Update: Former Massapequa School Board President Announces Write-in Candidacy

Former Massapequa School Board president Christine Lupetin Perrino  has announced her write-in candidacy for the open seat on the Massapequa School Board.

Perrino, who served as a school Board member from 2002 to 2011, serving as both vice president and president  during that tenure.

She ran for reelection in 2011, but came in third in a four way race, as current board Secretary Jane Ryan was reelected to a second term and board member Gary Bennett was elected for the first time.

In a statement emailed to Patch, Perrino said as a candidate, “I will be committed to protecting the program that I was instrumental in building in the tough economic times we are facing with the spending cap in place, increased pension contributions that outpace that cap to begin with and the ever increasing unfunded mandates that the State continues to barrage school districts with.”

She will be running for the Board seat currently held by current Vice President Tim Taylor.

There will be no candidates on the ballot for the school board election as nobody filed nominating petitions on time. Taylor missed the deadline to file by five minutes , according to district clerk Anne Marie Bellizzi.

Taylor has said that he wants to be considered as a write-in candidate and Perrino said she’s joining the race despite not picking up petitions or choosing to run prior to last week’s deadline.

Perino said she initially chose not to run because of her opponent’s attacks in prior races.“I did not want to be part of that once more,” she said.

But she said after learning the petitions were not handed in on time, “I decided the community should have a choice.”

Taylor was critical of Perrino's record as a board member. "Look at the average annual budget increase while she was on the board and compare it to mine," he said. "I have consistently voted down runaway administrative contracts while she voted for them."

Meanwhile, without any official candidates, the school district is canceling Wednesday’s meet the candidate night, Bellizzi said.

The write-in election will take place on May 21, and voters will use voting machines which will allow them to write the name of the candidate of their choice on the ballot.  They will then pull a lever to cast the vote, causing the name the name to disappear from view, Bellizzi said.

Voters will also be asked to cast a ballot on the proposed school budget.