League of Women Voters Questionnaire for Chappaqua School Board Candidates

By Victoria Bayard Tipp

Questionnaire for Chappaqua School Board Candidates (excerpts):

# of years you have lived in Chappaqua Central School District: 11

Children in Chappaqua Schools or Date of Graduation: Four Children: three graduated in 2006, 2009 and 2010, and one is in 8th grade at Bell Middle School.

# of School Board meetings you have attended in last 2 years: 10

# of School Budget meetings you have attended in last 2 years: 8

Please respond to each question. Please limit your response to each question to a maximum of 90 words. Responses will be printed in the Voters Guide exactly as submitted.

(1) What experiences and skills do you have that will enable you to be an effective member of the School Board?

For many years, I have been actively involved in our community through several organizations. Through the League of Women Voters, I examined town-wide local planning issues. As Chappaqua PTA President I worked with the CCSD administration, Board of Education, PTA Executive Committee and members of our community. I have been an advocate for effective communication, collaboration, and consensus building among many constituencies in our district. As a result, I have gained extensive knowledge of our community and our school district's educational philosophy, budget process and the many issues we face.

(2) What do you consider the main issue(s) facing the Chappaqua and how would you address it (them)?

We must maintain the academic excellence of our nationally recognized school system while developing a fiscally responsible budget. This will require an examination of all areas of the budget for operational efficiencies, new uses of technology and partnering with other groups to find more economical ways to deliver a high quality educational program. The Board must persevere in challenging unfunded mandates from Albany by encouraging the development of a citizens' advocacy group, working with the School Boards Association, and partnering with other districts to move forward with a strong voice.