Newly elected Somers Board of Ed trustees weigh in after vote

SOMERS, N.Y. - On May 20, voters in the Somers Central School District approved both the 2025-26 budget and a $63.9 million capital project, while also re-electing trustees Amanda Kandel and Chadwick Olsen and voting newcomer Rosalind Gallino onto the Board of Education.

The proposed spending plan of $113,477,113 passed with a vote of 1,997 to 1,030.  

“Thank you to everyone who came out to cast votes today,” said Interim Superintendent Harry LeFevre. “The 2025-2026 budget reflects a commitment to preparing students for success as individuals and global citizens in the 21st century and we are grateful for the community’s support. We also appreciate the support for the capital bond project, which will help the district to continue providing comfortable, state-of-the-art facilities where students can learn, grow, and excel.”

“Proposition 2,” which encompasses infrastructure upgrades, was approved by 1,996 to 1,017 votes. 

That includes safety and security enhancements such as the replacement of fire alarms and the upgrading of cameras, paving, HVAC/electrical/plumbing systems, roof repairs, athletic field lighting, and classroom and auditorium upgrades.

At the board’s May 27 meeting, Kandel noted that the capital project may have approved but “the process is not over.”

Chris Platania, assistant superintendent for business and operations, will continue to take questions from the public.

“The next update might not be for a few months as we get further and make sure that our architects are ready to submit (the project plan) to the state,” Platania said, adding that the capital project page will continue to reside on the district’s website.

The district noted there that the total project cost was not to exceed $63,919,864, a sum “prioritized from an initial $106 million in identified needs.”

Funding sources were the $62,094,864 bond referendum – structured to be “tax neutral” due to the retirement of the district’s 2009 bond – and $1,825,000 from the Capital Reserve Fund.

As for the bits and pieces of the districtwide project, Kandel said: “We’ll have a better idea about costs once we reach the bidding process.”

“Hopefully the numbers come back in our favor and we can get done everything that we want to get done,” Platania said.

The design and approval process is expected to start this month and wrap up next April.

If all goes well, construction should begin in June 2026 and be substantially complete by September 2028.

Election Reflections

According to the unofficial results, Kandel led the pack with 1,589 votes, while Gallino garnered 1,585 votes, and Olsen received 1,492.

Newcomers Michael Ritacco got 1,449 votes, while Michael Rinaldi got 1,389 votes, and Jozef Vala received 1,186 votes. Incumbent Trustee Dr. Ifay Chang garnered 312.

Board members serve three-year terms.

All seven candidates were asked for post-election comments.

Kandel

“Thank you to the community for trusting me and re-electing me to the Board of Education. I take this responsibility very seriously and I look forward to helping usher in our next Superintendent, Dr. Bronstein, and to continue helping the Somers Central School District reach new heights for all learners. I also want to thank the community for passing the budget and the capital bond project. Investing in our children and teachers only strengthens our community.”

Gallino

“I’m honored and excited to have been elected to the Somers Board of Education. I’m deeply committed to serving our students, families, and staff, and I look forward to working collaboratively to uphold the values of excellence, transparency, and community that make Somers such a special place. Together, we can continue building a strong future for our schools and continue to embrace the idea of clear and consistent communication throughout the district with all stakeholders. I hope to make those who voted for me proud and to win the support of those who did not by carrying out the duties of being a board member with compassion, intelligence and grace.” 

Olsen

“Thank you, Somers community, for coming out of vote on Tuesday and continuing your support for our schools and the education and safety of our children.  I am always honored and humbled to serve as a board of education trustee and continue to pledge to keep an open mind to what is best for our children, our educators, and our community.”

Ritacco

“While the outcome wasn’t what I had hoped for, I am deeply grateful to everyone who supported me throughout this campaign. The strong turnout and 1,449 votes are a clear sign of how much our community cares about our schools and our students’ future.

Congratulations to Amanda Kandel, Rosalind Gallino, and Chadwick Olsen on their victories. I wish them the best as they take on the important work ahead.”

Rinaldi

“I want to thank everyone for their support throughout the process. I’m deeply disappointed in the results as I feel that a balanced board of education is fundamental. I heard and have accepted the voice of our community. Despite the results, I will continue to advocate for fiscal responsibility, for improving the performance rating of our schools, for preparing our children for the real world, ensuring age-appropriate curriculum, and supporting our property values. I am truly grateful to everyone who supported me.”

Vala

“Thank you to everyone who came out and voted in the Somers Central School District election. Your support and belief in our vision mean everything to me. I’m deeply honored by your trust. I’ll never stop fighting for our children and our community this matters, and I’m all in. Congratulations to Amanda, Chad, and Rosalind on winning the Board of Education trustee seats!”

Chang

Chang, having served on the board for 18 years, took to the podium to speak “as a resident of 36 years” during public comment at the board’s May 27 meeting.

Congratulating the winners, he said he hoped they would be “able to work with every other board member as an individual although you ran as a group” – apparently referring to Kandel, Olsen, and Gallino who’s names appeared together on campaign signs.

(Rinaldi, Ritacco, and Vala were endorsed by the Somers Republican Club.)

Chang was happy that the budget passed, but urged the board to “pay attention to costs” particularly the “per student” ones in light of inflationary pressures.

Thanking the folks who voted for him, Chang felt the need to explain why he had decided to throw his hat in the ring but hadn’t actively campaigned.

Having come back “badly sick” after traveling abroad in April, he had to quarantine himself for a period of time.

His absence was not intended to be “a mystery,” Chang added.

Chang said he’d planned to retire this year, but changed his mind after sensing there would “be a rivalry, two groups running for three seats.”

Worried that that would have a “divisional effect on Somers,” he jumped back in “hoping to stimulate the election into a galvanizing debate in public forums.”

That was “so voters can compare and vote for the best individuals to serve on the board of education,” Chang said, adding: “Unfortunately those debates did not happen.”

All seven candidates were invited to participate in a forum co-sponsored by the Somers P.T.A. Council and the League of Women Voters of Northeast Westchester and held on May 12 at the Middle School.

Chang, Kandel, Olsen, and Gallino participated. Not in attendance that evening were Rinaldi, Ritacco, and Vala.

On May 14, a school board candidate meet-and-greet took place at Crystal Hall in the hamlet of Shenorock. A flyer noted that it was open to all candidates. It was sponsored by the Somers Republican Club. Rinaldi and Ritacco came. Vala was absent.

Urging Somers residents to “demand fair and public forums for school elections,” Chang said “our civic groups must do their duty to make sure that happens.”

Chang wrapped up by declaring himself an “optimist and a futurist” and promising to continue to support the school district.

He asked residents to “pay attention” to the new board and to make sure that it’s acting as a unit when it works with the new superintendent, Dr. Adam Bronstein, and is serving “the entire school district and the entire Somers community.”

“We all should recognize and believe that students are our future. Schools are our future,” Chang said, adding: “Please believe me, we have to support our schools.”

Having two more board meetings to attend in June, he hoped to have another opportunity to make his “farewell, no, auf Wiedersehen, speech at that time.”

("Auf Wiedersehen" translates to "goodbye" or "until we meet again" in English.)