Two incumbents are running unopposed for two Board of Education seats in the Westbury School District. Robin Bolling and Rodney Canies are each seeking an additional three-year term.
Bolling has served on the board since 2014, saying she is proud of the board for helping develop the district’s global learners and civic-ready programs.
“I love my district and I enjoy what I do,” Bolling, who has two children in the district, said. “As a board member, I’m ready to continue our work on behalf of students and our community.”
In the global learners program, a cohort of students travels to different parts of the world to participate in project-based learning. Recent cohorts have gone to the Dominican Republic and Japan, learning about farming and recycling.
In the civic-ready program, students develop leadership skills and an understanding of how to use their voices to bring about civic change, Bolling explained.
Another important factor in fostering student growth is helping families stay engaged, she said.
“We’re very focused on the progress our children are making,” Bolling said. “Having the engagement of students’ families helps the kids develop, so that by the time kids get to middle school, they’re more mature and ready.”
Bolling said the board is also focusing on the challenges posed by the rise of artificial intelligence in schools.
“We embrace technology in our schools, but we also want our students to get back to basics in their learning, to know how to write essays and read books and engage with each other,” Bolling said. “If the electricity goes out, there’s no technology, you still have a mind and you’re still capable of getting things done.”
Since 2023, Bolling has also served as president of the Westbury-New Cassel branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In 2025, she was sworn in aspresident of theNew York Caucus of Black School Board Members.
Source: LI Press
