Election for the Westbury Board of Education will take place Tuesday, May 20. At this time, incumbent Adelaide Brinson is seeking re-election; current trustee Connie LoCascio chose not to run. As a result, Brinson and three other candidates - Stan J. Ercolano, Rocco Lanzilotta and Laura Pierce - are seeking election to two open seats. Elections in the Westbury School District are at large and trustee terms are three years.

Candidate bios are as follows:

Adelaide Brinson has resided in Westbury for 32 years and has served on the board of education for 19 years, most recently serving as vice president. For the past 23 years, Brinson has been employed by Winthrop-University Hospital and is currently surgical coordinator for the department of medicine's residency program. Her two daughters and granddaughter are graduates of Westbury High School.

Brinson said that, if re-elected, she will remain diligent to the needs and concerns of the community. "My years of experience in the community and on the school board have made me particularly sensitive to and aware of the issues faced by the schools and the community in general," said Brinson. "I am always aware of the changes taking place in the community and I keep abreast of changes in state regulations."

During her tenure, Brinson said overall district performance on state-mandated exams has improved. In 2005, about 60 percent of Westbury third- through eighth-graders scored above the state standard, but more recently, said Brinson, more than 70 percent scored above the state standard in English language arts and in the mid-80s for math. Additionally, Brinson said graduation rates and college admissions have also risen during her tenure. "Four years ago, 75 percent of our students went on to college. That number has increased to 90 percent and the graduation rate is now up to 87 percent," she said.

As a member of the Westbury Board of Education, Brinson states she has played a key part in many district decisions that resulted in significant advancements and improvements. "I played a part in making sure our district is consistently listed in good standing with the state education department," she said. "I worked with the rest of the board to ensure that our district was found fiscally sound when audited by the state and that our credit rating remains excellent."

If re-elected, Brinson said she would like to see additional enrichment programs implemented and also favors improvements of district facilities. Additionally, the incumbent said she favors class size reduction, but knows it's only possible if the district "increases the actual physical space in which to hold classes."

"Taxes are always an issue. Classroom space is an issue. Our student population has increased [and] our schools were designed and built many decades ago. The major issue, in my opinion, is the Westbury community recognizing that we have to educate all children who live here," said Brinson.

Brinson also supports increased parent and community involvement, believing it leads to more positive input into the educational process. "We are preparing the next generation of adults to be productive contributors to our community; and we all want our community, which includes our neighbors who graduate from Westbury Public Schools, to be as prosperous and flourish as much as possible," she said.

According to Brinson, she is the candidate of choice because she understands and recognizes that everyone living in Westbury, whether they have kids in the schools or not, should want all students in this district to receive the best education possible. "It's our moral obligation and our common sense, practical obligation as well," she said. "That's why all voters owe it to themselves to invest in the future of this little village we call home."

Stan J. Ercolano, a resident of Westbury for 23 years, is current president of the newly-established Poets' Corner Neighborhood Association. On a professional level, Ercolano is the director of information technology for the law firm of Farrell Fritz, P.C.

According to Ercolano, "consistently low test scores, uncontrolled spending and the administration's lack accountability" are among the most serious issues facing the school district today. He believes the current board has "evolved into a 'rubber stamp' body" that "approves virtually all proposals put before it, including salary increases that, in at least one case, total 14 percent in two years."

"The board must become accountable to the community and that accountability must transcend down throughout all levels of the administration," Ercolano said.

If elected, Ercolano said he would work to restore what he refers to as a "breakdown in accountability." "The teachers should be accountable to the department heads, the department heads should be accountable to the principals and so on all the way to the top where the superintendent must be accountable to the school board," Ercolano said.

Additionally, restructuring the district's Dual Language/ESL programs is top on Ercolano's "to do" list. "These programs have proven ineffective while programs with the same goal in other districts flourish. We're doing something wrong in Westbury and it needs to be fixed," he said, adding that by using successful school districts as models, he would "restructure Westbury's programs to better equip the students whose primary language is not English and who comprise a significant percentage of the school student population."

According to Ercolano, the list of things he would like changed is "rather long." If elected, he plans to "stress the importance of prioritizing the issues [in order to] 'chip away' at those most important to the students and the community." Ercolano believes that despite rising administrative costs, district children are doing without. "Costs in all areas are rising; it is a fact of life. While I support passage of the 2008-2009 budget, how monies are allocated becomes increasingly critical and 'cost effectiveness' will be a priority if I am elected," he said.

As a board trustee, Ercolano said he would like to create an atmosphere of cooperation and open communication across all levels of administration, including the board. "I will also ensure that the district's expenditures are justified, reduce outsourcing and consultants where possible and [see that] the value associated with expenditures is maximized," he said.

Ercolano said he is the candidate of choice because he will not be the "rubber stamp." "I will face issues head on by researching the facts and making informed decisions. Two of the four candidates represent a continuation of the same policies, programs and attitudes that haven't worked for several years in Westbury. It is time to elect someone who can and will make a change in the community. I am that person," he said.

