5 school board trustee seats need to be filled. Only 4 selections are offered here.
| 1A-Orville Gayle | 8A-Gloria Atisogbuie |
| 3A-Sabina Kelley | 9A-Helene Thompson-Njenga |
Rationale #1: A school district is a complex institution. These 4 trustees were appointed approximately 9 months ago to fill vacant board seats. They are new trustees. They should be given time to learn how the compents of this complex institution harmonize to produce good outcomes for students. Therefore, removing these trustees now would be a setback for the students of the Mount Vernon schools.
Rationale #2: These trustees voted for the school district to cut ties with consultants who promoted a deeply flawed approach to reading instruction. Paradoxically, these consultants were paid through federal school improvement grants, and the decision to cut ties ran contrary to the recommendation of Superintendent Bennett-Conroy. This was not an easy thing for these trustees to do, but it was the right thing to do. Students need trustees with that type of resolve.
Rationale #3: These trustees made the difficult decision to reassign Superintendent Bennett-Conroy. According to a Lohud article from February 10, 2023, “the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York is seeking records from the district and Superintendent Waveline Bennett-Conroy ‘associated with grants that the federal government previously issued to the district.’
The U.S. Attorney’s Office served a ‘civil investigative demand’ on the district and Bennett-Conroy, a statement from the board said. A civil investigative demand, like a subpoena, allows federal agencies to obtain documents and other records for an investigation.”
A few people in the community have criticized the school board’s decision to reassign Superintendent Bennett-Conroy, but it was the right thing to do given Superintendent Bennett-Conroy’s close involvement with the school improvement grants in question. It appears the slate of school board candidates marketing themselves as the “drive for five” may be among those who think reassigning Superintendent Bennett-Conroy was a bad decision. This is helpful for voters to know because it indicates a clear difference between the candidates selected above and the “drive for five” slate.