Voters in the Spencerport Central School District will head to the polls on May 19 to elect members to the school board.
The Spencerport Central School District has seven board members who serve three-year terms. There are three candidates for three open seats with terms starting July 1, 2026.
The vote will take place from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. May 19 in the Technology & Training Center at 71 Lyell Ave. in Spencerport. Voters will also weigh in on the school budget and purchasing student laptops.
The candidates are:
Sean McCabe
Age: 56.
Residence: Greece (Spencerport schools)
Family: Wife, Annette, and daughter, Sophia (2022 graduate).
Occupation: Retired Spencerport administrator; substitute administrator for BOCES 2 and Hilton.
Community involvement: Spencerport Rotary member. Actively involved throughout the year in various community events organized by the rotary.
Previous political experience: None.
What is the main issue facing your school district and how would you seek to address it if elected?
“The Spencerport Central School District, like many others, prioritizes addressing the national challenge of teacher shortages. As a member of the school board, I would support policies related to hiring and retaining top-quality educators. Furthermore, I believe the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) deserves the full attention of the district. As a board member, I would advocate for policies that are proactive and forward-thinking regarding the use of AI in education.”
Mark McLean
Age: 48.
Residence: Ogden (Spencerport School District).
Family: Wife, Kimberly; sons Alex and Colton are Spencerport School District students.
Occupation: Meteorologist, adjunct professor of weather, & forensic meteorologist.
Community involvement: Hundreds of visits to local schools, church groups, nursing homes to speak about weather and gardening; Annual Tales for Hope Telethon for Lollypop Farm; Station tours for community groups; host a community based local gardening segment called From the Ground Up.
Previous political experience: None.
What is the main issue facing your school district and how would you seek to address it if elected?
“Like many communities, economic pressures face the district. Much of this pressure comes from inflation. I’d like to examine any cost efficiencies that can be found. It’s always a tenuous balance between providing needed teaching in the classroom, sports, and services that the district provides while watching the bottom line for the tax payers. Some of our upcoming class sizes will be smaller than historic norms and we’ll have to line up the services provided now with this projected change in the near future.
Electric buses were voted down in Spencerport. I’d like to engage with the community about the upcoming state mandates regarding electric buses established in the 2022-2023 state budget. The cost of electricity is rising rapidly and bitter winters like this past Winter can dramatically impact the cost to run these buses.
As for our academic standards I’d like to see all of our students succeed and recognize new pathways for academic success in trades and other areas that artificial intelligence can’t enter at this time. Our graduation rates rank high in comparison to many districts in New York State and I’d like to the highest level of local success that’s possible.”
David Gibbardo
Age: 59
Residence: Spencerport.
Family: Parent of a Spencerport graduate.
Occupation: Teacher.
Community involvement: 12 years on the school board.
Previous political experience: 12 years on the school board.
What is the main issue facing your school district and how would you seek to address it if elected?
“In the next 3-5 years, all of us will be faced with many critical and costly decisions pertaining to our school district. Some decisions on the horizon could be related to: EV buses, tax cap, use of reserve funds, budgetary concerns, capital improvements, AI, instructional technology and cybersecurity, as well as maintaining programs like: robotics, instrumental/chorus/theatre, sports, honor society and the many clubs and opportunities we offer to our student body.”
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Who’s running for Spencerport school board and what candidates say
Reporting by Tracy Schuhmacher, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