Ercolano and his wife, Sheryl, will be married 24 years this December. They have two daughters, Jennifer, is 31, who lives in Alpharetta, GA with her husband and daughter Hailey, and Sarah, 15, a freshman at Holy Trinity High School.

Rocco Lanzilotta grew up in Westbury and attended Grand Street, Drexel Avenue, Park Avenue and Westbury middle schools. A former vice president of marketing at Columbia Records, Lanzilotta is currently employed at Fortunoff. On a local front, he is president of the Donatello Lodge - Order Sons of Italy in America and chairman of the order's Nassau County District II as well as a board member with the Storybook Lady Foundation.

Lanzilotta said that, if elected, he would listen to the needs and wants of the community. "Over the past five years, the school budget has been voted down four times. The community feels that the Westbury 'Public' School District is not theirs [and] has been speaking [out] but has not been heard by the current administration or board," he said, adding, "None are so deaf as those who choose not to hear."

According to Lanzilotta, the status quo of how business has been conducted in the past must be changed and he proposes having a pro-teacher, pro-student board that works side-by-side with everyone, including local PTAs and teachers' unions. "Open dialogue is essential on every level," said Lanzilotta.

In terms of academics, Lanzilotta believes that the district's performance on state-mandated exams must be improved. He refers to recent scores as "sporadic at best," particularly in the area of English Language Arts for third-, fourth- and fifth-graders. According to the candidate, scores for these grades have dropped to 66, 70 and 61 percent, respectively, in recent years. "This is barely a passing grade," he said.

Since Westbury services a large non-English speaking population,

Lanzilotta believes the school district must establish an effective method of helping these students reach their greatest potential in the shortest amount of time. To do so, he proposes revamping the district's current Dual Language/ESL program and developing a system-wide initiative that incorporates teachers' input and suggestions.

Additionally, the school district, said Lanzilotta, needs to be more fiscally responsible. With taxes continually rising across the board and the bulk of them dedicated to education, Lanzilotta favors rejuvenating the budget committee's role.

"The budget should not just be presented to the board or the community for approval as it has in the past. The budget committee should regain its rights as a working body that actually works with the administration to ensure that the best financially responsible budget is presented to the community ... [The committee shouldn't] just exist in name only ..."

Lanzilotta said he is the candidate of choice because he has a "fresh mind" and will work to "restore ownership to the community, empower our educators, stimulate our students and raise the bar to new levels that exceed the current administration's complacency of average test scores." He added, "I am someone who can galvanize the many factions that make up our community and help to move us in a positive direction. I will work tirelessly to bring the board back from one that has blindly approved everything the administration asks to one that not only questions but makes sure that the answers are in line with meeting our students needs as well as our educators."

Laura Pierce re-located to Westbury in 1995 from Fairfax, VA and, for the past 10 years, has worked as a human resources specialist at Winthrop-University Hospital. She also has approximately 15 years of experience in human resources and nurse recruiting at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

On a local front, Pierce, a licensed and practicing minister, is a member of Westbury Branch of NAACP, an officer and block leader with the Westbury Hills Civic Association, and member of the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, Synergies for Success Ministry and Winthrop's Cultural Competency Community Advisory Council. Her school-related background includes being a member of the Westbury High School PTSA Membership Committee, a Girl Scout Brownie troop leader at the Park Avenue School, a Drexel PTA president and a PTA Council representative. Additionally, she has served the school district as a member of the Facilities Planning Committee.

Pierce said she is seeking election to the board because she is passionate about the children in Westbury and will take their needs seriously and work diligently. "Encouraging our children, involving our children and keeping their best interests for a solid education as forefront" are among Pierce's top goals if elected.

As a member of the board and mother of a Westbury High School freshman, Pierce said she would "take a holistic approach in reviewing our challenges - maintaining costs and providing a quality education for our children." "Children require nurturing, support and encouragement," she said. "Children spell love 't-i-m-e.'"

According Pierce, balancing the needs of a growing heterogeneous population where English is not the primary language is among the biggest challenges facing the Westbury School District that must be addressed, as is ensuring a fiscally responsible budget through the ongoing pursuit of competitive entitlement grants and tax abatements to minimize and reduce the levy imposed on taxpayers. "The achievement of academic excellence [is possible] by providing adequate resources to our teachers and staff to ensure our children receive the best education our district can afford," said Pierce.

If elected, Pierce said she would work to improve community and parental involvement. Doing so, she said, would encourage all residents to take ownership of the school district. She is in favor of "creating more community and school-based activities to educate and involve everyone [as well as] creating programs that will promote utilization" of the district's newly renovated facilities, such as the swimming pool, Little Theater and high school track.

Pierce believes her professional experience of working in the public sector, along with her knowledge and experience as both a minister and a mom, make her the candidate of choice. "I am active and involved in our Westbury community. I am a parent with a child attending school in the district. My track record demonstrates that I have always been active in this district. I'm not just concerned about my child, but the education and welfare of all children in our district," she said.

Pierce added, "I have excellent practice at listening and producing from being a minister. I am open and responsive. I reside in the district and whatever issues you face, I face them, too."