Veterans, Challenger Spar at Debate

Two veteran members of the Plainview-Old Bethpage Board of Education spared with a challenger Tuesday night in a candidates forum that offered divergent views of the school district.

Incumbents Ginger Lieberman and Debbie Bernstein faced newcomer Charles A. Mazzocchi in a two-hour debate/question and answer session, sponsored buy the Plainview-Old Bethpage PTA Council. The three candidates are vying for two spots on the in the May 17 election and .

About 40 people attended the event moderated by the League of Women Voters and held at the.

In opening statements, the incumbents pointed to their experience on the board and their knowledge of the financial and educational issues confronting the district.

Lieberman has served on the school board for 24 years and is considered an expert in identifying the causes of teenaged bullying. "I've dedicated my life to the Plainview-Old-Bethpage district to make sure our district offers the best educational programs possible," she said.

Bernstein has lived in the district for 30 years and served for the past seven as a board member. She said her greatest accomplishment was not on the board, but raising her two children. "Both children credit their accomplishments to the education they received at the Plainview-Old Bethpage school district," she said.

Mazzocchi, a resident for 10 years and active in community youth sports. The father of four, including three in the district, has never held elected office. He vowed to examine the details of district contracts and pay special attention to the condition of the district's buildings and playing fields. "I've seen this district deteriorate over the last 10 years," he said. "We should not settle for mediocrity. I believe we can do better.” 

The candidates answered a barrage of questions submitted in writing from the audience. The issues raised included the budget, class sizes, federal mandates and special education. 

Mazzocchi claimed the district had not done enough to maintain its buildings and grounds and cited some examples of issues. Both incumbents pointed the district's five-year plan addressing those needs, saying the costs had to be spread out over time.

Perhaps the biggest difference between them came in the discussion of the federal "No Child Left Behind." Mazzocchi, citing his experience with Scholastic Inc., where he works in Manhattan, said he favored extending the federal mandates after they expire.

That brought strong responses from both incumbents: "No Child Left Behind has left every child behind," said Lieberman.

"The law tells us what to do without the money to back it up," said Bernstein. "It forces the district to teach to the tests."

The district has proposed a preliminary budget of $134.2 million, a modest 2.5 percent increase over last year's spending plan. The tax levy is 2.6 percent; the tax rate has not been finalized but is expected to be under 3 percent.