BOARD NOTES - North Shore Board of Eduation Meeting, August 29, 2013
Approval of Minutes - July 1, July 11, July 18, July 25,
and August 19 Meetings
Superintendent's Report – Dr. Melnick stated that teachers returned to school this week. New Teacher orientation was on Monday and Tuesday, and today, August 29th, was a Superintendent’s Conference day for all staff. He acknowledged John Hall for all the work he and the custodial staff have done in getting the buildings ready. He said that he was unsure of exactly when individual scores for the ELA and Math exams would be released, but that when the district did receive them, they would be sent out to parents. He also reported that Sea Cliff School received special recognition from the State Dept. of Education for placing in the top 5% of the state in test score results. He stated that scores at the three elementary schools were very similar, but that because of the way the state formula works, Sea Cliff placed higher because it has a slightly higher percentage of students eligible for free and reduced lunches.
Board President Herman Berliner reported that there would be a new procedure for public participation at meetings – people wishing to speak would be encouraged to put their names on a sign-in sheet and those who signed would be called on first.
Public Participation-
Terry Glassman raised the issue of teacher websites and whether or not teachers were encouraged to keep them updated. Dr. Melnick replied that the District was now using I-Tunes University and e-Backpack, and that teachers at the secondary level have been given a deadline of Oct. 15 to have their courses on-line. These two on-line vehicles will enable teachers to post classroom notes, hand-outs, and assignments. Teachers will be updating them daily. 57 courses are already up and running. At the elementary level, Dr. Melnick stated that teachers would be encouraged to update their sites.
Eileen Stanton of Glen Head asked about district efforts to ensure that I-Pads are being used to their greatest effectiveness in the classroom and whether October 15 was a target date that the district expected to meet. Dr. Melnick replied that October 15 was realistic and that it gave teachers the opportunity to learn and become more comfortable with using the I-Tunes university and e-Backpack.
Larry Ruisi of Old Brookville stated that the upcoming bond referendum gives the School Board an opportunity to recast itself in how it deals with the community in terms of "process". He stated that the board must seek to engage the community and enlist district residents to educate the community and act as go-betweens. Mr. Ruisi also commented on the letter that the District recently sent to middle school parents regarding on-line bullying and questioned whether the definition of bullying was accurate or inclusive of the types of bullying that could occur.
Dr. Melnick said that the definition is based on the recommendation of board counsel and said the board would be taking another look at it.
Eileen Stanton of Glen Head stated that the North Shore Parents Action Committee would like to broaden its scope to tackle the critical issues facing the district and community – Right now she stated that the group was focused on testing but is looking at other critical issues facing the district like LIPA and the Bond issue. She asked if she could distribute contact information for NSPAC to the audience. Board President Herman Berliner said of course she could.
Tim Madden of Sea Cliff asked if board would be revisiting the testing resolution that was discussed at the July 1 meeting. Dr. Melnick said the issue would be on the September 26th meeting agenda and that the discussion would go beyond a single meeting.
Bond Discussion
Dr. Melnick introduced the Bond Issue by first explaining that with the state imposed Tax Levy limit, districts that do not carry debt are actually
penalized. He then explained the process the district used in identifying the projects most in need of being done. First building committees were formed, each consisting of the principal, head custodian, PTA Presidents, faculty members, interested parents, Assistant Superintendent of Business Olivia Buatsi and School Board members. The initial proposals amounted to $110 million worth of projects. That number was whittled down to $30 million, as the district sought to distinguish between “needs and niceties.” A district-wide bond committee that included dozens of residents was then formed to determine which of those projects the district should pursue. At the end of that stage, a questionaire was distributed to and returned by committee members and based on that feedback, the Board and Superintendent determined that the amount required to perform the projects that are absolutely necessary and that would be “fiscally responsible” is $19.6 million.
Dr. Melnick stated that the board could make a decision tonight or at the next meeting about whether to go forward with the bond proposal, which
would have to be approved by district residents. The vote would be held on Tuesday, December 3.
Dr. Melnick then stated that the advantage to passing the bond and doing the projects sooner rather than later is that we would be using today’s
dollars and that the costs would be spread out over 20 years which would be most fair to the community as those who benefit from the projects would be sharing in their costs.
Each of the Board Members then spoke, each expressing support for the $19.6 million proposal.
