Three candidates are running uncontested for the Locust Valley Central School District Board of Education in this year’s school election, with issues including academic rigor, technology use and declining enrollment shaping the race.
Incumbent Holly Gaddis Esteves is seeking re-election for her seat, while challengers Brian Keaveney and Paul Chirichella are each running for their first three-year terms.
The election will fill a vacancy left by Lauren Themis, who resigned last year, and the seat previously held by board member Matthew Barnes, while incumbent Holly Gaddis Esteves is running to retain her own seat.
Esteves, a communications executive for a global financial services firm, has served on the board since 2023 and was named vice president in July 2025.
In her campaign materials, she said she hopes to continue focusing on academic achievement while reassessing the role of technology in classrooms.
Among her priorities, Esteves wrote, is “deliver[ing] rigorous, high quality education that positively challenges students and produces clear, measurable results,” as well as “cultivat[ing] a lower tech environment.”
Esteves is seeking what would be her second term on the board.
Keaveney, who works for an armed courier company, is active in the community as a youth lacrosse, football and basketball coach. His campaign has centered largely on student opportunities outside the classroom, particularly athletics and extracurricular activities.
In his candidate statement, Keaveney identified declining enrollment as the district’s most pressing challenge.
“The most important issue facing our district is declining enrollment and its impact on both academics and extracurricular programs, particularly athletics,” Keaveney wrote. “As enrollment decreases, we face difficult decisions regarding staffing, course offerings, and resource allocation, which can affect the overall student experience.”
Source: LI Press
