Trumbull Ed Candidates Agree: A Rough Road's Ahead

Trumbull's five Board of Education candidates have tackled how to proceed in the face of unfunded mandates, student districting and less state aid.

They took questions from the Trumbull Chapter of the League of Women Voters of the Bridgeport Area at . Here are their biographies, the questions and how they each responded.

Biographies

Michael Ward (D) has served on the Board of Education for eight years. He is a past educator and was educated in Trumbull, as was his family, including his grandson. 

Deborah Herbst (R) has also served for eight years. She is a retired educator and former principal. After 30 years in town, she said she still hears, "I moved to Trumbull because of the school system."

Loretta Chory (R), a current member, said she offers "the ability to delve deep into details."

Cindy Penkoff (R) is a parent and has a son with special needs. She said she has a "keen appreciation of what a school system has to deal with on all levels." She is also an alternate on the Board of Finance, which reviews all town budgets. "I bring a multi-faceted" view, she said.  

Rosemary Seaman (D) is the recently retired principal of Hillcrest School, and has 37 years of educational experience. "I will bring my experience," she said. She said she is a problem solver who will focus on children.

The Questions

• Reconfiguration and Redistricting:
  • Seaman: Define why they should be done and consider them while considering all-day kindergarten.
  • Penkoff: "We have some schools with extra space, some which are overflowing. Do it the right way the first time." It might cost more but it's worth it if it only happens once, she said.
  • Chory: Study the issue and come back with proposals.
  • Herbst: "Don't reconfigure just for the sake of change. You have to think of the effect on the children." These should have been studied in 2003 when Frenchtown School opened, she said.
  • Ward: Residents enjoy having neighborhood schools. "Leave them alone," he said.

•  All-Day Kindergarten:
  • Seaman: There are problems. She anticipates a loss of funding, leading to an increased cost of full-day kindergarten. There are also issues with keeping other programs such as freshman sports and the gifted program (TAG).
  • Penkoff: "It's long past due." Some students aren't getting enough time at the start, a critical time for academic development. But Some students may not be able to handle it, so phase them in.
  • Chory: "It is time for full-day kindergarten in Trumbull." New York state had it in the 1960s. The town can afford it because incoming kindergarten classes are declining and projected to continue that way.
  • Herbst: She said she piloted a program in 1983. "I watched and listened to how [teachers] struggled with two hours [for kindergarten]."
  • Ward: Test scores remain strong with half-day. He called for analyzing the space needs and cost before considering all-day kindergarten.

• Charter Changes to the Board of Education and Referenda:
  • Seaman: "There may be revisions in the current charter that may be in violation of state statutes." She cited the length of terms and the possibility of total turnover every two years, adding that the Town Treasurer would has to approve the superintendent's expense reports. Also, a referendum that pushes budget approval past July 1 will throw off the district's schedule. The district is also behind on curriculum, which was last revised in 1997.
  • Penkoff: She supported the changes. "There are not enough people to cover the subcommittees." A referendum threat will force town departments to review their spending more closely, she added.
  • Chory: Three of five seats are not contested. "This does not give voters the choice they truly deserve." With a 3.5 percent referendum threshold, the board will look for more cost savings, she added.
  • Herbst: She agreed with Chory on education, and did not comment on the other two ballot questions.
  • Ward: No to all three. There are 150 changes to the charter. "We probably have the most transparent budget in the state." The only thing left to build is a new senior center, now that the renovation is almost complete, he said.

• Pay-to-Play:
  • Seaman: Pay-to-Play activities "are enriching, and they should be there. Everyone is trying to do their best." Pay-to-Play will be an issue every year. "It is done with the best of interests."
  • Penkoff: Taxes would have increased more without Pay-to-Play. "I don't think that kind of an increase would have been fair to the taxpayers." There are scholarships for the those who cannot afford the fees, she said.
  • Chory: The activities are "non-curricular" activities that mostly don't happen during school. People such as the underemployed, unemployed or seniors would have been forced to pay.
  • Herbst: "Over eight years, it has become difficult to fund extracurriculars," she said. Athletics help round out students, she added.
  • Ward: Fees cover the costs of officials and equipment, not the entire program. "Pay-to-Play is a tax," and could lead to a lawsuit some day, he said.