Trustee Toni Labatte said projects were identified according to type of need using criteria such as “instructional need”, “health and safety need”,
“mandate under ADA”, etc. She also stated that doing the work now was fiscally responsible, since costs of emergency repairs are greater, and could result in loss of use and damage to facilities.
Trustee Marianne Russo stated that although capital projects do fall outside the tax cap, paying for these projects through a bond was the most
fiscally responsible way to go. She said that she had run for school board on a platform of fiscal responsibility and was therefore behind the bond proposal. She also said that under the way the borrowing would be structured, debt service would decline after a few years.
Trustee Tom Kniernam raised the example of Manhasset as a lesson of how districts who do not carry debt are greatly penalized under the Tax Levy limit and said that debt service under the bond proposal would decline over a period of years. He stated that there are no luxuries in the proposal. Speaking to Assistant Superintendent of Business Olivia Buatsi and Director of Buildings and Grounds John Hall, he asked if the proposal was as low as the district could go. The two shook their heads yes.
Trustee Michael Nightingale stated that as individuals we understand it’s unwise to carry a lot of debt but it doesn’t necessarily work that way for
school districts under the tax levy limit. And, that while $19 million is a high number, the timing is right to put up the bond proposal.
He stated, “It’s now or never,” explaining that the wise course is to finance these projects now at today’s dollars at a low interest rate rather than
doing them later for greater cost at a higher rate. He reiterated that there was a great effort here to distinguish between “necessities and niceties.”
Trustee Amy Beyer stated that the district was taking advantage of today’s interest rates. In addition she said, the process of determining what needs to be done was very comprehensive and involved building tours at all levels. She stated that although capital projects fall outside the property tax cap, without a bond, budget votes would be on higher tax levy increases, making them more difficult to pass. She questioned Dr. Melnick on how the projects were selected.
Dr. Melnick stated that health and safety issues were very important in the decision making. “Sexy” items like the multi-purpose room and projects to improve traffic flow were taken out of the proposal.
Dr. Melnick stated that if bond resolution could be worded in such a way that if projects come in below budget, supplemental projects could be
added.
Trustee Kniernam stated that the elephant in the room is the LIPA issue but that these are items that we will have to spend money on whether a bond resolution passes or not and that is better to do so at today’s dollars.
Trustee Russo stated that it is important how the district communicates with the community on the issue, and that it should avoid using the word
“sell.” She said the district is not selling anything but is being fiscally responsible. She said the district needs to educate the community and reach out to various groups.
Trustee Sara Jones stated that the board is persuaded that the projects are necessities and the $19.6 million is going to have to be spent at some
point, and that if we have to include it as expenditures in annual budgets rather than financing them through a bond, especially with the LIPA issue, it would be significantly more painful to taxpayers.
President Berliner stated that a $30 million bond would not be fiscally responsible but that a $19 million proposal is.
At the September 12th meeting, the Board will vote on the actual resolution to put up the $19.6 million bond for a public vote. The public referendum will take place on Tuesday, December 3.
Public Participation –
Carol Dunning of Glen Head asked if the bond proposal could be written in a way that if the projects’ costs were lower than what was in the resolution, that the amount borrowed would be less. Dr. Melnick replied that is could be written that way.
Larry Ruisi complemented the board on the process it used with regard to the bond. He stated that the board should make the case to the community that now is the time to do this because of low interest rates and that the district is going to have to do these projects anyway.
Eileen Stanton – Asked about the role of the Viking Foundation in projects such as those included in the bond proposal. Dr. Melnick replied that the Foundation was created to offset the cost of the new track and field and to pay for arts enhancements. The focus of the group is more on enrichment and enhancing educational, arts and athletic programs rather than on what the district would have to spend money on anyway.
Derek Schoenhofen of Glen Head asked about the term of the borrowing. Dr. Melnick said he was recommending 15 years. Ms. Buatsi
stated that that there is a process and that the district cannot borrow until a project is approved by the state and that is the point at which an interest rate can be locked in. The district cannot borrow money today and hold onto it for a project that will not be started next year.
