Great Neck and New Hyde Park residents will be heading to the polls May 21 to vote in the Great Neck School District election, featuring a ballot that includes two unopposed Board of Education incumbents, the district’s budget and a proposition to establish a capital reserve fund.

Great Neck Board of Education Vice President Grant Toch and Trustee Steve Chen are running in an uncontested election.

Toch was elected to the board in 2021, rounding out his first term, and Chen was appointed to the board in September to fill the vacancy left by long-serving trustee Barbara Berkowitz, who had resigned in July.

This will be Chen’s first election since being appointed about eight months ago.

The election is for a three-year term on the board, which would begin July 1 and end June 30, 2027.

Toch and his wife moved to Great Neck in 2005 and have three children. Two of his children are still enrolled in the school district with the third attending college.

Toch, a financial service company investor and former tax lawyer, was elected to the Great Neck Board of Education in 2021 and currently serves as its vice president. Prior to joining the board, Toch was the chair of the United Parent Teacher Council Budget Committee for about nine years.

He said he is seeking re-election to continue his passion for contributing to the community – a pursuit he said he finds personal joy in. He said the school districts are a facet in helping to unify the greater peninsula.

“I feel privileged to serve in this role,” Toch said. “I don’t take it for granted and I give it everything I have – in part because I have my own children who go here and I know so many people here. We hold these positions in trust.”

An achievement Toch highlighted included the hiring of Superintendent Kenneth Bossert last summer and Assistant Superintendent for Business John O’Keefe, which he called an exciting asset to bring to the district over the coming years.

“With the two of them I anticipate that they’ll be here for another, let’s just say, five to 10 years, and I believe that they’re going to provide the substantive/educational and financial vision that this school district needed,” Toch said.

Another achievement included the completed negotiation of a five-year contract with the teachers association, and almost all contracts secured with the district’s other bargaining units.

With the near conclusion of all these district contracts, Toch said it is setting the district up to go forward with a focus on performance and achievement in its “race for excellence.”

Other achievements Toch touted were the district’s investment in the social and emotional wellness of students, overall fiscal responsibility in its budgets, greater transparency, increased STEM offerings and athletic facility investments.

Going forward, Toch said there is still more to do.

This includes creating a greater similarity in experiences offered between the district’s north and south schools, continuing investments in social and emotional wellness for students, and aiding in unifying the greater community through the schools.

Chen, a 12-year resident of Great Neck, has two children in the school district.

He started his career as a certified public accountant and now operates his own property management company. He serves as the co-president of the Great Neck Chinese Association and has been a seven-year-long leader in the Great Neck Cub Scouts.

Although Chen said he was hesitant to join the board after an unexpected proposal to him and other leadership commitments, he said it was time for him to serve in the position.

He said he found the role fitting for him due to his support and beliefs in public education, something he himself is a product of.

“I think [public education] is one of the pillars of democracy,” Chen said.

He said through his leadership roles he has taken on a focus of uniting communities. He said he hopes to continue this on the Board of Education as he seeks to listen to all opinions in the community.

“We might agree to disagree, but I will always be respectful and give people the time and the stage to make their points,” Chen said. “I’m always willing to work with people.”

Chen said he approaches his role on the board with a broader, global perspective by taking in facts presented to the board and being thoughtful and detailed in his consideration to make the best decisions.

Although he has been in the position for less than a year, Chen said he has been proud to contribute to a board that has secured fiscal responsibility through its budget and promoted anti-hate initiatives amid growing antisemitism and bigotry.

“More than anything else, I think I’m just proud to be a part of an amazing team,” Chen said. “

We have good, qualified [administrators] leading the way and I think it’s just the board’s responsibility to enable these leaders to do their jobs and then take the district to greater heights.”

If elected to continue serving, Chen said he aims to continue educational excellence, broaden alternative post-graduation options for students and expand mental wellness support.

“I want to make sure the school provides every avenue possible to every student to find their success in life,” Chen said.

He said that in achieving a high level of educational excellence it sometimes comes at the expense of a student’s well-being. He said initiatives can be furthered to aid students in promoting their overall wellness too.

“I would like to focus more on this ‘How do we strive for excellence intellectually and academically?’ but at the same time ‘How do we try and find the balance for kids being kids?’ and assuring our family and parents that our kids are going to be just okay,” Chen said.

Also on the ballot is the district’s $282 million budget, which includes a 3.26% tax increase that falls within the allowable tax cap, and a proposition to establish a new capital reserve fund.

Both Toch and Chen supported the budget and the proposition to establish a capital reserve fund.

Toch said the budget “fairly balances” the district’s educational investments while maintaining fiscal responsibility amid high inflation and community financial pressures.

He also said he supports the capital improvement fund because it will help the district set aside money needed in its “race for excellence.” It comes at no cost to taxpayers to establish.

The maximum contributions to the reserve are capped at $40 million and annual contributions are capped at $8 million. The remaining funds from the district’s expiring reserve fund account established in 2015 would also go toward the new reserve fund if adopted by the voters.

If established, the use of those funds for specific projects would also need to be voted on by the community.

The school district’s election will be held from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. on May 21, with polling locations at Elizabeth M. Baker Elementary School, Lakeville Elementary School, Great Neck South High School and Saddle Rock Elementary School.

“I hope that the community can unite around that budget and support all of our students,” Chen said.