Profile: Waldron Concerned about Unfunded State Mandates

Board of Education member of 33 years and 44-year Nesconset resident Gladys Waldron is running for re-election unopposed. Waldron, who is set to enter her twelfth term, spoke about the problems unfunded state mandates create for the district, the importance of “doing your homework” as a board member and the search for a new superintendent once current superintendent Edward Ehmann retires.

What issues concern you most?

The biggest issue that I face and have been facing is the unfunded mandates coupled with the new mandates coming up for 2012, for example the new Race To The Top, because that’s going to give us more costs to our taxpayers and I think the key issue is our fair share of state aid – we send up millions of dollars from Smithtown and get very little back in state aid … Basically it’s unfunded mandates from Albany requiring the districts to provide services without any funding coming and it all goes on the backs of our taxpayers.

What have you and will you provide to the board and the school district?

I do my homework, I do my research, before a board meeting I’m always prepared. A lot of people think because you may not ask a lot of questions at a board meeting [that] you’re just rubber-stamping but we get material two weeks ahead of time most of the time and if I have questions I always ask the questions, I’ll research it. I bring to the table my experience, my past experience with various things like closing schools, defeated budgets, and I also bring to the table some knowledge because I regularly visit all of our schools.

You’re in your thirty-third year, why did you choose to go for your next three-year term?

The thing that frightens me the most is the next is the next couple of years in Smithtown with what’s going on in Albany is a threat to our program and I have seen in 33 years our educational program grow and grow and grow to the quality it is now and I just don’t want to step aside. [I want to keep] fighting for the quality of programs the people in Smithtown can afford. Also a big concern of mine is Mr. [Edward] Ehmann’s leaving, he will be retiring, we will be looking for a new superintendent and I’ve had experience in hiring superintends over the years and that’s critical, the leadership of the school district is critical thing because he’s the captain of the ship and you need a very strong leader for such a large district.