Peekskill School Board Candidate: Shannon Casiano

On May 21, Peekskill voters will vote on a $78.4 million budget proposal and elect three new school board members. Below is a brief bio of Shannon Casiano.

Casiano was born and raised in Peekskill. She has 4 children, two who graduated last year and two currently attending the Peekskill school district. She worked for Aramark in healthcare services as a supervisor for 20 years and is now looking to serve the community. Casiano wants to represent the parents of Peekskill and make sure the district understands the concerns we have and that our children receive the best education possible.

Patch: What strengths will you bring to the board? 
The strengths I will bring to the board are my determination,persistence,and sensitivity.

Patch: What issues facing the district do you feel most strongly about?
The issue facing the district I feel most strong about is the disconnect between staff, administration and parents. I am also concerned about the financial issues we face and the effect it will continue to have on our kids.

Patch: Describe the quality of education you think students are getting in the district. Are there measures you would take to improve upon it?
 I think we are lacking in the quality of education our children are getting. We need to improve our ranking. I feel children need to be challenged more, our teachers need to have more communication with parents, and we need to reevaluate our current system.

Patch: This was another tough year for the district in terms of developing a budget. Are there any areas you would consider cutting during next year's budget process to stay under the tax cap?
The budget is an issue. I am not an expert on this but I think I would start by checking into the salaries of the administration and seeing if we need to have as many positions. I think we need to be stronger on inquiring how money is being spent.

Patch: What do you think the long-term impact of the tax cap will be on Peekskill schools? (Do you support it or think it's hurting public education?)
The long term impact of the tax cap will not be good for Peekskill or the School district. I feel the mayor and council did a poor job. We are going to face a lot of hardship if something is not done.

Patch: What do you think about the Common Core standards? Will they benefit Peekskill students?
I am not sure about the common core standards. I started to read up on it. I  think it may be positive because of the focus on topics that students need to know. This may be a benefit for our students.

Patch: There are plans for the establishment of a charter school in the Peekskill school district? What are your thoughts on the charter school and the impact it will have on the district?
I will start off by saying I was sad to hear of the Assumption school closing. We have always had this school as an option. I do not feel a charter school is the answer. This would take away from our school and its funding. and will also effect the rest of the community.

Patch: Is there anything we haven’t asked that you would like the public to know about you or your candidacy?
 I spent many years as an advocate for my son and others. This may be one of the toughest roles a citizen can volunteer to do and I take this very seriously. I want all of our children to succeed but we have to work together.