I am writing in support of this year’s school budget and yes to Prop 2, which approves  the spending of funds that this community previously set aside for the future.  It would be counterproductive to vote no on either.  

I am also supporting the incumbents Nanette Melkonian, Adam Smith, and Adam Block to keep the current board intact because they have come together with the rest of the board, despite differences of opinion and a rocky start three years ago, and delivered on the issues they ran on such as addressing aftercare for working parents, revamping homework policies, rooting out waste, expanding access for gifted learners, providing bilingual access at meetings, reassessing departmental expenditures, and supporting professional development of staff and faculty.  

To unseat them is to essentially to fire them (and these are unpaid positions) when they have done the job they set out to do, and much more.

Despite coming out of a pandemic and the shift back to in-person learning, they accomplished more in three years than I have seen any board accomplish in the 20 years I have lived here. 

In addition, the board as a whole addresses the needs of a wide range of students.  It is the first time to my knowledge I have ever heard the words “executive function” and “twice exceptional” being uttered at a board meeting.  These are things, in addition to vocational training, that have been left unaddressed for too long.  

Melkonian, Smith and Block have served across numerous committees and made significant impacts on many programs.  I would not attempt to list them but their accomplishments are evident in their answers during a recent debate hosted by Agate PW.  (Agate and the local League of Women Voters host debates each year.). 

That debate is available on Agate’s FaceBook page; each incumbent also has a candidate page highlighting their work and Board of Ed meetings are recorded and accessible on the district’s YouTube channel. I encourage anyone to visit those pages and www.portnet.org where budget information is available.

These three incumbents have come together to support students, teachers and administration and have presented a budget that continues to invest in our students and community. I believe they merit a second term to continue their work and expand on the improvements they have made.

Francesca Zahner

Port Washington