Our Candidates
Our team is excited to run for the Amityville Board of Education. We are confident that new energy, independent voices, and a spirit of collaboration is exactly what our district needs to get back on track. We are ready to roll up our sleeves to make that happen.
We are mothers of public school children. We are professionals with real world experience. We are active citizens, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our neighbors at Board meetings. We have circulated petitions, spoken with elected leaders, and educated the community about what’s at stake. We are as frustrated as everyone else by the haphazard planning, threadbare solutions, and lack of transparency that defines the current Board. If elected, we promise to be diligent, open-minded, and truthful. You may not always agree with us, but you will never doubt our integrity.
We believe in the Amityville UFSD. Please support us with your vote on May 21!
Wendy Canestro
Caroline Fanning
Megan Messmann
Wendy Canestro
Over the past several years, I have had the opportunity to meet many people, but I'd like to introduce myself to anyone who may not know me. Volunteering and advocating for children are not new to me.
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I was raised by a single mom, and as the youngest of 4 kids, I grew up an underdog. As the mother of 3 children, I was actively involved in their education in the North Merrick public school District and immersed myself in volunteerism. I began attending school board meetings when my first child was in kindergarten. I worked my way through the PTA, eventually becoming president. I was a Girl Scout leader for 7 years and a Boy Scout leader for 1 year. I also coached a differently-abled baseball youth league. Throughout my years of service, I have been a child advocate, especially for underdogs, as I was as a child.
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I served on the North Merrick School Board for 9 years, and on Bellmore Merrick Central High School Board for 5 years. I worked with 3 superintendents, collaborated in the hiring of one superintendent and countless administrators, negotiated multiple contracts, written superintendent evaluations and policies, and oversaw work for two bonds, one in each District. For a time, I worked as an adjunct facilitator for the New York State School Board Association. In that role, I trained school boards in conflict resolution and how to be effective without overstepping their roles. I have and continue to mentor many current Board Trustees and those wishing to become Board Trustees.
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As a Trustee, I was an independent voice. Every decision I made was guided by two questions: 1) Is it good for kids? and 2) Can the budget support it? Putting kids and taxpayers first, as well as being accessible, transparent and trustworthy, is what led to my success.
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In 2020, I moved to Amityville. A friend brought me to a school board meeting where the Board added one million dollars into the budget rather than attempt to trim it in an effort to save taxpayer dollars. I was shocked.
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I ran for the school board in 2021, not expecting to win, but using the platform to present myself as a resource for matters relating to school boards. I have attended almost every board meeting since 2020, sometimes as the sole attendee. I was instrumental in bringing the At Large voting proposition onto this year's ballot. I also advocated for over a year for the District to live-stream meetings for a more engaged community, which they now do.
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I am running now because I think my extensive knowledge and experience can help improve the situation in Amityville. There is no quick fix to the multitude of issues plaguing the District, but because of my background as a Trustee, and because I regularly attend meetings and have a grasp of the issues, there will be no learning curve once I am elected. I can jump right in and begin working. I am a licensed property and casualty commercial insurance broker with multi-million-dollar clients. Insurance is a business of never-ending deadlines, negotiations, and relationship-building. Those business skills transfer to school boards.
I promise to listen and respond to the concerns of our community and work collaboratively with fellow board members to improve our schools, serving the best interests of all our children as my guiding principle. I want to protect our taxpayers and ensure our budgets maximize the resources for our children while minimizing the burden on taxpayers. I won't tax seniors living on fixed incomes and people aspiring to be homeowners right out of the community.
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I am committed to operating in transparency, to optimize community engagement, and empowering parents to advocate for their children. I want to raise the bar for our students and our staff. They need Trustees who believe in them and support them. I promise that every vote I make will be an honest, good faith vote for students and taxpayers of Amityville. It would be an honor to serve on the Board of Education and be YOUR voice.
I look forward to earning your vote on May 21st.
—Wendy
Caroline Fanning​
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I am a district parent, business owner, and lifelong Amityville resident. I'm running for the school board because I believe my unique experience and perspective is exactly what our district needs to turn the page on this sad chapter.
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I attended St. Martin of Tours and St. Anthony’s High School and spent my summers at Amityville beach. My childhood was charmed, but as a teenager, Amityville’s racial segregation began to gnaw at me. I resolved to break the mold at the earliest opportunity. I attended Vassar College, where I majored in history and discovered organic farming. After graduation, I teamed up with Daniel Holmes, a Bay Shore acquaintance running a small farm in North Amityville. In 2007, we won a bid to launch a 5-acre farm at the Old Bethpage Village Restoration. With $50K in savings, we built a farm and business from scratch. We married, bought our house in North Amityville, and welcomed our first child in 2009. We have been rooted in the community ever since. Our daughter is now on the honor roll, orchestra, and cheer team at the Amityville Memorial High School. Our son is on the honor roll, jazz band, and soccer team at the E.W. Miles Middle School.
