Mailing in your vote to approve the Herricks School District’s budget by the June 9 deadline will be an essential element in maintaining outstanding education for the children of Herricks – and for maintaining the value of homes in this top-ranked district.
Although the governor’s proposed education budget would have provided increased funding for Herricks, the Covid-19 crisis has caused the state to cut its funding to schools by millions of dollars. Deeper cuts are likely to follow, as the state’s economy continues to suffer. Even if the federal government provides supplementary support for education to New York, as the governor has requested, it will not make up the shortfall. Thus, the passage of our school budget is the only way for the district to avoid painful cuts in programs and services for our kids.
You will also have a chance to vote for two school board seats. I would like to endorse current trustees Henry Zanetti and Jim Gounaris for re-election.
I have known Henry Zanetti since our kids were in pre-school. He is a loving parent and a man of great integrity, wit and commitment to education. I have gotten to know him better in the past four years through working with him on the Herricks District PTA, during which time he “graduated” from the PTA onto the school board. He is an expert on the state’s funding streams, and he is a strong advocate for keeping the district’s budget priorities in line with what our children need. Whether representing the Music Boosters at a table on Back to School night or making a formal presentation on the budget, he is always there for our children.
Through my work with the PTA I have also had the good fortune to get to know Jim Gounaris. I have had the privilege of accompanying the board on their annual tours of the Herricks facilities. In the wake of violent attacks on schools across the country, those tours have been increasingly focused on ways to increase security while still balancing the budget. Throughout those tours I have been impressed by Jim’s powers of observation, his questions to the architects and administrators, and his commentary. He brings compassion, imagination, and a businessman’s eye to decision-making.
Now more than ever the Herricks School Board needs the experience and wisdom that Henry Zanetti and Jim Gounaris have demonstrated. For the sake of our children, I urge you to vote YES on the school budget for 2020-21 – and to re-elect Henry and Jim.
Marty Cohen
New Hyde Park
