The Syosset Central School District Board of Education president is not seeking re-election as the Monday, April 20, filing deadline has passed.
School districts’ Board of Education candidates will be on the same ballot as the proposed 2026-2027 slate, along with any other propositions that districts will propose to voters, on Tuesday, May 19, when community voters will gather in their respective districts to cast their ballots.
The current president of the Syosset Central School District Board of Education, Carol Cheng, is not running for re-election. Cheng was first elected to the board in 2017 and has headed the nine-person board since 2023. Trustee Anna Levitan is also not running for re-election after serving on the board for the last nine years. Sheis a former PTA executive officer and the founder of a local tutoring prep service.
Susan Falkove is the only incumbent seeking re-election, as she is looking for her third term on the board.
There are six candidates, including Falkove, vying for three open positions on the board. Inna Choi, Lisa Li, Rahul Nabe, Bran Tvedt, and Corey Witt are all looking to be voted into a three-year term.
Cheng was the board president when the Nassau County Police Department was called to a December 2023 meeting where residents expressed their concerns about antisemitism and islamophobia durinig the public comment portion of the meeting. She has also been in charge as the district has shifted away from its “Braves” name when the state prohibited school districts from using Native American symbols and names.
Jericho School District Board of Education Trustee Jill Citron is not seeking re-election after serving for nine years, including as the board’s president at one point. There are two board seats open in the upcoming election, with trustee Divya Balachanler running for re-election and Ira Checkla also running. Each seat carries a three-year term.
Former Jericho Superintendent Hank Grishman had proposed to rename Cantiague Elementary School in his honor before his retirement in 2025, which was met by community backlash. A petition, signed by 33 people, called for Citron, who was serving as the vice president of the board at the time and vocally supported the name change, to resign after the proposal was announced, alleging that she did not act in a transparent manner.
“Jill Citron’s actions as vice president of the Jericho Board of Education demonstrate a blatant disregard for transparency, community input, and ethical governance. Her role in manipulating the renaming process of Cantiague Elementary School for personal and political gains is a clear abuse of power and a violation of public trust,” the petition said.
Two incumbents on the Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District Board of Education are running unopposed to retain their seats. Trustees Ginger Lieberman and Debbie Bernstein are seeking new three-year terms.
Source: LI Press
