BERNE — is making his first run for the Berne-Knox-Westerlo School Board. 

“Looking at kind of the ebb and flow of the economy, we’re coming into a period, I think, where there’s going to be quite a bit of strain on the financial resources in the community, not only for individuals,” he said. 

Originally from Voorheesville, O’Connor has lived in East Berne for about 15 years. 

He is married and has two daughters in the BKW schools.

O’Connor graduated in 1980 from Clayton A. Bouton High School in Voorheesville and received his bachelor of fine arts degree from the State University of New York College at Purchase. 

He is one of three partners of Hudson Financial, LLC, based in Hudson (Columbia County).

“I’ve been in the financial-services industry about 11 years now,” said O’Connor.  “Sort of happened into it, but found that it’s really an intriguing line of work.”  He said he hopes to use some of his resources to help the board in its decisions.

This spring, O’Connor was one of three community members who served on BKW’s budget advisory committee. 

O’Connor said he thinks that a number of people, including some of the farmers in the area, are starting to talk about their expenses escalating dramatically, and he’s looking at the continual increases in the budget and the strain that it is putting on the tax base.

“Having lived in various parts of the country and even around the world, I have a serious concern and worry that people don’t take Berne-Knox-Westerlo as seriously as they should,” said O’Connor.  “I think there are a huge number of positives in the area that haven’t been tapped…and I think it’s important for the students to realize that they can do anything…anything whatsoever.”

 On the length of board members’ terms, O’Connor said, “I think a three-year term is actually appropriate.”  He said he thinks three years is plenty of time for a board member to become acclimated and to start to be an effective member of the board. 

“I think the five-year time period is actually onerous in that that’s a gigantic commitment, not that being on the board isn’t,” he said.  But, O’Connor said, it’s important to at least give the community a reasonable amount of time to find out if they’re ineffective or not happy with their situation.

He said he thinks it’s very important that board members’ terms are staggered to make sure that there’s continuity year to year. 

On budgeting, O’Connor said, “I think the advisory committee was a terrific tool for the school to use…I would have liked to have seen a little more transparency — the reaction of the advisory committee with some publication or some reporting so the public could see what was happening and how the committee was affecting the budget.” 

He said he thinks, overall, that the committee provided good oversight.  However, he said, the actual effect that it could have on the budget was limited “in that the budget was so heavily weighted to the compensation and benefits.”

It’s difficult for the advisory committee to have a real effect on the budget other than trying to guide some of the more minor issues, said O’Connor.

“I think you’ve got some immense talent in Tim Holmes and Steve Schrade,” he said of the school’s business administrator and superintendent.  “It’s difficult when you’re sitting inside all the time to maybe get the entire picture so it can be good to get some outside opinions.”

O’Connor said he can appreciate what the district was trying to get done — get other opinions and other points of view. 

“However, again, it comes back to: How much effect does the committee have?” he said.  “I think the number of people on the committee is perfect,” he said.  “Again, I’d just love to see more public input….”

On no longer recognizing the school’s valedictorian and salutatorian, O’Connor said, “I know other school systems are struggling with the same problem.  How do you come up with an effective way of recognizing the valedictorian and salutatorian?  I actually think there needs to be a valedictorian and salutatorian.

“However,” he said, “there needs to be some sort of objective way of rating, or scaling, the entire class on an even playing field so that it’s a true honor and recognition.”

On programs, O’Connor said, “I have not finished examining all of the programs in the system.  I think there are some programs that have been cut…that, I think, are a little more important than people realize.  And I think it’s very important to have a more well-rounded selection of courses and programs for the student body.  I think budget-wise we’re going to be restricted in the future from how much we can actually add, and my worry is that we’re going to be more on the cost-cutting side rather than the addition side.” 

Right now, he said, he thinks it is up to the board to start looking at the effectiveness of certain programs and what has to be protected going forward. 

Additional programs? he asked.  “Certainly anything that involves other languages, other cultures” is incredibly important, he said.

“But at the same time, right now, I think we’ve got to be more mindful of protecting what we have,” he said. 

On unfunded mandates and taxes, O’Connor said, “Looking at the entire rural [situation] in New York State, I think they’re getting the short end of the stick from the state budgeting side.”

He said he questions the effectiveness of a lot of money being funneled into the inner-city schools.

“I don’t want to be lost in the state budget process, but I think…part of the job of the board at this point is to create a clear voice to the state as to how we feel,” he said.  “It’s time to receive some [money] back.” 

With the addition of rising fuel prices and increased cost of living, he said, there’s no reason BKW can’t be demanding more from the state in terms of funding.  The state debt burden is starting to haunt it. 

“In looking at the tax revenues from this past quarter and the disparity between this year and last year,” he asked, “where’s the state going to come up with that money?  Obviously, it’s going to be budget cuts or tax increases on a state-wide level.”

On special education, O’Connor said, “I think we have an onerous burden on special education.  I’m not against special education.  However, we certainly need to examine why we currently have approximately 20 percent exposure of our student body that’s in some sort of special education.”

Whether it’s the program system, the state requirements, whatever it may be, we are certainly burdened with a heavy load in this state, he said.

“It has become such a large part of the budget that we can’t ignore it.  It’s like an 800-pound gorilla in our budget allotment,” O’Connor said.  “We’ve got to examine it at some point.”