LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT BOE ELECTIONS

WILLIAM FLOYD
Two trustees seek re-election
In the William Floyd School District, two trustees are up for re-election, including Jennifer Ng Heitman and Kevin Meyer. They are running unopposed for two three-year terms commencing July 1, 2024 and ending June 30, 2027.

JENNIFER NG HEITMAN
Heitman was first elected to the William Floyd Board of Education in 2021. In addition to volunteering her time serving as a trustee, she has been a longtime community volunteer in various aspects.
Heitman is a first-generation American who grew up in Shirley and is a graduate of William Floyd High School (Class of 1991), Colgate University (Class of 1995) and Hofstra Law School (Class of 1998). She started her career as a prosecutor with the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office and transitioned to private practice in 2001.
She resides in Shirley with her husband, Joel, and their two children, Max, a William Floyd High School junior, and Darren, an eighth-grade student at William Floyd Middle School.  

KEVIN MEYER
Kevin Meyer was first appointed to the board of education in January 2022. He was then elected on May 17, 2022, to serve the remaining two-plus years of the term vacated by Robert Vecchio.
He is retired from the FDNY, where he served as a firefighter with Engine 320 in Queens, N.Y. He also served as an educator during his career including stints as a middle school teacher in the Eastport-South Manor School District and at the Robert H. Goddard Middle School in Ozone Park.
Meyer is a family man, husband and father of eight, including seven of whom are at various levels of their education at William Floyd. Meyer’s wife, Dr. Amy (Newhoff) Meyer, is a proud alumna of William Floyd High School and an administrator in a neighboring school district.

PATCHOGUE-MEDFORD
There will be three open seats on the board of education. The terms will run from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2027. Six candidates are running for three spots on the Patchogue-Medford Board of Education. The candidates are seeking a three-year term.
The school board election and budget vote are on May 21. The Patchogue-Medford PTA Council will host a Meet the Candidates Night on Thursday, May 9 at Saxton Middle School starting at 8 p.m.

Bryan Frascogna
“As a senior at Patchogue-Medford High School, I am deeply rooted in our community. Having attended Tremont Elementary and Oregon Middle School, I’ve experienced firsthand the journey of Pat-Med students. My commitment to education led me to pursue a major in chemistry education at St. Joseph’s University this fall,” he said.
Beyond academics, he said he is a dedicated two-sport varsity athlete, a weekly volunteer at the Neighbors of Patchogue soup kitchen, and the chief umpire on the local Little League board.
With his campaign, he hopes to change the narrative of the school board by providing insight from a firsthand perspective to the district. As the ex-officio student member on the board of education, he said he understands the challenges that students face every day.
“I am running for the school board because I believe in the power of education and want to contribute to creating a positive and inclusive environment for all students. As a recent student of the district, I understand the challenges students face firsthand, and I want to bring a fresh perspective to the board. I am passionate about advocating for student-centered policies and programs that prioritize the well-being and success of every student. My goal is to ensure that every student feels supported and empowered to succeed,” he added.

Jennifer Krieger
Krieger is city born and raised and a Patchogue Village resident for the past 22 years.
“My family and I are very active in the community,” she said. “My husband is involved in local village politics. Our children have both been inducted to the NJHS, are former Scouts, are very involved in their school buildings, and volunteer along with my husband and I for various parks and recs events throughout the year.”
She has served on the River PTA and SEPTA executive boards. She is also an active member of the children’s buildings’ PTAs and volunteer at events and school musicals. She also teaches religion at St. Francis and was a former Girl Scout leader.
She is a licensed social studies teacher, working as a TA at ESBOCES, where she also sits on the building’s DEI committee. She works there evenings testing adult English-language learners
“I decided to run for the school board three years ago, based on the recommendation of community members.  With my children becoming older and more independent, when I was approached it felt like the next step in the natural progression of my involvement within the district and community,” she said. “Since then, I have worked tirelessly to achieve the goals we have set forth as a district and have sat on various board committees including finance, technology and instructional, as well as the district’s special education committee.”

Lauren Kuban
“I, Lauren Kuban, am running for the Patchogue-Medford school board because I firmly believe our district is in need of a positive shift in climate, one that will foster pride and confidence among parents in sending their children to school,” she said.
She has spent the last 15 years working as an elementary school teacher.
She is a proud Patchogue-Medford alumna. She has taught both elementary and special education; however, the most important job she said she has had thus far has no doubt been her role as a mother. 
“My years in the classroom have afforded me a deep understanding of the challenges faced by both students and teachers and will assist me in being a positive, productive member of our school board,” she added. “I am fully committed to being a voice for both parents and educators, prioritizing transparency and accountability, and working diligently to make our school district a place our community can take pride in.”