Tim Madden of Sea Cliff asked Dr. Melnick to list the projects that would be included in the resolution. He gave a long list of infrastructure projects at the district’s five schools and the administration building. They included among many other things, replacing rubber roofing at some
of the buildings, electrical upgrades, heating and ventilation system upgrades, replacing the seats at the Glenwood auditorium, retaining wall repairs and additions, two science room enhancements and an ADA compliant elevator at the Middle School, renovation of the sound and lighting system at the high school auditorium, weight room ventilation and air conditioning, and asphalt walkways at the high school.
District Goals – Dr. Melnick explained this year’s district goals.
3 general goals
1- Instructional goals include: staff development and creating course curricula in preparation of possible implementation of the IB program in the 15-16 school year. Right now, he stated that the district is in the exploration phase of implementation of the program. The board can pull the
plug if it chooses to do so at the end of the year. There will be two discussions regarding the progam at the Oct. 10 and Oct. 24 meetings ; utilitzing I-Pads to enhance instruction; ongoing training for the TC Writer’s Workshop program; implementation of the Go Math and Math in Focus programs at the elementary level; continued implementation of the Common Core; studying and developing a position on the role of standardized testing in the district academic program
2- Reviewing Current programs including: k-12 world languages; external review of special education program; preparation for Tri-States review of writing program (fall, 2014)
3- Developing a comprehensive Fiscal Plan for the district taking into consideration the tax levy limit, LIPA ramp down, unfunded NY state mandates, and the bond proposal.
Nassau Suffolk School Boards Association. Dr. Melnick recommended that the board forego membership in the organization this year but continue membership in the State School Boards Association. Doing so would save the district $3,000, and not affect the ability of North Shore to work collaboratively with other Long Island districts on important issues.
Tax Levy – The Board voted to set the Levy at $86,559,657.20.
School Lunch Price increase. Board voted to raise regular school lunch prices by $0.25.
Old Business –
Board Meetings – The Board agreed to change board meeting start times from 8pm to 7:30 pm.
New Business –
Trustee Labbate brought up the issue of the letter to Middle School families regarding Cyber bullying and the recent passage of the Dignity
for All Act that extends school district responsibility to include addressing bullying that takes place outside of school hours. She stated that the board needs to make sure district policy is updated to be consistent with state law.
Meeting Adjourned.
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GO TO OUR SCHOOLS PAGE
and August 19 Meetings
Superintendent's Report – Dr. Melnick stated that teachers returned to school this week. New Teacher orientation was on Monday and Tuesday, and today, August 29th, was a Superintendent’s Conference day for all staff. He acknowledged John Hall for all the work he and the custodial staff have done in getting the buildings ready. He said that he was unsure of exactly when individual scores for the ELA and Math exams would be released, but that when the district did receive them, they would be sent out to parents. He also reported that Sea Cliff School received special recognition from the State Dept. of Education for placing in the top 5% of the state in test score results. He stated that scores at the three elementary schools were very similar, but that because of the way the state formula works, Sea Cliff placed higher because it has a slightly higher percentage of students eligible for free and reduced lunches.
Board President Herman Berliner reported that there would be a new procedure for public participation at meetings – people wishing to speak would be encouraged to put their names on a sign-in sheet and those who signed would be called on first.
Public Participation-
Terry Glassman raised the issue of teacher websites and whether or not teachers were encouraged to keep them updated. Dr. Melnick replied that the District was now using I-Tunes University and e-Backpack, and that teachers at the secondary level have been given a deadline of Oct. 15 to have their courses on-line. These two on-line vehicles will enable teachers to post classroom notes, hand-outs, and assignments. Teachers will be updating them daily. 57 courses are already up and running. At the elementary level, Dr. Melnick stated that teachers would be encouraged to update their sites.
Eileen Stanton of Glen Head asked about district efforts to ensure that I-Pads are being used to their greatest effectiveness in the classroom and whether October 15 was a target date that the district expected to meet. Dr. Melnick replied that October 15 was realistic and that it gave teachers the opportunity to learn and become more comfortable with using the I-Tunes university and e-Backpack.
Larry Ruisi of Old Brookville stated that the upcoming bond referendum gives the School Board an opportunity to recast itself in how it deals with the community in terms of "process". He stated that the board must seek to engage the community and enlist district residents to educate the community and act as go-betweens. Mr. Ruisi also commented on the letter that the District recently sent to middle school parents regarding on-line bullying and questioned whether the definition of bullying was accurate or inclusive of the types of bullying that could occur.
