Is there a move afoot in North Babylon to change how school district residents elect Board of Education members?

While the answer, at least in regards to a formal movement appears to be 'no' right now, changing the school district's current head-to-head trustee election structure to an at-large vote has been a topic of discussion at recent school board meetings by residents in attendance.

The point of contention for some residents with the current head-to-head election system used in North Babylon is that potential candidates for the school board must choose a board member to challenge in the annual May election.

"I know of some people who have decided not to run for the school board because the person they had to run against was friend or neighbor," said Lesley Longmcleod, a 13-year North Babylon resident who has been most vocal about the issue at recent school board meetings.

The current head-to-head structure has also kept Longmcleod from seeking a seat on the school board in recent years. "I thought about [running] and might have with an at-large voting system," she said.

In order to change the system in which board of education members are elected, a referendum must be in place before school district residents and vote on during the May budget vote and school board election.

Dr. Joseph Laria, acting superintendent with the North Babylon School District, informed residents at the September board of education meeting that in order have a referendum place on the ballot, signatures of 25 school district residents or 5 percent of the total number votes cast in the most recent school budget vote, which ever is larger, is needed. This past May, 3,723 residents voted on the budget- five percent of that total is 187.

In addition to possibly attracting more local residents to run for the school board, Longmcleod feels the at-large voting system may also lead to more votes being cast for candidates. During the May 2006 school board vote, the race between Board President William Harrigan and challenger Laurie Seiden had 873 fewer total votes cast for both candidates than voted on the school budget. School Board Vice-President Paul Buraczenski, who ran unopposed, received 1,700 votes.