Democrats Pushing For Regime Change In Avon's School Board Race
The school board race can be described as cordial in nearby Farmington. Not so in this town, where Democrats are pushing for "regime change."
Those fighting words come from Benjamin Colman, the lone incumbent on a Democratic slate that includes two former Republicans and a past employee of the school system. They assert themselves as bearers of fiscal responsibility and transparency, and criticize the board's GOP majority as a "complacent" group that spent too much money on the new superintendent this year while approving classroom cuts.
Republican board Chairwoman Peggy Roell, a Realtor who is seeking re-election, said the difficult economy required the board "to give up a few things, not unlike other towns around here." And as for hiring David Erwin, an experienced head of schools, Roell said, "we got a bargain" at his current salary of $205,600, including benefits.
In all, eight candidates are vying for four open seats on the nine-member board Nov. 3, including an unaffiliated petitioning candidate, John Douglas Corning, who received at least 34 signatures to make the ballot.
Joining Roell on the Republican ticket are fellow board incumbent William Stokesbury and political newcomer Kathy Zirolli, a business executive turned stay-at-home mom who says she is eager for public service.
Besides Colman, Democrats are running Jay Spivak, owner of a local investment management firm; Tom McIntyre, an actuary and Reagan Republican who switched parties eight weeks ago; and Kelley Lanahan, who worked in the Avon public schools as a computer media technical assistant until 2007.
The Democratic slate advocates term limits, "aggressively" pursuing grants as a revenue source and implementing an opt-out program for teachers who choose to receive insurance through a spouse's carrier.
Colman, senior vice president of Women's Health USA, a health care management company based in Avon, has also been critical of the board's decision last year to switch its health insurance administrator from Anthem to CIGNA. The move, which Republicans said could save about $300,000 over two years in claims and fixed administrative costs, compelled an angry teachers' union to file a grievance.
Colman, who was appointed to the board in July, said the savings from the administrative costs were relatively small and will be consumed with legal bills to deal with the grievance. Roell responded that the superintendent is working with the union and that savings remain, especially in claims.
McIntyre and Spivak say it was cloudiness on budget information that caused them ' both longtime Republicans ' to recently switch parties. Spivak said he has attended board meetings and found it difficult to receive answers on financial matters. McIntyre contended that a lack of frequent expenditure reports makes it difficult to identify priorities in spending.
Pointing to the slate's collective work expertise, Spivak said the Democrats would spend the town's education dollars "more wisely" than in recent years.
GOP Touts Scores, Schools
Roell said that Avon schools and student test scores remain top-notch and that she is excited to continue working with the new superintendent and "making a great school district even greater in the most cost-effective way possible."
Communication has improved over the past four years, she said ' the board now sends a quarterly newsletter to residents ' although "there's always more that can be done."
Stokesbury could not be reached for comment.
Zirolli, a former director of accounting policy at Aetna, said she would offer "fresh insight" to the board and hopes to "build upon the wisdom that's there."
The Independent
Corning, a father of two school-age children, is an attorney for the West Hartford Housing Authority. On his campaign website, www.corningforboe.com, Corning says clarity is a major issue.
When the board presents budget information to the public, answers to basic questions such as, "How did inflation change the budget?" and "What are the economic benefits of each policy?" are missing, said Corning, who pledges to be the board's independent voice.
