Aug. 20 Primary Meet the Candidates: School Board District 4

This is a non-partisan race so it will appear on all Primary ballots. If no candidate receives over 50% of the vote, then the top two will run off in the general election on Nov. 5, 2024.
Each candidate was given the opportunity to provide a 150-word bio and respond to our questions within 800 words.

Mark Evan Cioffi

BIO:
Mark grew up in Pleasant Valley, NY. After graduation he went to Northern Arizona University, then joined the USAF in 1980 and became a pilot serving 21 years on active duty. He is a combat veteran having participated in Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Upon retirement from the Air Force in 2001, he was hired by Delta Air Lines and moved to Spring Hill to assist his parents. In 2022, he retired from Delta Air Lines as a 737 Captain.
He has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Northern Arizona University, a Master of Aeronautical Science from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, and a Doctorate in Business Administration from Northcentral University.
He’s been married to Carol for 19 years and has two adult daughters. His stepdaughter and stepson attended Hernando County schools. Mark and Carol have 10 grandchildren. They own a small business that develops virtual aircraft software, which is used for flight simulation.

Please describe the three top issues facing the school district and how you would address them.
1. The number one issue is addressing the leadership environment. We need the administrative staff that has the classroom environment for both teacher and student as the main focus. The current policies and procedures need to be uniformly enforced.
2. In line with the classroom environment and to decrease distractions (with some exceptions), there should be a total ban of smart devices by the entire student population during the school day. This has been a major complaint from teachers all around the country. This has been obvious to A+ public schools and private schools for a long time. This best practice is now supported by social research. The immediate benefits are grades go up, test scores improve, and, most importantly mental health issues decline. One additional benefit is teachers do not have the extra burden of policing smart device use by students. Please note that my first two priorities have minimal to no cost to taxpayers and have an immediate positive impact on the classroom environment.
3. Lastly, we need new schools built yesterday. As a community, we have become desensitized to the ubiquitous portables as the “easy button” for a school system that has become overcrowded. Some of our “temporary” portables are over 20 years old, and it is time we move away from buying these stop-gap compromises and plant new schools. If we buy a new portable today, the cost is over $240K installed and the estimated budget for maintenance of the 135 portables we presently own for the coming school year is over 9 million dollars. If we start building permanent buildings, we wouldn’t need to keep kicking the can down the road. Buying and maintaining portables costs more in the long run. It’s time to do the right thing for our teachers and students and build new schools.

Do you see any areas where the school district needs to increase funding? How could this be paid for?
We definitely need increased funding for those that have the direct responsibility for our students on a daily basis. They are the teachers and the bus drivers/transportation staff. These are the people that interact with our children every day and seem to get the least respect and compensation. In any bureaucracy as big as the Hernando County School System, I am certain there are inefficiencies and redundancies that can be eliminated.

Do you see any areas where funding/the budget can be cut?
We should cut Equal Opportunity Schools, Inc (EOS) immediately. While it sounds nice, this is nothing more than paying a Seattle-based corporation to advise our school system which students could be placed in AP classes based on ethnicity and social status. Basically, it is DEI that is financed by our school district. We are already an Equal Opportunity nation and Florida Dept. of Education already has an Office of Equal Educational Opportunity (OEEO). Use of EOS, Inc. is an unnecessary waste of taxpayer money. Teachers are educated, licensed professionals; they don’t need a costly outside source to tell them which students may be the “diamond in the rough” that might be a good fit in advanced programs.

Please describe up to three projects that are most important to the school district and why.
1. Ensuring security measures are funded and manned appropriately. School safety should be priority one.
2. School expansion and actually building new schools is a definite priority that anyone can relate to given the growth in population in our county. The school/classroom environment is an essential aspect of the learning environment
3. Upgrading and funding our transportation such that our students and parents can know their children will always have safe reliable transportation. There also needs to be better transportation availability for special needs children in our district.

Do you feel that teacher training and student educational tools that use social-emotional learning, critical race theory, unconscious bias, and equity training are helpful? Why or why not?
No. Resources that are spent on programs that seek to divide us into subgroups and give preferential treatment to certain individuals can and should be eliminated. I ascribe to a unified American culture with freedom and respect for differing opinions.

How much input should parents have in their child’s education?
Parents should make inputs about the education their child is receiving, and teachers and staff should listen and keep the lines of communication open between each other. This is where everyone understanding policy and procedures also plays an important role.

Do you feel the current system for book challenges is effective? Why or why not? If not, what changes do you recommend?
It is partially effective. I believe the first thing that should have been done is every book that was challenged should have been pulled off the shelf thereby ensuring the safety and well-being of students, which is our number one priority. Second, the books that were in violation of Florida pornography statutes did not need the time and effort of a review committee. Those books could easily have been eliminated and thereby avoiding potential lawsuits against the school district. Lastly, the review committee names should be made public.

Michelle Bonczek

BIO:
I was born in New Port Richey Florida, but Hernando County has been my home for 43 years, I have a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from GCU, and a master’s degree in Education Law from NSU. I am married 28 years, and we have 7 children and two grandchildren. I previously worked as a permanent substitute teacher at Deltona Elementary and Explorer K-8. I have been involved in our school district for over 30 years as a student, parent, and substitute teacher.

Please describe the three top issues facing the school district and how you would address them.
Funding: First and foremost, funding is the top issue I would address by ensuring every dollar is spent in an efficient and transparent manner. Accountability is key. I would focus on current infrastructure and future development needed to keep up with the growth of the County.