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As a busy parent, I’ve attended meet-the-teacher nights, musical performances, and sporting events, and I've occasionally volunteered with the Amityville Parent Teacher Council. I did not follow school board issues until February 2024, when the Board announced the excessing of 47 teachers and staff. I was as stunned and outraged as any parent, but I also knew outrage wouldn’t get us out of this mess—solutions would. So I brought myself up to speed on district history, finances, and politics. I connected with Wendy Canestro and Megan Messmann, two women who had been sounding the alarm for years. I built the Amityville School Voters website and launched a weekly newsletter, determined to share information and turn out the vote from the sidelines. But as the situation continued to unravel—more teacher cuts, another projected deficit, more mistrust—I realized my unique experience as a business owner was needed on the field. Since 2007, I have:
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Managed a budget with irregular revenues, costs, and cash flows
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Managed diverse teams of employees, ensuring tasks are accomplished on time and up to standard
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Maintained open lines of communication with customers via newsletters, email, and face-to-face conversation
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Maintained a positive relationship with my landlord, the Nassau County Parks Department, and other property stakeholders
I am a hard worker, a confident executive, a problem solver, and a team player. I am also committed to communication, honesty, transparency. These traits have earned me the trust of my employees, customers, and Nassau County officials. Now I am ready to earn Amityville’s trust as school board Trustee.
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Painful choices aren’t just on the horizon—they’re here. If elected, I pledge to work in good faith with my fellow Trustees to stop the bleeding. I pledge to pursue the necessary steps to ensure this painful history doesn’t repeat itself. Finally, I pledge to keep the lines of communication open.
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It would be an honor to earn your vote,
and serve my hometown, on May 21.
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—Caroline
Megan Messmann
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I am a lifelong resident of Amityville. My husband and I are now raising our two elementary aged children in the community, and they both attend the Amityville public schools. I am a NYS registered professional engineer and certified project management professional. I have volunteered as an Amityville girl scout troop leader for the last five years and was a CYO volleyball coach for one season. I am also in my fourth year as a board member for the Long Island Chapter for the NY Water Environment Association.
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I initially began attending the school board meetings via zoom. However, the audio was unreliable. I then started to attend in person, and I would leave with a multitude of questions around the decisions being made, and the lack of transparency and public deliberation. I ran unsuccessfully for a trustee seat in May 2023. I have continued to attend the school board meetings, asking hard questions of the trustees and administrators. I am running for a trustee seat for the second time, as I am driven to be a voice for the community and students. One of the primary reasons I ran in May 2023 was to find ways to better embrace the entire school community. I found myself surrounded by parents whose native language was not English, and I felt that I could be a strong voice for these families and their students.
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Now in 2024, I am still inspired to embrace all of the constituents into the process. However, now I am disappointed that overspending at the top has led to staff excessing from the bottom, the prospect of closing Northeast, suspending programs, intramural sports, and the list goes on, to bridge the gap caused by our district’s mismanagement of funds. Amityville, unlike surrounding districts, will continue to receive state aid. Approximately 37% of the district’s budget is funded by state aid.
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It is time for a change in the district’s governing body. The board is making decisions with hard-earned tax dollars that directly and negatively impact the students, with increased class size and cuts in extracurricular activities.
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The children of this district are our future. They deserve a high-quality and enriched education to serve as a foundation for their future endeavors. I am running because I feel strongly that the Amityville students can achieve greater academic success. I am running with the intent to make student-centric decisions, revitalize district policies, foster a supportive environment for our educators, emphasize student success, and improve graduation rates.
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As a current parent, I am running to encourage more authentic family engagement. The parents of this district should feel that their voices are heard and that they are partners in their children’s education, regardless of their native language. I am running because I am ready to commit the time and effort to bridge the gap between parents and the administration, and be an avenue for answers. I am running untethered to special interest groups, determined to bring discussion and deliberation to the public meetings.
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As an engineer, I am a big picture person and problem solver. I manage schedules and budgets and meet demanding client needs daily. I have been involved with complex contract negotiations. I feel as though my professional experience can readily translate to the role of a school board trustee. I thank you for reading and hope that you consider me for this important role in our community and district. I have only good intensions to serve in this demanding role on behalf of the entire school community, and most importantly for our students. Please come out to vote for new, strong, unbiased voices driven to protect the interests of the students and taxpayers. Please vote on May 21st for a brighter future for the Amityville UFSD.
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—Megan