School Board Candidates Reflect on Election Outcome

Dr. Dennis Ryan and Patrick Gallagher regard their re-election to the Long Beach Board of Education over challenger Ari Pine, as well as the community’s support of the 2011-12 budget, as a referendum.

“The community has spoken, from Point Lookout to the West End,” said Ryan after District Clerk Carole Butler announced the results at the Middle School on Tuesday. “They supported the budget, which is great. We worked hard and hopefully the community recognizes that, and we still have more work.”

Residents casted 1,833 votes for Ryan, who wins a second term on the board, 1,726 for Gallagher, who sought a fourth term, and 1,016 for Pine, a newcomer. By a vote of 1,674 to 742, the community approved the $118.6 million budget.

“I think the number one issue still was fiscal responsibility and I think the community reacted to that," Gallagher said.

The budget represents a 1.8 percent or $2.1 million increase over the current spending plan and a 0 percent tax levy increase.

Gallagher said that the board has approved programs that have brought substantial money to the district that allow for such budgets, including the decision to accept Island Park students to the high school. 

“We were the only district, other than Lawrence, in Nassau County and Suffolk County, that came in with a zero percent tax levy, and our goal is to even do better than that,” Gallagher said. “And the community saw that.”

While Ryan, who emphasized instruction as his top and continuing priority during his campaign, racked up the most votes, Gallagher was re-elected to his fourth consecutive term.

“I think it shows a tremendous amount of respect from the community, and I respect my community strongly to elect me four times in a row,” Gallagher said.

Both trustees begin their new three-year terms July 1.

Pine, a father with two children who attend Lindell School, ran his first campaign with a spotlight on the district’s implementation of a sixth-grade heterogeneous program that includes classes with students of varying skill levels. He called for a reevaluation of the program so that minimum standards are raised.

“This election is really not about me,” Pine said. “It’s about what’s best for the kids and what’s best for the taxpayers, and I think that we did bring a number of issues to light … Hopefully everybody will do the right thing.”

Ryan believes Pine ran “a very good race,” and he expects to see more young parents like him at school board meetings to talk with the trustees about important issues.

“It’s a critical time for public education and young people have to step up,” Ryan said. “So, I hope that he’ll be there and raise issues and we'll discuss them.”