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Board of ED incumbents to seek re-election; at least one challenger

REPORTER FILE PHOTO Shelter Island School
REPORTER FILE PHOTO Shelter Island School

All three incumbent candidates for the Board of Education are seeking re-election to three-year terms this May.

Alfred Brigham Sr., Linda Eklund and Elizabeth Melichar will face competition from at least one other candidate. The top three vote-getters will be elected to the board.

Tracy McCarthy, who has a child in kindergarten, has filed her petition to seek a board seat. Driving her decision, she said, is a desire to keep more students attending school on the Island instead of pursuing studies — particularly at the elementary level — at Ross and Hayground schools.

She’s also concerned about the turnover in leadership and wants to help stabilize the situations with superintendents staying on the Island for more than a few years.

Mr. Brigham came on the board as a write-in candidate elected in May 2011 with 44 ballots. He had considered running that year, but opted not to do so because his wife had just given birth to another child. But when the write-in ballots were in his favor, he accepted the post.

Ms. Eklund was first elected in 2008 and Ms. Melichar in 2011.

Petitions to seek board seats must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Monday, April 17, for candidates to be listed on the ballot.

Voting takes place between noon and 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 16, at the school gymnasium.

Voters will act on the $11.3 million budget, select board members and vote on a proposition that could extend the distance from 15 to 16.5 miles for the district to bus students to Our Lady of the Hamptons in Southampton.