After years of uncontested races, the Massapequa School District will see a competitive election this year for two seats on the Board of Education.
Incumbents Danielle Ocuto and Cher Lepre are facing challenges from newcomers Lynn Russo and Bobby Bonett in the upcoming vote.
Ocuto, a lifelong Massapequa resident and Massapequa High School graduate, has served on the board for three years. She has three children, Michael, an 8th grader at Berner, Paul, a 5th grader at East Lake, and Josephine, a 2nd grader at East Lake. She is a stay-at-home mother of three children in the district and is active in community volunteer work.
Lepre, a district resident for more than 25 years, has served on the board for seven years. Her three sons, Connor, Liam and Ryan, are all graduates of Massapequa High School. She works in special education at a nearby high school.
Russo, a 17-year resident and Fordham Law School graduate, is a patent attorney. Her daughter Lana graduated from Massapequa High School last year and her daughter Ginger is now a senior at Massapequa High School.
Bonett, a Massapequa resident for 11 years, is president of Sandow Design Group. His daughters Arlene, Eleanor and Margaret all attend the Birch Lane School.
One of the central issues in the race is universal pre-kindergarten. Russo and Bonett support adding the program, citing available state funding and noting that many Long Island districts already offer universal pre-K.
“As a working mom, I want to prioritize things that will help other working moms,” Russo said.
Bonett said universal pre-K “would make life in Massapequa easier for young parents … and give ourselves a head start on the incoming kindergarten class.”
Ocuto and Lepre raised concerns about the cost of implementing pre-K, noting that current state funding does not fully cover the program. However, Lepre said it could be reconsidered if additional funding becomes available.
Source: Massapequa Post