Dr. Melnick said that the definition is based on the recommendation of board counsel and said the board would be taking another look at it.
Eileen Stanton of Glen Head stated that the North Shore Parents Action Committee would like to broaden its scope to tackle the critical issues facing the district and community – Right now she stated that the group was focused on testing but is looking at other critical issues facing the district like LIPA and the Bond issue. She asked if she could distribute contact information for NSPAC to the audience. Board President Herman Berliner said of course she could.
Tim Madden of Sea Cliff asked if board would be revisiting the testing resolution that was discussed at the July 1 meeting. Dr. Melnick said the issue would be on the September 26th meeting agenda and that the discussion would go beyond a single meeting.
Bond Discussion
Dr. Melnick introduced the Bond Issue by first explaining that with the state imposed Tax Levy limit, districts that do not carry debt are actually
penalized. He then explained the process the district used in identifying the projects most in need of being done. First building committees were formed, each consisting of the principal, head custodian, PTA Presidents, faculty members, interested parents, Assistant Superintendent of Business Olivia Buatsi and School Board members. The initial proposals amounted to $110 million worth of projects. That number was whittled down to $30 million, as the district sought to distinguish between “needs and niceties.” A district-wide bond committee that included dozens of residents was then formed to determine which of those projects the district should pursue. At the end of that stage, a questionaire was distributed to and returned by committee members and based on that feedback, the Board and Superintendent determined that the amount required to perform the projects that are absolutely necessary and that would be “fiscally responsible” is $19.6 million.
Dr. Melnick stated that the board could make a decision tonight or at the next meeting about whether to go forward with the bond proposal, which
would have to be approved by district residents. The vote would be held on Tuesday, December 3.
Dr. Melnick then stated that the advantage to passing the bond and doing the projects sooner rather than later is that we would be using today’s
dollars and that the costs would be spread out over 20 years which would be most fair to the community as those who benefit from the projects would be sharing in their costs.
Each of the Board Members then spoke, each expressing support for the $19.6 million proposal.
Trustee Toni Labatte said projects were identified according to type of need using criteria such as “instructional need”, “health and safety need”,
“mandate under ADA”, etc. She also stated that doing the work now was fiscally responsible, since costs of emergency repairs are greater, and could result in loss of use and damage to facilities.
Trustee Marianne Russo stated that although capital projects do fall outside the tax cap, paying for these projects through a bond was the most
fiscally responsible way to go. She said that she had run for school board on a platform of fiscal responsibility and was therefore behind the bond proposal. She also said that under the way the borrowing would be structured, debt service would decline after a few years.
Trustee Tom Kniernam raised the example of Manhasset as a lesson of how districts who do not carry debt are greatly penalized under the Tax Levy limit and said that debt service under the bond proposal would decline over a period of years. He stated that there are no luxuries in the proposal. Speaking to Assistant Superintendent of Business Olivia Buatsi and Director of Buildings and Grounds John Hall, he asked if the proposal was as low as the district could go. The two shook their heads yes.
Trustee Michael Nightingale stated that as individuals we understand it’s unwise to carry a lot of debt but it doesn’t necessarily work that way for
school districts under the tax levy limit. And, that while $19 million is a high number, the timing is right to put up the bond proposal.
He stated, “It’s now or never,” explaining that the wise course is to finance these projects now at today’s dollars at a low interest rate rather than
doing them later for greater cost at a higher rate. He reiterated that there was a great effort here to distinguish between “necessities and niceties.”
Trustee Amy Beyer stated that the district was taking advantage of today’s interest rates. In addition she said, the process of determining what needs to be done was very comprehensive and involved building tours at all levels. She stated that although capital projects fall outside the property tax cap, without a bond, budget votes would be on higher tax levy increases, making them more difficult to pass. She questioned Dr. Melnick on how the projects were selected.
Dr. Melnick stated that health and safety issues were very important in the decision making. “Sexy” items like the multi-purpose room and projects to improve traffic flow were taken out of the proposal.
Dr. Melnick stated that if bond resolution could be worded in such a way that if projects come in below budget, supplemental projects could be
added.
Trustee Kniernam stated that the elephant in the room is the LIPA issue but that these are items that we will have to spend money on whether a bond resolution passes or not and that is better to do so at today’s dollars.
