Schools

BOE Candidate Profile: Lisa McKeown

In the third and final installment of our Board of Education candidate interview series, we talk to an incumbent who is running for her second term.

Although this year's Babylon Board of Education race is uncontested, we still wanted to hear what candidates thought about the hot button issues facing the district this year and next. Lisa McKeown joins and newcomer , all running for three open seats.

McKeown says of the previous year's efforts, "It has been a very busy year for the Board of Education. Two of our biggest accomplishments have been the superintendent search and keeping cuts as far away from the students as possible while creating a budget within the 2% New York State mandated cap.

I see my role on the Board of Education as one of representing all of the residents, students, teachers and staff. As the chairperson of the Finance Committee, I feel that it is the Board’s responsibility to keep a watchful eye on the current year spending as well as developing a fiscally responsible budget for the next year."

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Those budget discussions will be equally, if not more, challenging next year, when Babylon will have to grapple with the tax cap again.

"This year we were fortunate to deliver a tax increase of only 1.39%, without having to excess any teachers but we cannot count on that for next year.

Find out what's happening in Babylon Villagewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

My priority in the budget process is to begin the process earlier so that we can research suggestions made by the public during this year’s finance meetings and budget presentations. I would like to include the public in more of our budget discussions," explains McKeown, who would like to see budget projections include three-year, instead of only one-year, forecasts.

As for the district's much-discussed standardized test performance, the YMCA aquatics supervisor and birthday party coordinator sees room for improvement: "When Babylon’s test scores were examined, the district concluded that more could be done to prepare the children for the tests. This year at the Grade School, all children were invited to attend additional instruction before school. The district also began a program in the Junior High where seventh-graders would receive one and a half periods of English."

"I would like to see the district hold more parent information meetings and presentations regarding the district’s current and future plans to improve the test scores for the ELA, Math and the Regents," she added.

There will be a Meet the Candidates night tonight in the Babylon High School library. The 7 p.m. event will have all BOE candidates in attendance to answer residents' questions and concerns.


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