Naugatuck Board of Ed. Candidates to Debate Tonight

Nine candidates vying for a seat on the Board of Education during this May election will convene tonight for a candidate forum debate.

The Naugatuck Parent School Council will be hosting the debate at City Hill Middle School on Monday 6:30 to 8 p.m. Board of Education candidates running for election this spring will be on hand to introduce themselves and provide their stance on several key educational issues.

The Board of Education is made up of nine people, one of which is Mayor Robert A. Mezzo by default. This means of the nine candidates seeking a slot on the board, only one will not be voted on.

Incumbents seeking election again are Democrats James Jordan and James Scully, and Republican David Heller. The Republican newcomers are Glenn Connan, Diane Malone, Scott Slauson and Dorothy Neth-Kunin.

The Democratic newcomers are Deanna Krzykowski and Debra Brackett.

Phil Zembruski, the debate moderator, said each candidate will be allowed a three-minute prepared statement and then choose a single question from a pool of 20 different prepared questions. Other candidate will then have a maxim of two minutes to respond. Each candidate will be allowed a three-minute closing statement, Zembruski said.

Zembruski said he hopes the debate will introduce the candidates to the public so they know whom they are voting for.

Naugatuck students have also been given the opportunity to pose questions during the debate. Students interested in submitting a question can fill out forms provided by their Social Studies teachers.