On May 15, district residents will be asked to vote for five school board members to fill three open seats for the next three years.
Barbara Fratterrigo and Colleen O’Connell are both seeking re-election. The three newcomers to the race are Carolyn Kelly, Gloria Towle-Hilt and John Fraher.
A 12-year veteran of the school board, Thomas Nachod, will not seek another three-year term after accepting a job out of town.
John Fraher
John Fraher, a 42-year resident of Guilderland, said he would bring his experience as the chief financial officer for a group of six health-care companies to the Guilderland School Board.
As part of his job, Fraher’s responsibilities include health-care reimbursement regulatory issues, corporate governance, budget forecasting, investments, insurance and pension management.
The reason, primarily, I’m running is my background is financial in nature, said Fraher.
After speaking with his neighbors, Fraher said he heard a general concern about taxes in the community.
`There are a great deal of rising costs in the school system,` said Fraher. `I think we have an excellent school system, but I am concerned about the growing tax burden on the residents. It’s getting more difficult for the working family to pay their taxes.`
Fraher has one child who graduated from Guilderland High School, two children at Farnsworth Middle School and another in second grade at Guilderland Elementary School.
In addition to addressing rising costs in the budget, Fraher said he believes the board needs `free and open` access to all matters before being able to arrive at appropriate conclusions.
`I believe in good sound government, proper government, and I hope that I can assist with my financial experience on the budget process,` said Fraher, who added, `My first priority is obviously to the students and the teachers.`
Barbara Fraterrigo
Barbara Fraterrigo, appointed in 1997, is seeking another term on the board.
`I really enjoy this as my public service,` said Fraterrigo. `Education has always been one of my primary interests.`
Fraterrigo said she hopes to `continue to dialogue with parents in the
community and try to provide the best education to our children as we continue to prepare them for the 21st century.`
A district resident for 36 years, she and her husband have five children, all Guilderland graduates. Fraterrigo said her five children all received an excellent education in the district.
`I just want to try to maintain that quality of education,` she said.
Fraterrigo said, if elected, her priorities include choosing a successor to Superintendent Gregory Aidala, who will retire in November, bringing the technology curriculum up to speed, and maintaining a successful arts program.
One of the goals Fraterrigo said she has been working on accomplishing is the establishment of the Foreign Language Early Start (FLES) program, which is in the budget for next year.
`It’s been a longtime goal of mine,` she said.
The FLES program, which teaches Spanish to elementary students, has been shown to help students in other subject areas and can benefit students later in life as they enter the workforce in a world where Spanish has a greater prevalence.
`It’s not just establishing a foundation as a second language, but it’s also serving other rubrics the child has in school,` said Fraterrigo.
Fraterrigo said another focus of hers is preventing bullying and promoting respect among students.
`If the kids establish a culture of respect the whole atmosphere of the school can change,` said Fraterrigo.
Fraterrigo has served on numerous committees including the wellness task force, early childhood advisory, safe and drug-free schools and time study. She has served as chairwoman of both the policy and communication committees.
Another focus for Fraterrigo is to increase outreach to community and the parents.
`I hope that, if I’m re-elected, to make staff, administration and school board members available to the community at large,` said Fraterrigo.
Fraterrigo has managed and coached numerous community sports teams over the past 26 years. In addition, she has served on the Guilderland Public Library board of trustees for 18 years, including terms as president and vice president.
Carolyn Kelly
Carolyn Kelly has been an auditor for 17 years and a Guilderland resident for 21. She currently has children at high school, middle school and preschool levels. Kelly said that, as a board member, she would be extending her service to the district.
`I’ve been involved in many different ways in the school,` said Kelly. She has served on the citizen’s budget advisory committee since 1999, was a PTA member at Pine Bush Elementary, Farnsworth Middle School and the high school, worked on the elementary school hiring committee, the security subcommittee and currently serves on the PTA council.
`I really love kids,` said Kelly, on her decision to run for the open seat. `I want to make sure that the kids get the best education they can get.`
There are a number of issues moving forward that Kelly said she would like to be a part of, including the selection of a superintendent.
`I really want to make sure we have a good superintendent,` said Kelly. `I’d like to be a part of that process.`
Kelly also said she would like to be part of the budget process to `make sure we’re spending money wisely.` Kelly said that in the long term, the district’s projected decrease in enrollment, and lowered state aid would need ` thoughtful discussions.`
Kelly said that she would like to give the opportunity for parents and taxpayers to be heard.
`I would be a board member that listens,` said Kelly.
Colleen O’Connell
Colleen O’Connell, finishing her first term as a school board member, said in March she would seek another term because there is work left to do.
She said her priorities include being involved with choosing a successor for Superintendent Aidala, who will retire next year.
`I personally believe his successor has to be a true leader,` said O’Connell, adding that his replacement would have to have a strong knowledge of curriculum and a solid business sense.
O’Connell said another reason she is running for another term is because she currently has children in fifth, eighth and ninth grades.
`I think that’s important because it gives me perspective about the importance of small class size at the elementary school,` said O’Connell, who has had a student in the elementary school for the past 10 years. `I think I have a good sense of the resources that teachers need.`
Other priorities for O’Connell include taking steps to keep the community informed about happenings in the district.
`I would like to see better communication between the school district and the community at large,` she said. Instead of `sound bites,` O’Connell said district communications need to be more thorough `so people can understand the approach the district takes on different issues.`
O’Connell said a start has been made with the school board’s recent informal `coffee-talk` sessions around the community.
`I think it’s these kinds of cost-free, creative ideas we need to keep developing,` she said.
Also, O’Connell said she would like to work on improving how the school board operates, with board members adopting a more civil and respectful attitude toward one another.
O’Connell has served on the audit committee and said she hopes the state audit will create a positive conversation about the district’s fiscal responsibility `so the community and parents understand we are doing everything we can to protect their tax dollars.`
A lawyer by trade, O’Connell is now a stay-at-home mother.
`I feel fortunate to have the time, the energy and a passion for both public education and the office that I hold,` she said. `I would be very privileged to be re-elected for another three years.`
Gloria Towle-Hilt
Gloria Towle-Hilt, who will retire in June after teaching social studies in the Guilderland school district for nearly 36 years, said she is looking for an opportunity to use her education experience on the school board.
`I feel it would be a wonderful opportunity to continue to give back to the district,` said Towle-Hilt.
She said her experience working with children and `understanding their needs` would serve her well as a board member.
Both she and her husband, who retired as a teacher five years ago, have worked in the community since the 1970s. Towle-Hilt said that kind of historical perspective is another valuable tool that she would bring.
`I’m not coming in with any specific agenda,` she said, but added that staying on top of the district’s fiscal responsibilities is a top concern.
As a teacher, Towle-Hilt said she has taken note of the school district’s increasing diversity among its students.
`I think we should build on that,` said Towle-Hilt, who spent two years teaching students in Zambia.
Community service, she said, is also an important factor in a child’s education, a factor that can build partnerships among students, staff and community.
Towle-Hilt pointed to her experience as a leader in her school’s social studies department, her work with administration, serving as vice president of the Capital District Social Studies Council and her continued professional growth as the experience she’ll bring to the board.
`The most important thing is, I am a learner,` said Towle-Hilt. `I’m excited about the possibility of doing this.“