Board of Education Math

Why You Showing Up to Vote on Tuesday Has Never Been More Important

As mentioned in a previous post, the current Board of Education already leans 5–2 progressive. If Kandel, Olsen, or Gallino win, it gives the left full control ... no checks, no balance. Unfortunately, this is a political election. The Left already controls the board, and a sweep this year would give them total, unchecked power for years to come. Splitting your vote by picking one from each “side” may feel balanced, but in reality, it’s an uninformed vote if you truly want to change the direction of the district. Only a vote for Ritacco, Rinaldi, and Vala ensures a course correction.

And yes, Chad Olsen is a leftist. Ignore the non-partisan spin being pushed by Somers' Parents, former board members, and their allies. Chad has consistently voted with the administration and is openly running as Amanda Kandel’s assistant. Their three-way ticket, complete with Gallino, is no accident. It’s a coordinated attempt to secure ideological dominance of the board.

This isn’t about personalities, who may seem to have better experience, it’s about math and long-term consequences.

A progressive sweep this year locks in a 5–2 majority. With two conservative seats up for re-election in 2026 (DeMartino and Varbero), we could be staring down a 7–0 progressive board by then. That board will control the hiring and direction of our new superintendent, and more than likely push forward with regionalization, resulting in Somers’ tax dollars redistributed to other districts.

We’ll be parading under rainbow banners, with “Global Citizenship” worn proudly on every left-wing supporter’s sleeve, all while marching our district straight off the cliff of regionalization. The board, taking its cues from the New York State Education Department, will continue pushing their agenda as academic performance declines. And when parents finally ask, “What can we do?” the new board will point you to BOCES — a bureaucracy of over 30 districts, all marching in lockstep with the same agenda. There will be no one left to hold accountable.

If that happens, we won’t get another real chance to change course for 5+ years. By then, many current families will have aged out of the school system and the damage will already be done.

The choice is clear:

Somers needs your voices and your vote this year. If you care about balance, transparency, and preserving what makes Somers special, show up at Somers Middle School on May 20 and vote Ritacco, Rinaldi, and Vala.