The Roslyn Board of Education will have two new faces after Tuesday with Alison Gilbert and Robert Koonin each getting voted into their first three-year term as trustees alongside Bruce Valauri, who was re-elected.
Gilbert, Koonin and Valauri – running unopposed – were voted in with 470, 478 and 470 votes, respectively. Due to the tie in votes, Valauri will serve for the remainder of an unexpired term beginning Tuesday through June 30, 2023 and Gilbert will serve a term beginning Tuesday and ending June 30, 2025.
Residents in the district also approved a $122 million school budget with 76% of the 641 total votes. The budget calls for a 2.93% increase in spending from the current year and a 2.48% increase in the tax levy, which falls under the state tax levy limit. The proposed tax levy totals $101,148,675.
A $5 million budget for the Bryant Library was passed with 81% approval on 641 total votes.
A proposition for spending $360,000 for equipment, including school buses and vans passed with 76% of 633 total votes.
A proposition to use up to $4.5 million from two different capital reserve funds for nine different high school projects passed with 76% of 627 total votes.
Gilbert and Koonin will take the seats left by Trustees Clifford Saffron and Steven Litvack who opted to not run for re-election.
Gilbert, a clinical psychologist and parent of two in the district, said she is running to help “maintain, preserve and contribute to the quality of work of the Roslyn Board of Education.”
A native Long Islander, Gilbert graduated from Cornell University and earned her doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh.
“I’m truly honored,” het said after being sworn in by Board President Meryl Waxman Ben-Levy. This is an amazing, wonderful group of people and I am just thrilled to be a part of this. Thank you.”
Koonin, a healthcare and real estate partner, has been involved in Roslyn as a coach for his daughters’ flag football and booster basketball teams, among other things.
“It’s a real honor and I’m very excited to serve with everyone,” Koonin said immediately after being sworn in on Tuesday night on Zoom. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
Koonin previously said if elected he would focus on keeping a sense of normalcy throughout the end of the COVID-19 pandemic while focusing on the well-being of both students and staff.
Valauri, who was just re-elected to his fifth term, moved to Roslyn from Manhattan in the mid-2000s because of how impressed he and his wife were with the district.
The incumbent said when he initially ran in 2010, the trustees at the time did not have any children in the district anymore and he saw a board that he could achieve a lot through cohesion and transparency.
“I want to thank the community for supporting the propositions that were presented and I would like to welcome Robert and Alison to the Board of Trustees,” Valauri said. “It’s going to be the most rewarding experience you will have and it’s just a tremendous opportunity to participate in such a wonderful endeavor n behalf of the children and all the members of our community. I welcome you and thank you for your support as well.”
Valauri said a main focus of his is always trying to maintain a balance of being fiscally responsible on behalf of homeowners and taxpayers while also maintaining the standard of excellence and education that Roslyn is known to provide.
For the $4.5 million capital reserve funds authorization that residents passed with 78% of the vote, they will be used for projects at Roslyn High School including a new walkway and stair to the existing press box, perimeter fencing replacements, screen plantings and gates installation, scoreboard renovation, track resurfacing, turf field replacement, drain cover replacement, track and field runways, pits and jumps installations, track equipment storage building replacement, field lighting and Roslyn High School classroom upgrades.
