STONINGTON - Four seats are open on the Board of Education, and new members will fill at least two of the four-year seats. Incumbents Gail MacDonald, the current chairwoman, and Kevin Bornstein are seeking another four-year term on the board that controls the lion's share of the town's tax dollars. Board secretary April Smith is not running for re-election, and former Chairman John Bolduc left the board shortly before the end of his term.

Kevin Richard Bornstein (Democrat)

Appointed to the board two years ago, Kevin Richard Bornstein said he's learned a lot in that time. Specifically, he's learned that board membership is hard work, and there's a lot to learn before you can become an effective member.

With that experience in hand, Bornstein said he wants to use it for the town's children. Combined with his knowledge of the district - he has children in the elementary, middle and high schools - he said he would be an effective board member next term.

One of his concerns is an achievement gap between different schools.

The board "needs to drill down and find the root causes of these achievement gaps," he said. "It's detrimental to the town as a whole."

In the short term, he noted that the district is in transition, both in terms of personnel and the economy, and the board needs to keep its collective eye on the goal of quality education for all.

Jonathan R. Jones

(Republican)

After working with the Stonington Education Fund, Jonathan R. Jones decided he wanted to become more involved in the school system by running for the board.

His focus, he said, would be on developing a long-term strategic plan and increasing the transparency of the budget. With many years of professional experience finding cost savings in companies, he said he would be able to find creative solutions to budgetary problems that don't involve firing teachers.

"I'm a real problem solver," he said, with an open mind and no pre-set agenda.

He has also recruited at college fairs, and said he knows what students need once they enter the real world.

Disparities in different schools are "perceived," he said, and contribute to an unfair negative perception of the district in the community.

"I'd like to change that," he said. "I think we can just do better."

Michael Edward Laskowski (Republican)

This candidate could not be reached for comment.

Faith Ann Leitner (Republican)

A concerned parent who believes it's her civic duty to run for office rather than complain, Faith Ann Leitner is throwing her hat in the ring for the first time.

Leitner credited the board for its outreach efforts, such as the new blog, but she said there are still segments of the community who are not included in the discussions.

"I feel that maybe some of the demographic areas have fallen through the cracks, like our senior citizens," she said. "They need to feel included in some of the decisions."

All taxpayers, she noted, should know what they're getting for their tax dollars. She said she'd like to see more accountability with decisions on the budget, curricula, and school policies.

The budget also concerns her, she added, because the economy will continue to drag.

"The recession is not going to be a quick fix in the state of Connecticut," she said. "We'll be having to make do with a lot less."

Gail Braccidiferro MacDonald (Democrat)

The granddaughter of a Board of Education chairman in Willington, Conn., incumbent Chairwoman Gail Braccidiferro MacDonald wants to continue her family's history of service.

MacDonald said she is always willing to listen to residents and answer their questions fairly.

"I don't just tell people what they want to hear," she said.

She noted she also keeps up with evolving education principles and philosophies.

"I take my board service seriously," she said.

A member of the town's K-12 Building Committee from its inception, MacDonald said she would like to see the needs of the middle and elementary schools addressed as soon as the economy allows.

"I believe the facilities are going to need to be addressed," she said.

She also noted the perennial budgetary problem of being fair to taxpayers while still advancing the goals of the district. The immediate future may be even more difficult, she explained, due to the drying up of state aid.

Robert Nicholas Marseglia Jr. (Republican)

The board has not done all it could to communicate budget information to residents, Robert Nicholas Marseglia Jr. said.

As the founder of "Vote Yes in Stonington," Marseglia has spent the last three years attending meetings and blasting information to his growing e-mail list. When residents are better informed, he said, they make better decisions.

"On the Board of Education, I'll have better access to the budget," he said.

Marseglia said he is not an advocate of increased spending, but said there are needs, such as school buildings, that need to be addressed.

"I'm about spending the right amount of money on the right things, when the time is right," he said.

He added he wants to see improved cooperation with the Board of Finance, and applauded Chairwoman Gail MacDonald's recent efforts to sit down with the finance board.

"I know and can work well with elected officials," he said. "I want to work with those boards to build a better Stonington."

Alisa C. Morrison (Democrat)

A longtime volunteer in town schools, Alisa C. Morrison said that as good as the schools are, the town cannot afford to become complacent.

"I think our schools in Stonington are great, but I think they can get better," she said.

The main issue for her is the budget, she noted, and she added that the Board of Education needs to do a better job finding compromises with the Board of Finance. She also said the new board will have to help new Assistant Superintendent Leanne Masterjoseph transition into the superintendent's chair next year.

As a college teacher and parent, Morrison said she is able to see schools issues from both perspectives. She would also like to bring more citizens into the process by making meetings more open and less formal, and by listening to ideas from students.

"I'm a very accessible person. I'm always willing to listen to people," she said.

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