Teacher and non-instructional retention: Create a working environment that supports and enriches the needs of our valued resources. Fosters job growth, fair pay and a sense of value as a whole.

Exceptional Student services: focusing on essential programs, especially those related to exceptional student services so we can provide comprehensive support to our special need’s population. Advocating and aggressively seeking grants for autistic programs and mental health programs. It is imperative that every child receives a safe, free, and appropriate education.

Do you see any areas where the school district needs to increase funding? How could this be paid for?

Do you see any areas where funding/the budget can be cut?
Until I get into the district and can take a forensic approach to our budget. I cannot give a just cause to reduce funding in any specific area.

Please describe up to three projects that are most important to the school district and why.
Fixing a district with aged buildings in dire need of repairs. We must take care of these issues, because right now we are wasting money just putting band-aids on major repairs. From a fiscal standpoint this not an efficient manner in which to spend tax payer dollars. Having a future plan to build the necessary infrastructure to reduce overcrowding which has been caused by significant growth.
Creating a designed fleet of buses and drivers equivalent to our district size.
Campus security and safety, continue of guardianship program, advocating to implement k-9 program

Do you feel that teacher training and student educational tools that use social-emotional learning, critical race theory, unconscious bias, and equity training are helpful? Why or why not?
As a school district we must uphold state laws.

How much input should parents have in their child’s education?
Parents input is paramount, and their resolve to work with their children’s teachers is key.

Do you feel the current system for book challenges is effective? Why or why not? If not, what changes do you recommend?
We must comply with state laws first and foremost; although it becomes a difficult balance to comply with state laws and community pressures while trying to provide a comprehensive education.

GREGG LASKOSKI

Bio:
A 29-year resident of Hernando County, Gregg and his wife, Maria, live in Spring Hill and their children are graduates of Hernando schools. He is a graduate of Fordham University, Bronx, NY. A former director of public & government relations for AAA Auto Club; Gregg currently serves as the communications director for K9 Partners for Patriots, Brooksville; a nonprofit dedicated to veteran suicide prevention.
He has contributed 16 years of active, volunteer involvement. In 2015 Gregg campaigned for the return of the Half-Cent Sales Tax for Schools. Voters approved it and he has served for the past 8 ½ years as Chairman of the Half-Cent Sales Tax Accountability Committee. That’s the ‘citizens oversight group’ verifying to the public that every dime spent of $112 million in half-cent revenue collected to date, has gone exclusively to safety, repairs & infrastructure projects approved by voters.

Three top issues facing the school district:
Funding Needs: New school construction and additional classroom capacity; teacher recruitment & retention; hiring additional bus drivers for total coverage. That’s why voter approval of the millage renewal is critical; to attract and retain experienced, fully credentialed teachers with competitive salaries. The millage renewal also funds vital school safety measures; increases mental health services; and enables technology upgrades.
Education Quality: From Pre-K thru 12 we (the school board has) an obligation to every student and parent in the district to provide the best quality education possible. Does anyone deny the link between funding, resources and results?
Growth Management: As our community grows, redistricting will be needed to alleviate overcrowding at those schools approaching maximum capacity. Unfortunately, the recommendations of the Redistricting Committee were well-researched but rejected nonetheless; and now a new panel must be assembled to try again.

How would I address these issues?
For many years I’ve advocated for updated residential impact fees. Impact fees are a critical factor in funding new school construction and infrastructure necessitated by growth. Suppressing the impact fees doesn’t make the cost go away. It only shifts the obligation to pay for growth from the new residents to Hernando’s longtime residents, many of whom are seniors on fixed incomes.
I support the renewals of the millage and Half-Cent Sales Tax for schools to offset the current disparity in the Florida Education Funding Program (FEFP) that perpetuates large gaps in state funding for our school district.

Areas with need to increase funding: Safety of our school campuses; and, additional support (teachers and para-professionals) for Exceptional Student Education / mental health and students with disabilities.

Areas where funding may be cut: We need our Superintendent to work with each department to tie expenses directly to the goals of the district. As a board member I cannot have a day-to-day impact on the budget, but, I would certainly work with the Superintendent; discuss priorities; and, identify potential areas to cut expenses.

Projects most important to the School District:
Maintain the highest safety standards for all schools & district sites.
Expanding Career opportunities: Whether it’s preparing for a college degree; or, programs in career and technical education, our schools must maximize the student’s preparedness for whatever pathway they choose; and ensure access to the best available opportunities today. We also need to enhance potential industrial partnerships (i.e. Space Florida / Hernando School District / Wilton Simpson Technical College / PHSC) that represent significant education, training and career options.

Teacher training & educations tools / CRT / unconscious bias, etc.
Our kids are not guinea pigs. Education is about teaching students how to think; not what to think. And it starts with a solid and early foundation in Reading that opens doors for a lifetime. Teachers must be provided effective professional development to not only keep their skills sharp but provide the essentials to deliver the best instruction to students.

How much input should parents have in their child’s education?
Kids who do best in school are often those who are blessed to have a parent, or two, whose attitudes balance high expectations with enthusiastic support. I encourage all parents to be active participants. They check homework; know what’s expected; and encourage their children to do their best every day. They attend and welcome the dialogue at parent-teacher conferences and know it’s the parents’ job to instill respect & responsibility. Parental input is absolutely invaluable!