Kurt Venator

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Kurt Venator

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Prior offices

Williamsville Central School District school board, At-large

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Report an officeholder change

Contact

Personal website

Kurt Venator is an at-large representative on the Williamsville Central School District school board in New York. Venator won a first term in the at-large general election on May 16, 2017.

Elections

2017

See also: Williamsville Central School District elections (2017)

Three of the nine seats on the Williamsville Central School District Board of Education were up for at-large general election on May 16, 2017. No incumbents filed to run for re-election, which left all three seats open for newcomers. Seven candidates—Julie Algubani, Shonda Brock, Michael Littman, Susan McClary, Philip Meyer, Liam O'Mahony, and Kurt Venator—ran for the seats. McClary, Meyer, and Venator defeated the other candidates to be elected to their first terms on the board.

Results

Williamsville Central School District, At-large General Election, 3-year terms, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Kurt Venator	22.33%	2,025
Susan McClary	20.81%	1,887
Philip Meyer	20.66%	1,873
Michael Littman	12.30%	1,115
Shonda Brock	8.59%	779
Julie Algubani	8.47%	768
Liam O'Mahony	6.84%	620
Total Votes		9,067
Source: Williamsville Central School District, "Regular Board Meeting: Approved Minutes May 23, 2017," accessed September 6, 2017

Funding

See also: Campaign finance in the Williamsville Central School District elections

Venator reported no contributions or expenditures to the New York State Board of Elections in the election.

Endorsements

Venator was endorsed by the Williamsville Teachers Association.

Campaign themes

2017

Candidate website

Venator highlighted the following issues on his campaign website:

“	Transparent Decision-Making It is imperative that we provide parents, teachers, and community members with a meaningful voice in district matters. Decisions should be made in a transparent and collaborative manner so we can continue to build on the legacy of this respected school district. Parents, teachers, and community members should feel empowered in district decisions and I want to ensure this happens by keeping the lines of communication open. Eliminating Drug Use and Bullying We need to place more emphasis on and apply more resources to eliminating drug use and bullying in our middle and high schools. Many families have first-hand experience with one of these negative aspects of our schools--some have even experienced both. This is unacceptable and I know as a district we can do better through stronger character education programs, greater enforcement efforts, and more community group involvement in our schools. Improving Education We need to continue to decrease class sizes in the elementary schools to facilitate effective learning and social development. Twenty-four students in a first-grade class is too many. In the middle schools we need to ensure our students are offered science and social studies every day. We also need to encourage the creative side of education in the elementary and middle schools through theater productions, science experiments, and field trips--not just an emphasis on the 'Common Core.'	”
—Kurt Venator (2017)

Williamsville PTSA Council survey

Venator answered the following questions provided by the Williamsville PTSA Council. The questions provided by the council appear bolded, and Venator's responses follow below.

Reason for seeking election:

“	My wife and I are proud alums of the Williamsville schools and we currently have three boys in the district. I am running for the school board because I want to ensure the Williamsville schools maintain their reputation for academic excellence and continue to develop students into thoughtful, productive, and empathetic members of society. I believe it is critical for parents and teachers to have a meaningful voice in district decisions.	”
—Kurt Venator (2017)

Do you think it is a conflict of interest for Betsy DeVos, someone who has spent millions of dollars supporting charter schools and taking money away from public education, to serve as Secretary of Education. If so, in your opinion, is this conflict similar to the conflict some members of the Williamsville School Board, who's campaigns were financed entirely by the Williamsville Teacher's Association, will face this year when they have to negotiate a new contract with the Williamsville Teacher's Association?

“	Individuals running for a public position should have the required knowledge, experience, and acumen in order to effectively execute their duties and represent the respective constituents. In addition, decisions by these elected individuals should be made independently based on logic and reason, not campaign contributions.	”
—Kurt Venator (2017)

See also

• Williamsville Central School District, New York
• Williamsville Central School District elections (2017)

External links

Suggest a link

• Williamsville Central School District
• Campaign website