Thursday, May 15, 2014
Pine Bush to ask about election zone legality
Could a bloc of new Hasidic voters in Bloomingburg — or any group in any area of the district — take over the Pine Bush school board?
Fears of that happening is one reason a proposal that the district be divided into zones to elect separate members of the Board of Education has become a major issue among candidates for the school board.
Three of the four candidates for the two open seats support the move, with the fourth saying the idea should at least be explored. But they all say that the original proposal — advanced by a leader of the group against a private girls school that would serve the 396-home Hasidic development in Bloomingburg — is no longer just about Bloomingburg.
The move has gained such traction, Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther is discussing its legality with the state education department.
The Pine Bush Board of Education on Tuesday night agreed to ask its four legislators to consider passing legislation to allow creating those election zones — although Board vice president Judith Pulver said "the only reason this has been proposed "» is to stop a certain group of people from gaining control."
"A continuation of prejudice and bigotry," she added at the meeting where all of the candidates had appeared.
But two of the candidates, Marianne Serratore and Becky Christner, who have been endorsed by the Rural Heritage Party and are members of the Rural Community Coalition that opposes the development, stress they are not targeting any particular ethnic group.
"We're concerned that the board not be dominated by a particular demographic," said Serratore, the principal of Montgomery Elementary School in the Valley Central School District.
Christner, like Serratore, points to the vast geographic area of the district, which stretches from urban Scotchtown to rural Walker Valley and draws students from seven towns.
"People in many segments of the community feel marginalized," says Christner, an adjunct professor of business for Nyack College. "Some people in Scotchtown feel there's racial divide; Pine Bush wants expanded academics; Mamakating wants to know about the impact of the development."
Candidate Cara Robertson, a retired school bus contractor, doesn't mince words when she voices her support of zoning.
"Definitely a fair idea," she says.
Like others in the district, she points to the East Ramapo school board in Rockland County, where a Hasidic bloc dominates and, she says, has cut activities that many in the community want.
"We do not want to become another East Ramapo," she says.
Eric Meier is the only candidate who doesn't fully support the change.
"We have to look at the laws and see how it works," says Meier, a former Pine Bush school board member who is a Crawford Police Department Sergeant.
Meier says until the law is researched, he can't commit to it.
"There could be some good things about it, but if it's applied solely because of Bloomingburg, we have to be careful."
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140514/NEWS/405140322
Fears of that happening is one reason a proposal that the district be divided into zones to elect separate members of the Board of Education has become a major issue among candidates for the school board.
Three of the four candidates for the two open seats support the move, with the fourth saying the idea should at least be explored. But they all say that the original proposal — advanced by a leader of the group against a private girls school that would serve the 396-home Hasidic development in Bloomingburg — is no longer just about Bloomingburg.
The move has gained such traction, Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther is discussing its legality with the state education department.
The Pine Bush Board of Education on Tuesday night agreed to ask its four legislators to consider passing legislation to allow creating those election zones — although Board vice president Judith Pulver said "the only reason this has been proposed "» is to stop a certain group of people from gaining control."
"A continuation of prejudice and bigotry," she added at the meeting where all of the candidates had appeared.
But two of the candidates, Marianne Serratore and Becky Christner, who have been endorsed by the Rural Heritage Party and are members of the Rural Community Coalition that opposes the development, stress they are not targeting any particular ethnic group.
"We're concerned that the board not be dominated by a particular demographic," said Serratore, the principal of Montgomery Elementary School in the Valley Central School District.
Christner, like Serratore, points to the vast geographic area of the district, which stretches from urban Scotchtown to rural Walker Valley and draws students from seven towns.
"People in many segments of the community feel marginalized," says Christner, an adjunct professor of business for Nyack College. "Some people in Scotchtown feel there's racial divide; Pine Bush wants expanded academics; Mamakating wants to know about the impact of the development."
Candidate Cara Robertson, a retired school bus contractor, doesn't mince words when she voices her support of zoning.
"Definitely a fair idea," she says.
Like others in the district, she points to the East Ramapo school board in Rockland County, where a Hasidic bloc dominates and, she says, has cut activities that many in the community want.
"We do not want to become another East Ramapo," she says.
Eric Meier is the only candidate who doesn't fully support the change.
"We have to look at the laws and see how it works," says Meier, a former Pine Bush school board member who is a Crawford Police Department Sergeant.
Meier says until the law is researched, he can't commit to it.
"There could be some good things about it, but if it's applied solely because of Bloomingburg, we have to be careful."
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140514/NEWS/405140322
Comments:
Post a Comment
