. It'll take community ideas and input to keep within the cap and present an affordable budget."

What's the one thing you'd like the community to know about this year's and and your role in that as a board member?
"The upcoming is fiscally sound. has cuts across the board without taking a lot of reserves, and is under the tax cap of 3.55 percent (Lindenhurst).

"I think it's important the community understands the number two percent equates differently depending on where you live. In Lindenhurst [the cap is] 3.55 percent, so is well under the tax cap for Lindenhurst."

What's the one thing the community needs to know about continuing contract negotiations, particularly with TAL, and your role in that as a board member?
"We're always hopeful and keep open the lines of communication between the board and TAL. We...would look forward to any concessions TAL might offer."

Editor's Note: Don't forget to share your thoughts and concerns about this year's budget process for the with Lindenhurst Patch on the site in the comments section of articles about the topic, on Facebook and Twitter, by taking these polls and , and by e-mailing barbara.loehr@patch.com with an opinion piece.