Candidate: Brandon Solomon
Residence: Nesconset
Occupation: Construction Project Manager
First Elected: May 2025 special election
After winning a special election last year to fill the seat of John Savoretti, Brandon Solomon is running for a full, three-year term for the Smithtown Central School District Board of Education (BOE)
Brandon Solomon sat down with The Messenger for this candidate spotlight interview.
Q: Education and education policy have been at the forefront of political discourse as of late. Where do you think the lines should be drawn and how has Smithtown CSD embodied those values, if at all?
A:First, parents have an absolute right to know what is being taught in their schools. Transparency isn’t optional. When curriculum decisions are made behind closed doors without community input, trust erodes. Nobody should ever feel blindsided – parents, staff, or community. With so many schools and classrooms now utilizing Google Classroom, which parents have direct access to, we have never been more transparent when it comes to what is happening inside our classrooms on a day-to-day basis.
The board’s job isn’t to micromanage classrooms. Our role is to set policy, ensure we’re following the law, and ensure resources and professional development so educators can do their jobs at the highest level. The board governs; teachers, who are professionals, teach.
Our slate genuinely comes from different parts of the political spectrum, and yet we find common ground far more often than not. It’s not ideology driving decisions, but data, law, and what’s best for kids. Our new leadership has made strides in transparency compared to where we were, but there’s more work to do, particularly around communication and making sure the community has a voice before major policy decisions are made, not after.
The bottom line: I want every parent to feel heard, every teacher to feel supported, and every decision made at that table to be grounded in what’s best for students and the community, not politics.
Q: You’ve been on the board just one year since winning the special election. What would you say are some of the biggest learning curves you’ve faced since then, and how did you respond?
A: One of the biggest surprises has been how slowly the wheels can move compared to what I am used to. Coming from the private sector my entire career, I’m accustomed to a much faster pace of decision making. In a school district, that process moves at a much slower pace, which took some adjustment on my part.
But there’s a very good reason for that, especially in a district the size of Smithtown. No one person has the answer to every question, and when you’re talking about 7 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 2 high schools, something could be happening one way on one side of town and very differently on the other. Making sure the information you’re gathering and compiling is accurate is far more important than having it instantly. A decision made on incomplete information can cause more harm than good.
Q: What have some of your personal at-large prerogatives been on the board and how have you seen to those objectives?
A: Capital improvements and building maintenance. Working closely with Mr. Leddy and the facilities committee, I’ve made it a priority to get a clear picture of exactly where we stand with our facilities – the condition of our buildings, the equipment we’re working with, the budget available, what improvements are needed, and the best path forward to get where we need to be while remaining fiscally responsible to the community.
I speak the language and understand the process in a way that translates directly to the board level. I’m also looking forward to receiving the HVAC report that the board approved earlier this year, seeing whether it’s something the community is going to be interested in moving forward with, and if so, being part of the process to make it come to fruition in a responsible and fiscally sound way.
The second is really digging into the budget – understanding where we are spending money, who we are writing checks to, understanding why certain vendors are receiving those checks, and making sure every dollar being spent is truly in the best interest of our community. Taxpayers work hard for their money, and they deserve a board who isn’t just rubber-stamping expenditures.
Q: Absenteeism is a big concern among many school districts. How does Smithtown CSD fair and in your view, what are the biggest culprits and remedies? What have you done to address it?
A: It’s a serious issue that seems to have been significantly exacerbated since COVID. I was fortunate enough to attend the NYS School Boards Association convention this past October, and one of the sessions was specifically focused on absenteeism. It was a valuable conversation hosted by PowerSchool, which Smithtown uses, along with other districts across the state. PowerSchool has been a great tool because it gives parents the ability to see their child’s attendance in real time. The district has also taken it a step further by reaching out directly to families once a student has been absent ten times, with a letter that goes home.
This is an issue where communication is everything. Whether it is a family dealing with a difficult situation at home, a student who is struggling socially or academically, or simply patterns that have developed over time, you cannot address what you do not know about.
Q: Galvanizing community input is always a challenge, as it was on the BOE campaign trail last year. What have you done to increase community involvement on key issues?
A: One of the things I have been most vocal about is the need to better engage our PTAs. They are an incredibly valuable resource that I think we sometimes underutilize. They are already volunteering their time and are connected to their buildings and their communities. They give us real insight into what families are thinking and feeling at the ground level. It is actually one of the reasons why I eagerly volunteered to be one of the board liaisons to the PTA Council.
We do now have a way for community members without children in the district to opt into district communications if they choose to. We want to make sure the entire community has access to what’s happening in the district, but it is not as simple as just mailing a letter to every household. Sending a mailing to every resident would cost north of $5,000 each time, and some would be thrown out by people who have already seen the info somewhere else – not be fiscally responsible. It is a balancing act, and one we are finding new and creative ways to address.
Beyond direct mail, we have utilized the district’s social media accounts, though not every community member is on social media. We have also submitted letters to the editors of both the Smithtown Messenger and the Smithtown News and have had our letters shared with local elected officials who were able to help spread the word to their own constituents.
Q: What is your favorite quote, motto, or work ethic?
A: ‘Execute with intention, move with purpose.” – Alex Toussaint.
What makes that quote mean even more to me is knowing the person behind it. Alex’s story is one of the most remarkable I have come across. He was thrown out of multiple schools as a kid and started at the absolute bottom of the indoor cycling world. Today, he is one of Peloton’s most celebrated instructors and is sponsored by Puma. His book, Activate Your Greatness, is one of those reads that will have you laughing and crying in the same chapter. It is an incredibly inspiring story about resilience, work ethic, and what is possible when you refuse to let your circumstances define you.
Q: How do you like to connect with your community?
A:You can find me year-round walking the path at the Nesconset Library, at the Nesconset Little League fields in the spring, and at Great Hollow PTA meetings. I am still very active with the Long Island Builders Institute, which has a lot of members who live right here in the Smithtown School District, and none of them are shy about making their feelings known, which I appreciate.
I make it a point to attend as many events as I possibly can – seeing the Robotics Club debut their latest robot, at Smithtown Industrial Advisory Board meetings and events, cheering on our student athletes at sporting events, taking in our school art shows or plays, participating in blood drives, attending Parent Universities, Trunk or Treats, Smithtown Day, or Nesconset Day.
My wife and I also go food shopping locally every Sunday morning, and it never ceases to amaze me how many people will approach you right there in the aisle with questions, comments, or suggestions. That kind of organic, unplanned connection is something I truly value and honestly look forward to. I have even had some great conversations about Smithtown while sitting at Citi Field or walking my dog around the neighborhood. You really never know where the next meaningful conversation is going to happen.
I believe that being a board member does not begin and end at the board table. The more accessible I am, the better I can represent the people I serve. I want anyone who has something to say to feel like they can walk up to me and say it, and I will listen.
The Messenger thanks Brandon Solomon for his time for this interview.