Trustee Russo stated that it is important how the district communicates with the community on the issue, and that it should avoid using the word
“sell.” She said the district is not selling anything but is being fiscally responsible. She said the district needs to educate the community and reach out to various groups.
Trustee Sara Jones stated that the board is persuaded that the projects are necessities and the $19.6 million is going to have to be spent at some
point, and that if we have to include it as expenditures in annual budgets rather than financing them through a bond, especially with the LIPA issue, it would be significantly more painful to taxpayers.
President Berliner stated that a $30 million bond would not be fiscally responsible but that a $19 million proposal is.
At the September 12th meeting, the Board will vote on the actual resolution to put up the $19.6 million bond for a public vote. The public referendum will take place on Tuesday, December 3.
Public Participation –
Carol Dunning of Glen Head asked if the bond proposal could be written in a way that if the projects’ costs were lower than what was in the resolution, that the amount borrowed would be less. Dr. Melnick replied that is could be written that way.
Larry Ruisi complemented the board on the process it used with regard to the bond. He stated that the board should make the case to the community that now is the time to do this because of low interest rates and that the district is going to have to do these projects anyway.
Eileen Stanton – Asked about the role of the Viking Foundation in projects such as those included in the bond proposal. Dr. Melnick replied that the Foundation was created to offset the cost of the new track and field and to pay for arts enhancements. The focus of the group is more on enrichment and enhancing educational, arts and athletic programs rather than on what the district would have to spend money on anyway.
Derek Schoenhofen of Glen Head asked about the term of the borrowing. Dr. Melnick said he was recommending 15 years. Ms. Buatsi
stated that that there is a process and that the district cannot borrow until a project is approved by the state and that is the point at which an interest rate can be locked in. The district cannot borrow money today and hold onto it for a project that will not be started next year.
Tim Madden of Sea Cliff asked Dr. Melnick to list the projects that would be included in the resolution. He gave a long list of infrastructure projects at the district’s five schools and the administration building. They included among many other things, replacing rubber roofing at some
of the buildings, electrical upgrades, heating and ventilation system upgrades, replacing the seats at the Glenwood auditorium, retaining wall repairs and additions, two science room enhancements and an ADA compliant elevator at the Middle School, renovation of the sound and lighting system at the high school auditorium, weight room ventilation and air conditioning, and asphalt walkways at the high school.
District Goals – Dr. Melnick explained this year’s district goals.
3 general goals
1- Instructional goals include: staff development and creating course curricula in preparation of possible implementation of the IB program in the 15-16 school year. Right now, he stated that the district is in the exploration phase of implementation of the program. The board can pull the
plug if it chooses to do so at the end of the year. There will be two discussions regarding the progam at the Oct. 10 and Oct. 24 meetings ; utilitzing I-Pads to enhance instruction; ongoing training for the TC Writer’s Workshop program; implementation of the Go Math and Math in Focus programs at the elementary level; continued implementation of the Common Core; studying and developing a position on the role of standardized testing in the district academic program
2- Reviewing Current programs including: k-12 world languages; external review of special education program; preparation for Tri-States review of writing program (fall, 2014)
3- Developing a comprehensive Fiscal Plan for the district taking into consideration the tax levy limit, LIPA ramp down, unfunded NY state mandates, and the bond proposal.
Nassau Suffolk School Boards Association. Dr. Melnick recommended that the board forego membership in the organization this year but continue membership in the State School Boards Association. Doing so would save the district $3,000, and not affect the ability of North Shore to work collaboratively with other Long Island districts on important issues.
Tax Levy – The Board voted to set the Levy at $86,559,657.20.
School Lunch Price increase. Board voted to raise regular school lunch prices by $0.25.
Old Business –
Board Meetings – The Board agreed to change board meeting start times from 8pm to 7:30 pm.
New Business –
Trustee Labbate brought up the issue of the letter to Middle School families regarding Cyber bullying and the recent passage of the Dignity
for All Act that extends school district responsibility to include addressing bullying that takes place outside of school hours. She stated that the board needs to make sure district policy is updated to be consistent with state law.
Meeting Adjourned.
BACK TO HOME PAGE
GO TO OUR SCHOOLS PAGE
