‘Your vote is important in the upcoming May 18th election. Use it wisely’

There are crucial decisions coming up in the next three-year term of the Warwick Valley school board. We need candidates who have proven leadership and will make sound and intelligent decisions for our community, while putting the needs of our children first by keeping our schools and programs at the highest levels possible.

Sharon Davis, Lynn Lillian and David Eaton already have an established track record. They have shown that they have the long-term success and goals of our district in mind, and we are lucky to have their years of experience working for us.

Most people may not realize, but it was not long ago that sports, art and music programs were being cut. Teacher layoffs were frequent and there were continual tax increases. We were told that the district was on its way to bankruptcy.

These board members played an important role by bringing in our current superintendent and using their leadership to turn things around.

Wasteful spending ended, class offerings expanded, and massive staff cuts have become a thing of the past. The High School has a state-of-the-art media center, television studio, robotics lab, 3-D printer, computer lab and editing suite, and has expanded the BOCES programs, allowing for professional level experience and skills for careers in technical training.

The Middle School has also been totally revamped with updated facilities, that have expanded even more opportunities for all students, and things only continue to improve.

All of this allows students to be competitive in their college applications and gain substantial scholarships.

This team has accomplished this while keeping budget increases at an all-time low. They have illustrated that good planning, efficient budgeting, and strong leadership, can make our district among the strongest in the region.

We are fortunate to have board members with this level of skill and experience working for our schools and our town. Even if you do not currently have children in the district, remember that strong schools equate to strong property values, which is reflected in Warwick’s high demand. I believe that Davis, Lillian and Eaton deserve to be re-elected based on their track record of accomplishments and improvements to our schools, and they are vital to the future success of our district. Your vote is important in the upcoming May 18th election. Use it wisely.

Erica Grundfast

Warwick