Marc Negrin
“My name is Marc Alan Negrin, and I bring to my community extensive experience and a strong commitment to education, board governance, and fiscal responsibility as a candidate seeking reelection as board of education trustee in the Patchogue-Medford School District,” he said.
He believes his dedication and passion for the community makes him a strong candidate for the community, a decisive decision-maker, and collaborative team player.
He has served as a trustee for seven years, during which time he has also held the position of vice president for three years before assuming the role of president.
“Through my experience I have gained valuable insights into the complexities of our educational system and the diverse needs of our community. I have built strong relationships with students, parents, teachers, and community members, and I am committed to representing their voices and interests in all decision-making processes,” he said. “I am running for re-election because I am deeply invested in the continued progress and success of our schools and our students. Over my past two terms, I have worked tirelessly to support academic excellence, equity, and inclusivity in our district. I am proud of the positive changes we have implemented together, but I know there is still more work to be done to ensure that every student has the opportunity to thrive.”
His key priorities will center on addressing critical issues to ensure the equitable success and well-being of all students in our district. He is committed to mitigating the impact of financial aid cuts by advocating for sustainable funding solutions while ensuring minimal impact on our community’s taxpayers.
“Lastly, my commitment to continued excellence in academic achievement will inspire me to collaborate with educators, stakeholders, and community members to uphold high standards, implement effective instructional strategies, and support student success across all academic disciplines,” he added.

Bernadette Smith
“I initially decided to run about seven years ago. At the time, I had just spent the past 10 years in leadership roles at various PTA units in my district and had become keenly aware of issues with a frustrating lack of appropriate communication coming from district level into the community,” she said.
After six years on the board, she said she has had the privilege of supporting the superintendent’s vision to bring equity and inclusion down to the cellular level of the school district while also supporting the ever-growing social and emotional needs of the students and staff.
“We started to improve communication to families by launching Parent Square—a multilingual communication service in all buildings to all families. We have improved our music and performing arts programming and brought music education down to the kindergarten level,” she said.
During her time, she said, the BOE has expanded electives options at the high school and middle schools, expanded assistive technology services, and grew a whole new Career and Technical Education program to save the district money on BOCES tuition.
“I am running now for a number of reasons, but mainly because we still have work to do to continue to move our district toward excellence for all of our learners,” she said.
If re-elected, she promises to improve communication between the board and the community and find a way to increase participation at business meetings. 
“I will continue to advocate for proper and full funding from the state. Because of the policies and practices in our business office, we came through this budget season without needing to make some of the terrible cuts that neighboring districts did, but we’re still short of expected state aid,” she added. “Our goal is to always keep any tax increase as small as possible while never breaking the tax cap.”

Howard Valan
Valan is a 38-year resident of Patchogue with three adult children who all graduated from Pat-Med High School and have homes in the district, two grandchildren currently in the schools, and two more young ones who will be. 
He was the director of the Maintenance Training School for the New York City Bus Department, where he trained new hires, incumbent employees, supervisors, and managers.
In his 38-year career in public transit, he was a bus maintainer, supervisor, training supervisor, a superintendent in a depot, an instructor in the training school and ultimately its director. 
He is also a graduate of Engine City Tech’s 1,250-hour Diesel Engine and Drivetrain Course with an A.A.S. degree in electrical technology. He is also a former coach for several Medford Youth baseball teams, the Long Island Ravens travel team, and the championship Medford Babe Ruth League team.
“I am running because there are concerns about school safety, professionalism, accountability, civility, communication, transparency and conduct, which the current board has not properly dealt with,” he said. “All our plans and policies should be adhered to as written.”
The new proposition for putting air conditioning in the schools, he said, should have better explained the state funding and if this funding is earmarked for this project alone or if the funds could be used elsewhere and if any air quality studies have been done so the voters could make an informed decision.  
“I realize that I am only one voice and part of a team whose diverse backgrounds, skills and opinions formulate the best way forward. I feel I can make a significant contribution to that voice,” he added. “As a retiree, I have the time to put into the job.”

SOUTH COUNTRY
Incumbents Chris Picini and Cameron Trent are running for re-election, while challenger Deborah DeLillo is seeking her first term. They are all seeking a three-year term with two at-large seats open. The school board election and budget vote are May 21 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

CHRIS PICINI
Picini, an East Patchogue resident, has been on the board for 12 years and is seeking his fifth term.
A sales executive in the apparel and footwear industry, Picini has been board president three times and is active in the Nassau-Suffolk School Board Association, where he is a member of the executive committee, and the budget advisory and legislative committees. He is a past president of the Patchogue Kiwanis Club.
Piccini, 51, has two children who attend school in the district.

CAMERON TRENT
Trent, a Bellport resident, was first elected to the school board in 2019. He is seeking his third term. He works for the Suffolk County Board of Elections.
Trent, 26, a 2015 Bellport High graduate, said he’s proud the board was able to put forth a proposed 2024-2025 budget with a small increase while maintaining class sizes and staffing levels.

DEBORAH DELILLO
DeLillo, a Medford resident, is seeking her first term on the board.
DeLillo’s three daughters attend Bellport High School, including her eldest daughter Samantha, who is the class valedictorian.
DeLillo, 48, has long been an active volunteer in district schools. Her roles have included running the annual book fair and serving as treasurer of the Parent-Teacher Association at Brookhaven Elementary School and as vice president and treasurer of the PTA at Frank P. Long Intermediate School. She is a member of the PTA and PTSA.