Bellmore School Board Candidate: Janet Goller

Editor's Note: This article was written by Janet Goller.

Janet Goller has announced her candidacy for re-election to the Bellmore School Board.

Mrs. Goller has served as a trustee of the Bellmore Board of Education for 18 years, and has been a member of the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District Board of Education for the past thirteen years. She has served as President and Vice-President on both boards numerous times.

In addition to serving as a Board member, Mrs. Goller has been an active member of the school community for over twenty eight years. She served as Co-President of the Shore Road PTA, President of the Bellmore-Elementary Council of PTA’s, President of the Bellmore Elementary SEPTA, Vice-President of the Grand Avenue PTSA, Co-President of the Kennedy PTA, Co-President of the Bellmore-Merrick CHSD Council of PTA’s, Vice-President of the Kennedy Booster Club and was a parent member on the BMCHSD CSE.  


She founded and has co-chaired the Kennedy Senior Class Fashion Show for the past 17 years. Mrs. Goller is a recipient of the NYS PTA Honorary Life Membership Award, the NYS PTA Distinguished Service Award, the National PTA Life Achievement Award, the BFO Community Service Award and President’s Choice Award, the BMUST Jacob Gunther Community Service Award and was presented with the Nassau County Women’s Trailblazer of the New Millennium Award by Dave Denenberg.

Mrs. Goller is a firm believer in the importance of parents being active partners in their children’s education.  Over the years she has been a member of numerous district committees at the elementary and secondary levels, including Special Education, Report Cards, Reorganization, Legislation, Budgets, Ranking, Site-Based Team and the Community Wellness Council.

“During the past 18 years I have been part of many positive changes in our schools,” Goller said. “The participation of parents on  curriculum and decision making committees, holding annual meetings with the BFO, CSEA, PTA, building principals and former students to share ideas and concerns, utilizing shared services both within the district and outside the district to save taxpayer money, the passage of a bond issue for capital improvements and  technology in the classroom, full-day kindergarten, our foreign language program, increased articulation and partnerships between the elementary and CHSD, the implementation of our district-wide character education program, smart boards in all classrooms, the Star Power Learning Center, the Energy Performance Contract and most recently the agreement with BOCES to enhance security in our schools -just to name a few.  Together, these items contribute significantly to our Bellmore Schools maintaining and improving their excellent reputation as well as our Bellmore community being a much-desired place to live and raise a family.”

“These are extremely difficult times for our schools and community, and as I look to the years ahead, I know it will take a lot of hard work and creative thinking to ensure the future of the outstanding educational programs that I have so proudly helped to build, both at the elementary and CHSD levels,” she added. “We must deal with new education mandates, many of which are unfunded or underfunded, as well as continuing decreases in our fair share of state aid, while working within the tax levy cap limit.  Our continuing challenge is to maintain and improve our outstanding education program while controlling the tax burden on the residents of Bellmore.”  

Mrs. Goller has been a financial operations manager for a major cheese importer for the past thirty-two years. She has been married to Edward, a retired Nassau County Police Detective, for 36 years.  Having grown up in Bellmore and being a Mepham HS graduate herself, Mrs.Goller is especially proud that her three children went through the Bellmore schools.  Matthew graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Melissa is a graduate of Quinnipiac University, and Megan is a graduate of New York University.

“In the years ahead school board members will have to make many difficult decisions,” she said. “It is therefore critical that we have experienced and knowledgeable school board members sitting at the table, ready and willing to make those difficult decisions. As an active involved school board member, with years of business experience and extensive detailed knowledge in the day to day workings of both our elementary and secondary schools, I have the hands on experience and necessary insight to make those difficult decisions.”

“I believe that my many years of experience and knowledge of our schools- pre-K thru 12, makes me uniquely qualified and will prove invaluable as we move forward,” Goller added. “I remain committed to spending money efficiently- in ways that best benefit our children.  I believe our schools are not only an investment in our children’s education and future, but they are also an investment in our homes and community.  We must continue to operate in a responsible, cost efficient manner and control the tax burden already placed on our community. We must continue to find efficient use of our limited resources and constantly come up with new cost-saving initiatives, while at the same time maintain our excellent programs and services that give our schools their excellent reputation. I remain committed to the challenge and I ask for your continued support.”