John Blowers

    “Education is the foundation of a strong society. Delivering quality education is the responsibility of all of us. It requires board members who help shape a vision for the district, administrators who lead with courage, educators who teach with care and compassion, parents who devote themselves to their children, politicians who legislate with conviction, and taxpayers who appreciate the value of education.

     As a lifelong district resident and a member of the Burnt Hills class of 1983, I am intimately familiar with the ‘Burnt Hills way.’ Continuing the district’s high performance while containing the cost of delivery has become increasingly challenging each year. Unpredictable revenue sources, coupled with limited local control on expenses, have created a dilutive dynamic to public education delivery. Compared with a generation ago, state aid has been cut in half, yet unfunded mandates have increased exponentially. Absent other remedies, the district has entered an era of choosing between higher taxes or reduced programs.

     I didn’t volunteer for school governance to watch our destination district’s capabilities progressively erode on an annual basis. Nor did I sign up to pass on the shortfall of state aid to you in the form of higher tax bills. Fortunately, there is another way. It will require us challenging the way we deliver education and manage the district’s resources. While our mission of providing the best possible education for each student will not change, the way we accomplish this will.

     I have worked hard to increase community involvement with understanding the challenges facing our district and developing solutions. Last year I introduced the online component of budget forums during my term as Finance Committee chair, and launched the Legislative Task Force to give our community a collective voice in legislative issues influencing our district. This year I introduced a board email account to allow community members another avenue to interact with the board more real-time, as well as advocated for the district’s new Facebook presence.

     I welcome the opportunity to continue to serve this community by exploring ways we can delivery quality education in the most cost effective manner.”

John Kelch

John Kelch is seeking his first term on the Board of Education. A BH-BL resident for nearly 35 years, he recently retired from his position as NY regional government manager for Time Warner Cable. He has held similar positions with large computer corporations and has worked collaboratively with numerous BOCES and NY school districts to form partnerships and expand educational opportunities. He also served as a volunteer on the Governor’s Public Broadband Initiative with leaders from across the state. John has two older children who both attended
BH-BL. He and his wife Vicki, a BH-BL bus driver, live in Rexford with their son, who attends the middle school.
 

     “Decades of spending beyond our means and fiscal irresponsibility have left in-comprehendible debt at every level of our government and huge promises and public obligations without funds to pay for them. With fierce and growing global competition, our future rests in the education of our kids. Yet, in spite of spending more per pupil than any other country (and here in NY, than any other state), the US is 28th in academic achievement and continuing to fall. Obviously, in light of the above, something has to change, and I’m convinced that the issue (broadly) is not the quality of our teachers; many here at BH-BL are among the best.

     BH-BL is the core of our community, has always been our ‘identity,’ and we’ve rightfully been proud of it. Yet a few years back, when some observations created an interest and with the time to do so, I started looking under the covers and became disturbed at some of what I found. I started regularly attending Board meetings, had discussions with Board members, teachers, PTA’s and staff members, and recruited other parents in the discussion. In viewing contracts and salaries, I was shocked, not only at the un-paralleled entitlements granted by legislators and local Boards over time, but what forms an almost impenetrable barrier to change and guarantees a future of ever-rising costs and taxes that many in the community cannot afford. Since 2000, the private sector has been reducing wages and benefits, with many losing jobs, while BH-BL’s Boards have been approving labor cost increases roughly 4% year over year, continually raising taxes. In 2008, at the height of the economic meltdown, the then Board unconscionably approved a new teachers’ contract that extended 4 – 10+% raises to already well-compensated teachers for each of the last three years when they knew that there was no mechanism to rescind those actions — a point driven home by the union’s refusals since. In each year since, they’ve both raised taxes AND cut education and sports to pay for that decision. Three of the members that approved that contract currently are among those deciding another teachers’ contract that will form the over-riding basis of our educational and financial situations going forward; two of them run opposed to me in this election.

     The education of our kids and the resources of the community deserve responsible stewardship. I have the time, the background, and the interest to take on the challenges, and I ask for your vote to do so. For more on my position, go to BHBLCitizen.com ”

Patre Kuziak

     “ These past 2 years serving on the Board of Education have been both challenging and rewarding. I seek a second term because my commitment to quality education for our youth has never wavered. The path to that end has become increasingly difficult due to the fiscal crisis that our state and country face. As a board we need to continue to communicate the financial challenges with our community including our students and offer them the opportunity to weigh-in on some decision making. The district has been successful in doing this in the past, and I plan to support this practice in the future.

     I view the next 3 years as an opportunity to continue to serve a community that has given so much to me and my family over the last 20 years. I will work toward maintaining high quality education and excellent experiences for our children. The greatest gift we can give our children is a passion for learning and a means to accomplish their dreams. I will work tirelessly for our students so that they can have the tools they need to become engaged and involved citizens of the 21st Century.

     I believe that my past board service has demonstrated my desire to do what is best for our students while being conscious of the taxpayers’ ability to pay. I enjoy interacting with the students, teachers, administrators, fellow board members and community. I believe by working together we can come to creative solutions for the challenges we face. I am proud to be a part of such a dedicated board who sacrifice their time and energy to ensure that BH-BL continues to deliver innovative programming that balances fiscal responsibility with quality education. Being a board member has brought to the forefront many proud moments as I witness first hand the achievements of our students. Preserving all that BH-BL is and can be will allow us to continue to be a district of distinction.”

Joe Pericone

     The BH-BL school district continues to be one of the highest performing school districts in the region both in and outside the classroom. This attests to not only the quality of education our children receive but also the dedication of our teachers. As our students continue to excel academically, both locally and nationally, the school is also striving to round out their education outside the classroom. Take a look at our fine arts program. It is amazing how talented our young people are. This is apparent to anyone who has recently attended one of the school plays or listened to any of the great concerts given. Our sports teams are continuing to play at state levels of competition, as they continue to compete beyond the regular season.

     We do face significant challenges however. The district’s revenue over the past several years has been drastically reduced from both the State and Federal Governments due to the poor economy. All the district residents, who are a large part of the district’s tax base, have also felt this poor economy. For this reason, we need to stay vigilant to be able to continue to offer our students the best education possible, while not increasing taxes unnecessarily. To this end I will continue to push for the balance between appropriate expenditures and the overall education of the students of Burnt Hills.”