As Farmingdale School Board Trustees William Barrett and Troy Rosasco prepare to step aside to make more time for family and professional demands, two unopposed candidates who are experienced in the field of public education seem eager to take their places.

The candidates in the uncontested election, which is set to take place on May 18 in conjunction with the 1999-2000 Farmingdale school budget vote, are Jane Schriro Rubinstein, a professional and parent of two children in the district, and Marie Colalucci, the director of computer education for the district who is planning to retire from that position in June.

During recent interviews and at a PTA-sponsored candidate forum held this week, both women have expressed support for the direction in which central administration and the current board are leading the district, and a willingness to improve on it.

"I think that I can continue to provide the quality service that Farmingdale has come to expect from its board, and I'm looking forward to working with all the members of the board," said Rubinstein, who was educated by Farmingdale Schools, and has lived a total of 23 years in the district.

Rubinstein's background includes two previous terms as a school board member in a neighboring district. In addition, she is currently director of environmental affairs for a medical waste company based in Farmingdale, where she is responsible for all environmental permitting, occupational safety, quality assurance and manufacturing. Her community activities in Farmingdale include serving on PTA and the Farmingdale Community Center Committee. She moved back into Farmingdale a year and a half ago after living elsewhere for a while, and since that time has also been a vocal participant at board of education meetings, most notably in support of the district's decision to move all sixth-graders from the elementary schools to the middle school.

Rubinstein believes that over the next several years, the community's biggest issues will continue to be space and staffing needs related to enrollment growth, and the associated construction program that the district is hoping to finance through a bond to be presented in the fall, as well as helping students meet the new state Regents standards.

In addition, she said, "I think in the future, there is going to be increased pressures on public education in general with respect to charter schools and voucher issues. It's out there. It is an issue that at some point that will come to the forefront in more local public education."

She added, "Then of course, there are always the issues of what kinds of societal issues there are that are creating new and different pressures on our students, such as use of information from the Internet, child safety, in terms of the changing social environment, in terms of having access to strangers via the Internet," and noted that educating students to take safety precautions to combat these dangers is key.

Colalucci, a nine-year resident of Farmingdale, has been employed by the district for 29 years, spending 20 of those as a high school math teacher and nine as director of computer education. "I have a long history with the district, and I feel that's a positive element - to be able to contribute that to the school board experience."

The former union leader will get quite a new perspective when she retires and takes her seat as a school board member, a position which requires a role in the contract negotiation process. She is vowing to view all units of the school system as a team that should work for the best interests of the children. She added, "I think the combination of having people who have been in the education profession as well as those who are in the business profession is a good combination." Like Rubinstein, she has done community service, both through PTA and the district's Citizens Advisory Committee.

"I hope to be able to contribute to making those decisions that will move the district forward, especially with the issues coming up with the bond issue and new construction," Colalucci commented, noting that she fully supports the use of a bond issue to fund the needed construction related to enrollment growth and other educational challenges.

She added that she is pleased with the efforts the district has made to help students meets the state standards, and encourages continued support. "The standards are not going away, so we have to address those, and we have to provide opportunities for children to succeed. And, I think if you provide a climate for success, then that's going to make your school district strong." She sees increasing enrollment and balancing the tax structure as other major challenges facing the district.

School Board President Josephine Macchia noted that she will miss trustees Barrett and Rosasco, who have both served for six years, and that she welcomes the incoming members. "They've been truly good supporters of plans and ideas that we've had," she said of Barrett and Rosasco, adding that both Rubinstein and Colalucci bring "a wealth of knowledge" and experience in education to the board.

Trustee Anthony Vitale commented, "I think it's going to be a very positive board. The two members who are coming in are well-versed and trained in education."