PTA Leader Vies for Vacant West Hempstead Board Seat

Carole Riling, James Mariano, , ... the list of names that may appear on the ballot for the May 15 school board elections in West Hempstead continues to grow.

While not everyone who has expressed an interest in a seat on the Board of Education has filed their paperwork yet (The deadline is April 16.) Patch has learned of one West Hempstead mom who has.

Karen Brohm, a lifelong West Hempstead resident and mother of three, turned in her nominating petitions on March 29, officially making her a candidate for the school board. She'll be vying for the seat once held by Anthony Brita, last summer, and currently occupied by , who the board appointed to serve until the election is held.

The West Hempstead school district is where Brohm, now 41, received her education and it's where she chose to send her kids. Brohm is one of the most active parents in the district and currently serves as co-president of the Parent-Teacher Association, a term that ends in June.

Running for school board was "the next step," Brohm says, and when the opportunity to compete for a vacant seat, rather than challenging an incumbent, arose, she decided to step up.

"I have no agenda," Brohm says, "I just want to make sure my children, my friends' children and the children who live down the block will get the best education afforded to them."

Brohm says the district has the potential to provide its students with a top education, calling its faculty, staff and administrators "excellent," but she thinks the standards need to be raised for all children, "not just those who need extra assistance or who are on a higher level."

She'd like to see more students taking Advanced Placement courses, for instance, adding, "We have so much to offer these kids and they are not reaping the benefits."

She's also a believer in technology, saying that these tools should be harnessed to help children learn in new, innovative ways that challenge them to think critically.

"Kids today don't have the ability to sit there and listen to teachers lecture because the culture they are living in is all technology," she explains. "We need to adapt ... students and teachers have to meet halfway."

As for the budget, she thinks theby the administration is "fair, under the circumstances," pointing out that although it carries a 2.9 percent tax levy increase, it is under the tax cap and the budget-to-budget increase is only 1.3 percent. However, she is concerned that the district could lower it even further, setting itself up for very austere budgets in the future.

“This is the jumping off point,” she says, referring to the first year the district has had to deal with the tax cap. “Whatever we do this year, we can then only increase it by 2 percent, minus the exclusions.”

Brohm said she can sympathize with residents who have had to cut back and don’t want to see their taxes go up, adding that both she and her husband work for Nassau County and have had their salaries frozen.

“I’m in no way saying I want taxes to be higher … but it doesn’t benefit anyone to leave them the way they are and not raise them at all,” she says. “Then, you’re only cutting and that lowers the value of your schools and your property value.”

If this happens, she says, less people will want to live in West Hempstead and those who do stay, will have to take on a higher share of the tax burden.

“In theory, saying we need to get the tax levy down to 2 or even 2.5 percent is wonderful and I think it’s a great idea, but I don’t think it’s realistic,” she adds.

Apathy is a major problem right now in the district, according to Brohm, who cited low attendance at school board meetings and lack of effort by residents to understand the tax cap and its impact on the budget.

“I want for the district to be the way it was 25 years ago,” she says, describing a time when there was more community involvement from residents, even those without kids in the schools.

“I just want to be part of the process. I’m not saying that I’m the answer,” Brohm says. If elected she does promise that she will put the children first, and if things do have to be cut, she will look to see “where it’s going to hurt the kids the least.”

She adds, “I just want to make sure they get the best education they can get that we can feasible give them.” 

Check back for more developments regarding the West Hempstead school board and budget election. You can also access previous articles on this topic here.