A longtime resident of Roslyn, Jeffrey Sapper feels he has certain attributes that would make him a valuable member of the Roslyn Board of Education.

Sapper is a certified public accountant, someone who has helped various firms and companies establish internal controls over their finances. Furthermore, as a resident of Roslyn for over three decades, Sapper said that he is familiar with all segments of the school district's populations.

Sapper sees the ongoing embezzlement scandal as a damaging distraction to other issues the BOE should be tackling.

"I am running to try to get the community back on track to the real issues and to what a board is required to do," he said. "The community has lost faith in the board."

Right now, with the community still angry over the embezzlement scandal, Sapper said that "time is being wasted. There is bickering back and forth" about such issues as who will be the district's attorney.

Instead, the board, Sapper said, should focus on the issues at hand, namely on how to keep education accessible and affordable to all its residents.

As an example of neglect, Sapper mentioned the condition of certain buildings in the district, especially the problem of damaged roofs at the middle school.

There is also the pressing issue of hiring both a permanent district superintendent and a permanent principal for the high school.

"A board member must act on issues being presented to us," Sapper said. "He has to react to the community."

Since he has lived in Roslyn for such a long time, Sapper feels he can do that as well as anyone.

His family moved to Roslyn in 1969. Sapper graduated from Roslyn High School in 1973. He later graduated from American University in Washington, DC. Sapper bought a house in the Roslyn area in 1981. He and his wife, Deborah, have three children currently attending schools in the Roslyn district. In Roslyn, Sapper is a committee member of the Village of East Hills's Traffic & Safety Department and treasurer of the Foundation for the Advancement of Student Technology (FAST). He is also co chair to the Prosystemfx User Advisory Group and a former board advisor to Strauss Discount Auto.

Sapper's parents still live in Roslyn and the candidate said he is familiar with the needs of residents who no longer have children in the schools and those, like himself, who have children attending different schools in the district.

One goal of the board, Sapper said, should be to "maintain the integrity of the fine education [and] the extremely successful test results" that district students receive. High educational performances will, in turn, help to keep home values high, he added.

A partner in the Manhattan firm of Hoffberg, Oberfest, Burger & Berger, Sapper said he has the experience in implementing those internal controls the district needs to prevent more scandals.

"Don't overburden the [district's] staff," Sapper said. "Nothing's fool proof. What we need to do is to make people think: 'I might get caught'" if they have plans to steal district funds.

"We have to prevent people from having the opportunity to do something illegal," he said.

The problems the school district suffered from were due to both a lack of internal controls and a lack of testing those internal controls, Sapper said. Internal controls are necessary, but they must be maintained and tested on a constant basis, he added.

"As a CPA, we question management and employees on an annual basis," Sapper said. "We worked with companies in establishing internal controls. We also have to analyze each situation differently."

-by Joe Scotchie

"I can't stand incompetence, especially at this level." So said Chris Cavaliere, explaining why he is running for a seat on the Roslyn School District Board of Education.

Cavaliere is a native of Manhasset and a 20-year resident of Roslyn, where he currently serves as president of the Roslyn Heights Civic Association.

As with many other Roslyn area residents, Cavaliere is proud of the school district's "superior education system." However, the mistrust that the embezzlement scandal has sown throughout the district has compelled him to run for office.

"Residents need to trust someone with their money for education, especially when it's money for your children," he said.

Cavaliere said he joined the civic association to help "maintain the quality of life we moved here for." He is running for the school board for the same reasons.

On the embezzlement scandal, he blasted the "organized crime" that he said existed in the higher echelons of the school district.

"We need to re-evaluate how monies are spent in every department," he said. "We then might find savings that could be put to better use."

Cavaliere currently works as a Supervisor for Painters for the City of New York at Manhattan Community College. On Sept. 11, 2001, that institution became the only university in America to ever be hit by a terrorist attack. Tower 7 of the World Trade Center fell on the campus's main grounds on the afternoon of the attack.

At the college, Cavaliere is part of the buildings and grounds staff, helping to maintain a facility, which is over one million square feet in size. On the day of the attack, Cavaliere assisted with the evacuation of the over 10,000 students on campus. He also helped to transform the college gym into a triage center. In addition, Cavaliere created a briefing room in the street for the New York City Fire Department, while remaining at the school, aiding the Port Authority Police in their operation Rescue and Recovery.

On the job, Cavaliere deals with large purchases and bidding procedures, helping to control any overruns on expenses.

As a school board member, Cavaliere said he would not change the curriculum. He is especially proud of the district's various faculties for maintaining high educational standards.

Cavaliere also said he would be an advocate for such organizations as Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD) and drug prevention groups. He would also support funding for athletic programs that are currently within the budget. "Education goes beyond the classroom," he said.

Cavaliere moved to Roslyn in 1984, the same year he married his wife, Marilyn. From that marriage he became the father of two stepsons. From there, the Cavaliere family began to grow. Later on, the Cavalieres took in two Roslyn High School students who had lost a parent and needed a home. In addition, the couple soon had another young adult, Mrs. Cavaliere's niece, living with them. Four of the couple's five children attended and graduated from the Roslyn school system.

Also in the 1980s, the Cavalieres opened their business, Consumers Wallpaper & Window Treatment, Inc., located in Williston Park. Being self-employed and being in close proximity to Harbor Hill School, Cavaliere had the "fantastic opportunity" to attend his children's sporting events from t-ball right through to their varsity baseball and football years. "The whole Roslyn experience has been wonderful," he said.

"Changes have to be in spending priorities," Cavaliere added, speaking of the district's future. From the embezzlement scandal, the district will have to try to recoup as much money as possible through the legal process so that the district, as a whole, can "move on as quickly as possible."

"I am a strong advocate for maintaining our high level of education, along with prudent spending so we can avoid bringing hardship on residents of the community through over-taxation," he concluded.

-by Joe Scotchie