(Editor's note: The following information was taken from letters written by the four candidates and information obtained at the Meet the Candidate Night, which was held on May 20 at the High School Little Theater and the Oakwood Princeton Park Civic Association Meeting on May 27.)

Incumbent board member Hilari Cohen is running for her third term on the Jericho Board of Education, which she has been president of for the last four years. The Jericho Teachers Association, Birchwood Civic Association, Oakwood Princeton Park Civic Association and White Birch/Old Jericho Civic Association all endorsed Cohen for re-election to the board.

She considers the act of helping to plan the education of a community's youth to be one of the most important responsibilities to be assumed by any citizen and said that a good board member must be an effective communicator and be able to express views clearly while being a careful listener.

"Consensus building, community participation, firm decision making along with being both a leader and a team player are all necessary attributes of a valued board member," Cohen said. "I believe that my record on the Jericho Board of Education over the last five years proves that I possess all of these qualities, as do my fellow board members, who have elected me to serve as their board president the past four years."

When questioned at the candidate forum last week if she keeps up with administrative decisions, Cohen said that there is no substitute for being at the board meetings to stay informed. She attended all of the 12 board meetings this past year and, as questioned, has voted in all five budget elections over the past five years.

Cohen said her greatest accomplishments while sitting on the board include the passage of a bond in 1998 to expand the middle school/high school complex and renovate the elementary schools, the hiring of all the building administrators, the implementation of K-12 curriculum associates, the longer elementary school day, foreign language instruction as early as kindergarten and the creation of the exploratory elective program in the middle school. Cohen said that the school district could be compared to a large corporation except that they deal with children and that fact is important to remember.

When asked about the various options discussed regarding the possibility of re-opening Robert Williams Elementary school, Cohen said that with the possible impact that development on the Underhill Property might have on the school district, this might be a viable option in the future, but it is not needed at this time.

"My partial list of accomplishments is a result of a shared vision, yet there is still work to be done," said Cohen. "No matter how good we are today, we'll need to be even better tomorrow. With your help it is a challenge that I am willing to undertake."

Incumbent Ira Checkla, who was endorsed by the Jericho Teachers Association, Birchwood Civic Association, Oakwood Princeton Park Civic Association and White Birch/Old Jericho Civic Association, is running for his second term on Jericho's board of education.

"I believe I have made a positive impact on all facets of our school system and our community while serving on the board," Checkla said. "At the middle school level, I led the way for the adoption of the after-school intramural sports program, which in only its second year of existence, now serves more than 200 students per school day and offers our kids critical down time to enjoy sports and friends in the comfortable environment of our school building without the worry of homework and testing pressures."

Another accomplishment that Checkla is proud of is participating in a successful collaboration with administration, principals, curriculum associates, the Jericho Teachers Association and the Parent Teacher Associations to expand the elementary school teaching day in his first year as a school board member.

He has also read books on secret reader days and coordinated Bingo Nights and Sport Nights. He also participates in PTA, JAA, CYO and other community organizations.

When questioned at the candidate forum last week if he keeps up with administrative decisions, Checkla said, "I have not missed a board meeting in seven years - so yes I have kept up with decisions." A question was also brought up regarding the number of times he voted in the last five budget elections and he said he voted in all five elections, a statement that matches the school's records.

Checkla said if he could change or accomplish one thing in the Jericho district he would have 3,000 well-mannered kids learn the meaning of the word no. When asked about the various options discussed at the board meetings regarding the possibility of re-opening Robert Williams Elementary school, Checkla said that the board made great decisions in the past not to sell the old school buildings. Checkla said that a great deal of information was taken into consideration, including the operating costs, renovation costs, demographic studies and the need, and the decision not to open the school at this time was a good one. "The numbers of students and the expenses don't warrant re-opening the school at this time," he said.

"The purpose of my participation is to let you, and more importantly your children, know that Ira Checkla cares about our community," he said. "My relationships with administrators, faculty, civil service employees and custodians in our buildings are strong. The strength of these relationships engenders a common purpose for our educational system."

