Letter to the Editor: "No. Thank You!" Malverne School District Residents

No.  Thank You!

On Tuesday, Nov. 15, at the monthly Malverne School District regular business meeting, I had the honor of watching numerous groups and individuals receive various awards and acknowledgements from the Malverne BOE and administration. 

Students were recognized for service to their community and musical talents. Resident Jack Tully, who along with Phyllis Wright and their board at the Malverne Education and Fitness Foundation, has helped realize some of the goals of the Malverne school community, was thanked for his support and generosity.  It was an hour chock full of reasons I am proud to be a part of the Malverne School District. 

Shortly after the presentations we had an impromptu visit from one of the many youth organizations in our community. This group of young athletes and their coaches and managers came to thank the Board of Education for allowing them to use the facilities, most notably the new turf field that was recently installed.  Each of the coaches thanked the Board and mentioned several ways their players have benefitted from the new athletic campus.

This may seem odd to some, but as a taxpayer as well as a member of the Board of Education in Malverne I couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps the roles should be reversed.  I felt as if I should be thanking not only these coaches but ALL of the residents who supported the bond vote that allowed our high school campus to finally be reconstructed to its current condition.

While it’s true that the Board of Education made the final decision to ask residents to support the bond initiative, without that support none of the improvements could have been made. In addition and most importantly, it is my position that these facilities are owned by the residents of S.D. 12 and our taxpayers should be able to mentor, coach and compete at their school grounds providing they are respectful of the property, are not profiting personally from its use, and have the proper insurance requirements fulfilled. While I appreciate the thanks and don’t want to discount the message these fine community leaders conveyed I just felt like standing up and saying “No. THANK YOU”!

-Gina Genti

The opinions expressed above represent my opinions as an individual.