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Rondout Valley school board candidates debate safety, special education and screen time at forum
Summary
Six candidates for three seats at Rondout Valley Central School District answered moderator questions on board roles, immigrant‑student protections, screen time, special education, investments and armed security during a May 5 candidate forum held before the board meeting.
A moderated candidate forum at the May 5 Rondout Valley Central School District meeting gave voters a close‑up view of where board candidates stand on classroom and community priorities.
Moderator Jeff Davis explained the forum rules, then introduced the candidates and asked questions drawn from a community survey. Candidates included Charles DL. (a parent and county deputy comptroller), Sydney J.heims. (work with developmental disabilities and the New York State Justice Center), Patricia Violi (incumbent board member and retired teacher), Matt Nusbomb (county communications staff), Justin Swisser (business teacher) and others.
On protecting immigrant students, candidates uniformly said the district should reaffirm policies that keep students safe while complying with law. "Strong policy should be created to protect students and families," Sydney said, and other candidates urged clear communication to families and staff so teachers know how to respond if enforcement agents appear.
Candidates were split in emphasis on security measures. Several argued that armed security and SROs are necessary in a rural district with long emergency response times; one candidate supported regular evaluation of those measures and pairing them with mental‑health services and structural safety fixes.
Discussion of screen time produced a mix of positions: multiple candidates said in‑school technology must be used deliberately and that some instruction benefits from pen‑and‑paper note taking, while acknowledging that students must also be prepared for digital testing and work.
Special‑education and inclusion drew strong support for keeping services local when appropriate. Candidates described the district’s in‑house OT/PT and Special Olympics work as strengths and emphasized communication with families and continued funding for special‑education staff and professional development.
On budget priorities, candidates repeatedly prioritized investing in teachers and frontline staff and recommended listening to classroom educators when making tradeoffs in tight years.
The forum closed with one‑minute statements by each candidate urging turnout on May 19. Voters were reminded of polling hours and were directed to the district website for absentee‑ballot information.
