NORWICH – A meet and greet of school board candidates was hosted by the Norwich Educators Organization on Tuesday, giving voting residents a chance to ask questions pertinent to their concerns over the direction of Norwich city schools.

There are two seats open on the NCSD Board this year, each carrying a three-year term. Residents will vote for board members, as well as the district’s $41 million 2016-2017 proposed spending plan, on May 17.

Tuesday’s informal gathering gave all four candidates who are vying for a seat on the board an opportunity to share their background and weigh-in on the progress and current challenges of the district.

Howard Sullivan

Howard Sullivan, who is currently finishing his first term on the board, is up for re-election. An avid volunteer of multiple youth oriented organizations, including Little League, Big Brother Big Sister, the Christian Neighborhood Center, and the Norwich Family YMCA, Sullivan said his focus has always been on kids.

“My underlying theme is to give back to the community, and my focus has always been on youth,” he said. “I try to keep my pulse on the things that interest young people. That’s what interests me about being on the board.”

Sullivan is retired from a long and successful career in law, having served as Norwich City Court Judge, Chenango County Judge, and as an active Supreme Court Judge.

As to the primary role of the school board, Sullivan said its responsibility is to pass a year-to-year budget and negotiate a contract with the district superintendent.

John Klockowski

Also up for re-election this year is current Board President John Klockowski. Klockowski, a father of two in the Norwich schools, said he petitioned three years ago because he was “dissatisfied with what was happening in our schools.”

Now, Klockowski said the district needs to focus more on kids who are struggling, and it’s up to the board to encourage more parent and teacher involvement.

“There’s about 20 percent of our kids who need additional attention,” he said, adding that the board’s responsibility should transcend traditional obligations of budget and policy.

“What they teach you in school board academy is that we’re supposed to oversee finance and we’re supposed to oversee policy. I say that’s a bunch of bunk because we need to do more,” Klockowski said. “We need to be involved with the community, our teachers, our support staff. There’s a lot of integration that goes on to make a student successful in our district, and we need to be more heavily involved.”