Howard Teig is a newcomer to the board of education elections. Teig said that he played an active role in the community by coaching in the Jericho Athletic Association for 12 consecutive years. "From this rewarding experience, I was able to meet and interact with many children and their parents," he said. "My goal throughout those years was always to help each and every child become the best that they could be, let children be children, and for them to have fun. As a candidate for the school board, this same goal remains my driving force."

Teig said that he has attended six of the last 24 board meetings in the last two years. "I believe that being involved means more than just attending meetings," he said. "Mrs. Meliambro [a current member of Jericho's board of education] works for me and we talk about the issues."

Teig was asked if his relationship to another board member would affect his decision making process. "Toni [Meliambro] has worked for me for 11 years and it will not affect my decisions," he said. Teig mentioned that running as a team, which he said Checkla and Cohen are, was a concern for him, although he did emphasize the importance of teamwork amongst the board.

Teig was questioned regarding the number of times he voted in the last five budget votes and he said four times, while the school records show that he did not vote in 1999, 2000 or 2002.

Asked if he could change or accomplish one thing in the Jericho district, Teig said that he would inspire the students who weren't inspired, referring to the open AP enrollment at Jericho.

When asked about the various options discussed at the board meetings regarding the possibility of re-opening Robert Williams Elementary school, Teig said this it does not make fiscal sense at this time, but might be an option to explore in the future. He said he looked at the number of students in each grade level and determined that the number in kindergarten is not as high as it has been in the past and the re-opening of the school is not necessary at this time.

As a CPA with 30 years of experience, Teig said he would play an important role in responding to the future needs by bringing a strong analytical and financial background to the school budget process. "After 25 years as a Jericho resident, serving our community for 12 years as a coach, I feel that many of you, my fellow residents, already have a sense of familiarity with me and know who I am, know the type of person I am and know the level of commitment to Jericho that I can provide."

Jeffrey Delott is running for Jericho's board of education for the first time. He is senior counsel at a nationwide law firm where he represents the disabled. "If elected, I will be very accessible, and will always listen to you because I believe in diversity of opinions and ideas, and because I am convinced that dialogue results in the optimal outcome. From my end, I will tell you the truth in a direct and honest manner," he said.

Delott said he is active with the Birchwood Civic Association and that over the last year he attended two of the 12 board meetings, but gets his information from the internet, newspapers, newsletters and conversations with other people including his sister-in-law Saundra Gumerove-Bernstein who sits on Jericho's board of education.

Delott was asked if his relationship to another board member would affect his decision making process. "I've only known my sister-in-law for seven years and we don't agree on much so it wouldn't be a conflict," he said. "I think it is a conflict when two board members run as a team [referring to Checkla and Cohen]," he said. He also said that a better partnership among the board, school administration and teachers should be encouraged. He was also questioned about the number of times he voted in the Jericho budget elections and he said once in the last two years since he is newly registered and the records show that he registered in January of 2000 and didn't vote in 2000 and 2002.

Delott has often used the term "rubber stamp" throughout his run for school board trustee referring to Cohen and Checkla. Delott was questioned at the recent OPPCA meeting about these comments and he said that after reviewing the voting records, he found that Cohen and Checkla vote the same. Joe Lorintz, president of the OPPCA, said that he also reviewed the records from March 22, 2001 through the present and found that all five board members voted the same, not just Cohen and Checkla, except on four instances in over two years. After the question, Delott still maintained that "rubber stamping is an appropriate tag" for the two incumbents.

If he could change one thing in the Jericho school district, Delott said he would research the need for standardized tests. "The tests are for the district and not for the kids," he said. "We need to teach the kids how to think."

Delott also said there should be greater accountability. "You elect board members to represent your interests. I will work with the administration to help them be more responsive to issues raised by parents, students and faculty," he said. "Residents have the right to review the board's actions. Because attending board meetings is not easy, I will seek to have them recorded so that the entire meeting can be made available for residents to examine at their convenience."