Judith Amato, a mother of six and a retired dental hygienist, is seeking a fourth term on the Port Jervis District school board to continue to help the district improve, she said.
A Port Jervis area resident since the 1970s, Amato graduated from the district in 1981 and attended Orange County Community College, where she earned a degree in dental hygiene.
Outside her school board post, she is also involved in the Mount Carmel Society, a religious organization, especially with its sausage and pepper fundraisers.
All her six children attended the district, and Amato and her husband were very involved in their sports activities.
“We are a big sports-oriented family,” Amato told The Epoch Times. “Sports help build the child in ways other than just academics. I really feel that we need to look at the whole child.”
Her five daughters played various sports, and her son was on the wrestling team.
In 2014, Amato was encouraged by friends and teachers to run for the local school board, she said.
“I didn’t know anything about a school board. I don’t think I ever saw a school board meeting,” she said. “But then I started watching meetings and got talked into trying it out.”
Amato received 713 votes, the most among all five candidates, according to Times Herald-Record.
As a board member, Amato advocated for the all-around development of students, including academics, music, and sports.
“Sports are going to teach them a lot, or cheerleading,” she said. “Some of my daughter’s friends were shy, and cheerleading actually brought out the confidence they would need in their adult life.”
She also advocated for better communication between schools and parents through the district website, newsletters, social media, and parent workshops.
Food was another area that she worked on, including the school breakfast program.
“Sometimes, for some of these children that are eating in our schools, those are the only meals that they may get that day,” she said. “I support food programs that will help our kids maintain healthy nutrition so that they can stay alert and concentrate in classrooms.”
She also supported the backpack program, through which students take food home from school on Fridays.
“It really helps families, especially now with food prices being what they are,” she said.
Having served on the board for almost nine years, Amato said her best moments were when students presented their accomplishments or graduated.
“When I was the board president, I had the opportunity to sign the certificates—it was the coolest thing I ever did,” she said. “I never realized what an honor that was.”
Amato said that if she’s reelected, she would like to have more discussions on safety initiatives, such as possibly having metal detectors at schools.
“I would like to hear more about how they work in other districts. I would be open to listening to the pros and cons of them,” she said.
She is also interested in a district-wide survey of student food preferences to reduce waste.
Regarding sports, Amato hopes to add more options to the district, such as field hockey, and start a junior umpire program through which students can earn money during summer breaks.
Five candidates are running for four school board seats in Port Jervis District this year: William Onofry, Florence Santini, Nancy Dunn, Michael Witt, and Amato.
May 16 is election day for the school board and budget vote.
