Hastings, Trapasso Running Unopposed for School Board

Laura Hastings and Barbara Trapasso are both running unopposed for Garden City school board trustee. The position is a three-year term; elections coincide with the school board vote on May 21.

Laura Hastings
The Nominating Committee of Garden City Estates selected Laura Hastings for the position of school board trustee at its January meeting. The Euston Road resident is no stranger to the board, having served as the at-large trustee for the Central section from July 2009 through June 2012.

During her tenure, she attended several property owners' association meetings in both the Central and Estates sections. She served as a member of the Board of Education’s policy committee as well as a member of the Long Island Regional Advocacy Committee.

She and her husband, Brad O’Neill, have lived in the Estates since 1996 and have two daughters, Katie and Emily, currently in their junior and freshman years, respectively, at Garden City High School.

Before serving on the board, Hastings volunteered with the PTA, serving on the World Language Committee as well as on the site base team for Homestead. She was also active in Garden City Nursery School, serving as president as well as various fundraising positions.

Hastings is an attorney licensed to practice law in New York State. She earned her J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, where she was valedictorian of the class of 1989. She earned her B.A. in American studies from Yale where she was a Prince Fellowship Scholar.

"Laura will work diligently to maintain the high Garden City Community standards while certainly recognizing the values and needs of the residents," according to an Estates POA press release announcing her nomination.  

Barbara Trapasso
The Western Property Owner's Association (WPOA) nominated Barbara Trapasso for school board trustee at its January meeting. She is currently serving her ninth year (third term) on the board, the last five as vice president.

Trapasso and her husband moved to Garden City in 1995 and have three children, two of which are still in the school system (their oldest is a Garden City High School graduate now attending SUNY Geneseo).

The real estate attorney and mom of three says she's "up for the challenge of maintaining fiscal responsibility while ensuring that the education of the children remains top notch," according to a WPOA press release announcing her nomination.