Huntington School Board Notes
Huntington School Board members approved a memorandum of agreement with the Associated Teachers of Huntington on a new contract that will run retroactively from July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2017.
Financial terms of the contract include: 2011/12: 0 percent, plus increment; 2012/13: 0 percent, plus increment; 2013/14: 2 percent with no increment or movement to a new longevity plateau; 2014/15: 0 percent with no increment or movement to a new longevity plateau. Lane movement will resume effective February 1, 2015; 2015/16: 1.25 percent with increment delayed for six months; 2016/17: 1.25 percent with increment delayed for six months.
Teachers hired effective July 1, 2013 will contribute 20 percent of the cost of the premium for individual/family medical insurance. (Teachers currently pay 15 percent of premiums.)
Trustees also took the following actions:
• Approved the excessing of teachers Nadine Araoz (Southdown/ESL), David Benjamin (Southdown/ESL), Carol Coffey (Jefferson/classroom), Mark Helstrom (Woodhull/classroom), Nicole Malizia (Washington/classroom) and Jason Suarez (Woodhull/classroom), effective June 30.
• Accepted the resignation of J. Taylor Finley Middle School food service worker Gricelda Mejia, effective at the close of business on April 29.
• Approved the retirement request of Washington School teacher aide Priscilla Luke, effective at the close of business on June 22.
• Appointed Joanne Miranda as secretary to the superintendent, effective June 24. Ms. Miranda was appointed the district clerk, effective for the 2013/14 school year.
• Approved long-term substitute teacher assignments for Peggy Gallagher (Woodhull librarian, effective through June 30), Christine Amodeo (Washington/Flower Hill librarian, effective through June 30) and Melissa Goldsborough (Jefferson special education), effective through June 12.
• Approved Robert Hirten to work as an instructor in the district's summer driver education program at the rate of $46.74 per hour.
• Approved Angela Berner and Claudia Gonzalez-Buttler to participate in the district's National Board Certification program. They will receive a stipend of $1,000. The district program is funded through a STLE (Strengthening Teacher & Leader Effectiveness) grant.
• Approved teachers Lauren Amendola, Brendan McGowan, Kimberly Schiller, Angela Berner, Joanne Cicio, Patrice Monks, Patricia Nowack and Paula Shivers to work on summer curriculum writing projects.
• Approved leaves of absence for Bernadette Walsh (high school guidance counselor), Janet Sloan (Flower Hill special education aide), Michael Graziano (high school security guard), Nancy Goddard (high school science department secretary) and Juanita Turner (high school teacher aide).
• Approved Suzanne Knoerzer and Margarita Barbuti to work as substitute teachers and Remi Domenick to work as a substitute custodian. Substitute teachers earn $90 per day. Substitute custodians are paid $10.50 per hour.
• Approved a consultant services contract with Metro Therapy, Inc. of Hauppauge for special education evaluations and services.
• Approved Creative Tutoring, Syosset Home Tutoring, Top Grade, Islip Tutoring Services and St. James Tutoring to provide home tutoring services during the 2013/14 school year.
• Approved a consultant services contract with the New York Hall of Science in Queens for "eight days of outreach with up to four lessons taught per outreach day." The district will pay $1,000 per outreach.
• Approved a return from a leave of absence for Michael Graziano (high school security guard), Allison Curtin (Woodhull special education teacher) and Yesenia Cortes (Southdown teacher aide).
• Approved Home Care Therapies d/b/a as Horizon Healthcare and Winston Staffing Services to provide nursing services during the 2013/14 school year.
• Approved a consultant services contract with W Cole Consulting-Educational Data Management of Jericho. The company will provide support and guidance to elementary school principals on the development of their master schedules, along with creating an elementary schedule in their student management system. The district will pay the company $1,000 per day (for a six hour day) or $500 per a half-day (for a three hour day).
• Approved the addition of Big Apple Flea, Inc. to the district's list of organizations permitted to use district facilities.
• Approved a contract with CBIZ Valuation Group, LLC of Dallas, Texas to provide the district with capital asset updating services.
• Approved a disposal bid award for equipment and textbooks. Mid-Island Salvage bid on 26 items totaling $13. "The remainder of the surplus items was not bid on," Assistant Superintendent Sam Gergis said. "Bidders are responsible for pick-up and removal of the items."
• Awarded a bid for student agendas to Premier Agendas, Inc. The price per agenda will run from a low of $1.83 per agenda for Flower Hill, Jefferson and Washington schools to a high of $2.13 per agenda for J. Taylor Finley Middle School.
• Approved a Tax Anticipation Note resolution that authorizes the issuance of "not to exceed $15,000,000" in such notes in anticipation of the receipt of taxes to be levied for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014.