Schools

Gregg Spaulding to Run for Reelection to BOE

Said he'd like to see the continuation of the foreign language program at the elementary level.

Gregg Spaulding is a home-grown product of the Rockville Centre School system. He went to Wilson Elementary, South Side Middle and High schools, and now has four kids in the same district that educated him as a child.

He knows the ins and outs of the district from a personal and parental perspective, and after one year of being on the Board of Education, Spaulding wants to do more. About a year ago, Spaulding took over for former board member Kathy Horace after she stepped down before her term ended. Now he will run for a three-year term.

"When I was in high school, I volunteered with SADD and any other group I could jump in and help," Spaulding said. "I got involved with the Auxiliary Police and Fire Department, and once I got married, I got involved in education and started to understand how everything works."

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Spaulding made his way through the PTA ranks at Covert Elementary, all the way to being co-president. Once Horace stepped down from the BOE, he said, many suggested he would be a good candidate to replace her and represent the students. "I always spoke for them on every PTA function and I liked the idea, so I decided to run," he said. "My kids will be involved in the schools for many years, so I have vested interest."

He added that he'd like to see the continuation of the foreign language program at the elementary level, saying that it will serve as a great asset in the future for the kids to speak multiple languages.

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During his first year on the board, Spaulding said he learned a lot about what the board does, their obligations and their limits. "I learned you really don't have control over the day-to-day operations, that's why we pay the administrators," he said. "I never realized how much they do. At the PTA level, I saw how the principal was involved. I found out that administrators are similar to principals...they have a hands-on approach to the district."

As a village taxpayer and a BOE member, Spaulding said it's helped him see both sides. That's important for a board member, he noted. "I can relate to both parties," he said. "I value the kids education, but in the same breath, I value where my taxes are going. I have a house to run too."

Residents can vote on the 2011-12 budget and for board candidates on May 17 at the high school from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.


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