Caroline Fanning
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.
​
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.
​
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:
​
-
Managed a budget with irregular revenues, costs, and cash flows
-
Managed diverse teams of employees, ensuring tasks are accomplished on time and up to standard
-
Maintained open lines of communication with customers via newsletters, email, and face-to-face conversation
-
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.
​
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.
​
It would be an honor to earn your vote, and serve my hometown, on May 21.
​
—Caroline