Guest Viewpoint: A voice and advocate for the Binghamton school district
I’m proud to serve as president of the Binghamton City School District Board of Education, and I ask for your support as I seek another term on the board.
School board service is very personal to me. I’ve lived in this area for more than 25 years, and have been an active volunteer for much of that time because I believe in giving back to the community. In addition, my son is a ninth-grader at Binghamton High School, and I want to help create enriching educational experiences for him and all students.
This is a critical time for our schools. Our students are still overcoming learning losses suffered during the pandemic. High rates of inflation have reduced the school district's purchasing power. And, there is tremendous pressure on the school district to meet students' needs inside and outside the classroom.
A strong board is necessary to maintain the district's positive progress and momentum, and to continue to tackle these pressing challenges. Our school district needs experienced leadership. I'm the only candidate with multiple years of service to the board as an officer, serving as president after two years in the vice president role.
When I ran in 2019, I said I would focus on quality, safety and affordability. I feel I've made good on my promise.
Quality: I’m committed to preserving and protecting our neighborhood schools. I voted to keep Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School open, which would have multiple benefits: providing a vital resource to the North Side, preserving small class sizes across the district, and avoiding disruption to the educational environment of our students. I've supported measures that aligned our finances with strategic goals in order to maximize the in-class experience, such as the hiring of additional teachers and implementation of more social-emotional supports for students.
Safety: I advocated for a safe return to the buildings after COVID-19 forced us into remote learning. Soon afterward, the district made a number of changes at the high school in order to increase safety. When we keep our students safe, we enable them to focus on learning.
Affordability: While doing all of the district's great work over the past several years, we have managed money well. Tax levy increases have been far below the current rate of inflation even though everything has become much more expensive.
There is so much for us to feel Patriot Proud of. We have great students supported by creative and enthusiastic teachers. I look forward to continuing to work with colleagues across the district to create more success stories. I would be honored to have your vote on May 21.
Steve Seepersaud is a Binghamton resident and President of the Binghamton City School District Board.
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: A voice and advocate for the Binghamton City School District
