Donna Peirez, candidate for trustee, is currently serving on the board despite having a serious conflict of interest.
Ms. Peirez’s daughter, Rachel Venegas, is employed by the same school district where Peirez serves as a trustee. Ms. Venegas is a teacher at EM Baker Elementary School – (https://www.greatneck.k12.ny.us/domain/117). Peirez has influence over and votes on decisions that affect her daughter’s salary and benefits.
Even if Ms. Peirez only would recuse herself for voting on the salaries and benefits of the teachers, but she would not recuse herself for other expenditures, still, that would constitute a conflict.
In such cases, after voting against the non-salary or non-benefit spending, there would be more funds available for the salaries and benefits of the teachers. Either Ms. Peirez or Ms. Venegas should give up her involvement with the District for the sake of the integrity and trustworthiness of the GNPS school system.
Carolyn Gerstenfeld
Great Neck