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Recognizing National Nurses Week...Page 14
School election and budget vote roundups...Page 3 VOL. 71 NO. 16
MAY 6 - 12, 2026
Danielle Ocuto
Bobby Bonett
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Cher Lepre
Lynn Russo
Massapequa school board race turns competitive Challengers take on incumbents as debate centers on pre-K, lawsuits Key issue: Universal pre-K
By MIKE POLANSKY Senior Correspondent
After years of uncontested races, the Massapequa School District will see a competitive election this year for two seats on the Board of Education. Incumbents Danielle Ocuto and Cher Lepre are facing challenges from newcomers Lynn Russo and Bobby Bonett in the upcoming vote. Ocuto, a lifelong Massapequa resident and Massapequa High School graduate, has served on the board for three years. She has three children, Michael, an 8th grader at Berner, Paul, a 5th grader at East Lake, and Josephine, a 2nd grader at East Lake. She is a stay-at-home mother of three children in the district and is active in community volunteer work. Lepre, a district resident for more than 25 years, has served on the board for seven years. Her three sons, Connor, Liam and Ryan, are all graduates of Massapequa High School. She works in special education at a nearby high school. Russo, a 17-year resident and Fordham Law School graduate, is a patent attorney. Her daughter Lana graduated from Massapequa High School last year and her daughter Ginger is now a senior at Massapequa High School. Bonett, a Massapequa resident for 11 years, is president of Sandow Design Group. His daughters Arlene, Eleanor and Margaret all attend the Birch Lane School.
One of the central issues in the race is universal prekindergarten. Russo and Bonett support adding the program, citing available state funding and noting that many Long Island districts already offer universal pre-K. “As a working mom, I want to prioritize things that will help other working moms,” Russo said. Bonett said universal pre-K “would make life in Massapequa easier for young parents … and give ourselves a head start on the incoming kindergarten class.” Ocuto and Lepre raised concerns about the cost of implementing pre-K, noting that current state funding does not fully cover the program. However, Lepre said it could be reconsidered if additional funding becomes available. The state currently provides $5,400 per student, which Lepre said falls short of covering associated costs, including a principal, security, maintenance staff and a nurse. She added that the governor is considering raising the per-student allocation to $10,000, and if that happens, “the program would definitely be worth a revisit.” The incumbents instead pointed to district efforts to address learning loss following the Covid-19 pandemic, including the hiring of Dr. Michelle Walsh, assistant superintendent for instructional services and Title IX coordinator, to expand academic support services.
Mascot lawsuit and district policies
The candidates also differ on ongoing legal and policy issues, including the district’s efforts to retain its “Chiefs” name and logo, as well as disputes over policies related to transgender students and facilities access. Russo criticized the district’s legal strategy. “They’re spending money on lawsuits that should be staying in the
classroom,” she said. On the issue of retaining the Chiefs name, Ocuto said: “You can say that we’ve lost lawsuits, but we’re still the Chiefs.” Lepre said that changing the district’s name and branding could cost nearly $2 million, questioning whether those funds would be better directed toward classCONTINUED ON PAGE 2
Kiwanis hosts bike safety day at Marjorie Post Park By CAROLYN JAMES cjames@liherald.com
When Buddy Antonelli was a teenager, he was struck by a car while riding his bike. While he did not sustain any major injuries, the memory of that event remains in his mind even today, decades later. “It is something that you never forget,” Antonelli said.
That memory helped inspire Antonelli and fellow members of the Massapequa Kiwanis Club to host a Kids Bicycle Safety Day at Marjorie Post Park last month. The event drew dozens of children, who brought their bikes for inspections and learned key safety practices. The program was held in partnership with the Nassau County Police DepartCONTINUED ON PAGE 2