Three candidates running for Lew-Port school board

Rob Creenan, Niagara Gazette, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
·2 min read

May 17—YOUNGSTOWN — Along with voting on a district budget and capital improvement project, Lewiston-Porter Central School District residents will be voting for two new school board candidates.

The three candidates, Steven Tarnowski, Sara Ohanessian and Tessa Connelly, are running for three-year terms on the board. Current Vice President Julie Donnelley and board member Jennifer Lemick will not be running for re-election.

Three 12th grade students in the Participation in Government class asked the candidates several questions drafted by the high school's AP Government class over 30 minutes at an event this past week.

A lieutenant detective with the Lockport Police Department for the past 15 years, Tarnowski has lived in the Lew-Port district for 33 years, raising five children with his wife. His main priorities are saving jobs for teachers and teacher aides, managing class sizes, teaching blue-collar skills, and keeping the district's students safe, possibly by having one school resource officer in each building.

"Between school, after-school activities, sports, these teachers spend more awake time with our children than we do," Tarnowski said. "They bring irreplaceable value to our children during their most formative years."

Ohnaessian graduated from Lew-Port in 2000, currently working as an associate chief medical examiner at the Erie County Medical Examiner's Office. Some of her stated goals are making sure students can have their own experiences, learning in a caring environment, financial responsibility, and keeping teachers.

"(Students) must have access to innovative and creative programs," Ohnaessian said. "These are experiences that are going to shape the rest of their lives."

Originally from Oswego, Connelly has lived in the district since 2010, has been a Parent-Teacher-Student-Association board member since 2018, and works as a photographer. Her main goal is to make sure students have a well-rounded education, with STEM and trades opportunities, arts and music, competitive sports, and learning life skills.

"I'm not afraid to voice my opinion," Connelly said. "I have full confidence in my values and my ability to listen respectfully to other viewpoints and find common sense solutions."

The school board vote, along with votes on the $54.65 million district budget and $11.15 million capital improvement project, will be from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. May 21 at the district's Community Resource Center.