Contest for Three Seats in Sag Harbor
Sag Harbor’s school board race has five candidates vying for three seats. Two incumbents, Chris Tice and Tommy John Schiavoni, are being challenged by James Ding, James Sanford, and Stephanie Bitis.
Ms. Bitis, 52, recently began working in real estate sales after a career with CBS managing its flagship radio station. She has two children attending Pierson Middle School, who, she said, have had “a childhood in a school environment that was perfect.” She said the most pressing issue facing the school board is the potential budget strain resulting from the wave of students who have refused to take the state exams in math and English.
“I want to give back,” Ms. Bitis said. “I want to see our district grow and continue to provide the education, environment, and foundation for our young people to go out in the world and make a difference. Our main issue will always be how to improve, add, and further their education with limited resources in an ever-changing and demanding world.”
Mr. Ding, 64, is a 15-year resident of Sag Harbor who works as a consultant after spending 20 years running a small business in Southampton. He has also taught industrial arts in public schools. He said he would like to see more focus on education in science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM, as well as better collaboration between the students and the adult community.
He also said he believes that tax increases in recent years are unsustainable. “Unfortunately, what’s going to happen is, those who were fortunate enough to find hidden gems are going to be forced to move . . . you just can’t afford to live here anymore.”
Mr. Sanford, 46, is the owner of Sag Harbor Advisors, a company he founded after a 20-year career on Wall Street. He has been a Sag Harbor homeowner since 2005 and a full-time resident since 2010. Mr. Sanford, who has a son attending school in Sag Harbor, cited a positive correlation between parent involvement and student achievement as one reason he is running for the school board. He also supports keeping class sizes small and believes it’s time to find creative solutions in the budget process.
“We need to focus on the parts of the budget that are growing at multiples of inflation,” Mr. Sanford said. “We can’t be in a situation where line items that don’t affect a student’s education are allowed to grow like that.”
Ms. Tice is the Sag Harbor School Board’s vice president. She is in her fifth year on the board; two of her three children attend Sag Harbor schools. A real estate sales professional, Ms. Tice, 54, also has experience as an executive at Sony Online Entertainment and American Express. She became a part-time resident of Sag Harbor in 1965 and has lived there year-round since 2004. She said she was proud of what the district has accomplished in recent years, including expansion of STEM education and the addition of the International Baccalaureate program, and called herself an advocate for transparency.
“I am seeking re-election because I’m passionate about public education,” Ms. Tice said, “and with my experience and commitment I’m confident that I will continue to serve the students, families, and taxpayers of this district well.”
Mr. Schiavoni, 51, is running to retain his seat on the board after being appointed to fill a vacancy in 2014. He was born and raised in Sag Harbor, and said he wanted to continue “to give back to a community which has given me so much.” He works as a social studies teacher in the Center Moriches School District, and serves as the school board’s legislative liaison and liaison to the Sag Harbor Whaling Museum. He supports expanding the I.B. program and the potential purchase of the Stella Maris Regional School building.
“I am running for school board in order to maintain or improve upon the academic programs in the Sag Harbor School District in a financially sustainable way,” Mr. Schiavoni said in an email.