Incumbent to run unopposed for school board position
(The following was submitted to the Illustrated News by school board candidate David DelSanto)
On May 15 David DelSanto will seek re-election to a third term as a trustee for the New Hyde Park/Garden City Park Board of Education.
In addition to the seat he now holds he is also one of the two New Hyde Park/Garden City Park representatives on the Sewanhaka Central High School Board of Education.
DelSanto’s motivation for seeking a third term is in response to his sense of obligation. He is committed to working toward a solution to what he calls the “misguided” direction of the legislators in Albany.
DelSanto said, “While I applaud the governor and the lawmakers for recognizing the importance of education, their effort at fixing the problem falls way short of the much needed relief that taxpayers and students demand. When they finish patting themselves on the back they need to go back to the table and address the real concerns for all school districts across New York State.
“The 2 percent tax cap, while not a true cap, did not address the unfunded mandate relief that districts across the state are screaming for. The laws surrounding the 2 percent cap are of great concern. Particularly the issue of having to have a 60 percent supermajority if a local board requests exceeding the imposed cap. Since when, in a democratic society, does one vote outweigh another?”
While the 2012-13 New Hyde Park School budget conforms to the 2 percent state cap, DelSanto said he is proud that during his time on the school board the budgets have been in the 3 percent range of the national consumer price index (CPI). He is also proud that the district has not had to reduce programs or staff while keeping the increases to modest levels.
DelSanto, a staunch fiscal conservative, stated that the increases to the unfunded mandates coupled with drastic cuts to the state aid received by this district, have been the driving forces behind the budget-to-budget increases. He also feels that everyone on the local level recognizes the importance of working together to deliver the best education to the children in the most efficient manner and at the most affordable cost to taxpayers.
DelSanto, a 24-year resident of New Hyde Park, was a New York City police department lieutenant assigned to the Organized Crime Control Bureau. He retired after a 21-year career to accept an investigative accountant position with the New York State Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force.
DelSanto considers himself fortunate to have retired from the police department on August 31, 2001, 11 days prior to the events of 9-11. Assigned to One Police Plaza, there would have been a strong likelihood that DelSanto would have been in lower Manhattan on 9-11.
In 2003, after being approached by a school member, DelSanto accepted an offer to create the investigator position for the school district. DelSanto said, “It was time to come home and start taking interest in my own community.”
DelSanto was able to address a growing concern that many in the district had regarding the issue of illegal residency. In the first 12 months more than 120 cases were investigated and 17 families were found to be in violation of the law and removed.
In 2006, DelSanto was elected to the New Hyde Park/ Garden City Park Board. His fellow board members in 2008 selected DelSanto to represent New Hyde Park on the Sewanhaka Central Board of Education.
DelSanto was born and raised in New York City. He attended Holy Family School and Jamaica High School in Queens. He continued his studies in accounting at CUNY Queens College and SUNY Empire State.
He is currently employed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Surface Transportation Security Program where he performs security audits on mass transits systems throughout the United States. He is also an associate at a New Jersey-based accounting firm.
In his spare time, DelSanto volunteers for the No Greater Sacrifice (NGS) organization. NGS provides college scholarships to the children of men and women of the Armed Services who have paid the ultimate price for freedom.
He resides in New Hyde Park with his wife, Josephine and two daughters. His youngest daughter attends New Hyde Park Memorial High School.
