As the only candidate with a seat expiring on the Pleasantville Board of Education this June, current Vice President Shane McGaffey is running unopposed for a second term.
McGaffey and his wife Katya have a son at Bedford Road School and a daughter at Pleasantville Middle School.
The 43-year-old is the station manager for Pleasantville Community Television (PCTV) and a member of the Rotary Club of Pleasantville.
Patch asked McGaffey: What do you feel are the most important issues facing the District and how will you address them?
McGaffey: The most important issue facing the school district is, has, and always will be, to find the appropriate balance between the academic excellence we have come to expect with tax stability and affordability. Finding this balance is what prompted me to run for a first term, and why I seek a second.
I am happy to report that, in the last three years, the Pleasantville Union Free School District: averaged less than 1.5% annually in budget to budget increases, reduced use of fund balance/savings to balance the budget by over $1,000,000, maintained class sizes and preserved and strengthened the academic program.
Balancing academic and fiscal sustainability has become increasingly more difficult in the 2% tax levy cap environment we now live in. Currently, New York State passes on more spending increases to our District than their cap itself allows us to add, forcing cuts in our priorities to make room for theirs.
This year the Pleasantville Union Free School District prioritized advocacy efforts to educate our state and federal representatives concerning the unfunded regulations/mandates they pass on to us, detracting from our local mission. I hope you consider joining the fight to maintain local control and keep our schools strong.
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For more about MGaffey, view the "Meet the Candidate" forum hosted by the BRS PTA, PMS PTA, Pleasantville SEPTA and PHS Parent Council on PCTV here.
The district's annual budget vote and school board election is Tuesday, May 21 from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Pleasantville Middle School multipurpose room.
Read more about the budget here.
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