Debra Cavanagh
Board Trustee
dcavanagh@centralislip.k12.ny.us

Biography

Debra Cavanagh was elected to the Board of Education in May of 2021, and took the oath of office on July 1, 2021. On July 12, 2023, she was elected by the members of the Board of Education to serve as Vice President of the Board. Ms. Cavanagh was re-elected to the Board of Education to serve a second three-year term on May 21, 2024.

A 31-year resident of the Hamlet of Central Islip, Ms. Cavanagh taught 11 years in the  Roosevelt School District before coming to Central Islip Schools where she taught Mathematics for 23 years, and coached Varsity Cheerleading for 18 years prior to retiring. 

Ms. Cavanagh's priorities as a member of the School Board focus on bringing new and innovative programs into the community for the betterment of a well-rounded student education. Working with 'Ignite Long Island', a trade association which advocates linking schools with Long Island businesses, Ms. Cavanagh has introduced programs to administrators at the secondary level which offer internships and job opportunities as an alternative to students who may opt out of college. From a security standpoint, the safety of students and all who enter our school buildings and grounds is paramount on Ms. Cavanagh's agenda of priorities.

Ms. Cavanagh is affiliated with a number of community organizations. She is Police Ambassador for the 3rd Police Precinct; she is a member of Long Island Lobby Coalition which advocates for funding for Central Islip Schools; she is President of the Central Islip Coalition of Good Neighbors which advocates for community betterment, and she is a member of the Suffolk Food for Hope Board. Ms. Cavanagh co-authored the application for a grant that secured Central Islip with $200,000 for the Central Islip Community Park. She assists bringing elected officials into elementary classrooms as guest readers in the School District's efforts to promote literacy. "The education of our students and securing for them an enriching environment in which they can thrive is my goal, and what we as a school community work together to achieve," Ms. Cavanagh concluded.