Huntington School Board Notes
Huntington School Board members voted 6-1 to authorize spending an amount not to exceed $47,062 to set up a relief point for Suffolk Police at Jack Abrams Intermediate School on Lowndes Avenue in Huntington Station. Trustee Richard McGrath voted no on the resolution.
To move the relief point from its current location at the Huntington Community First Aid Squad to Jack Abrams School, Suffolk Police are requiring various conditions to be met, including the installation of security cameras, a six-foot high fence around the parking area where police personnel will park and renovations to a small room that will be used as an office and an adjacent bathroom.
Suffolk Police Commissioner Richard Dormer has stated his support for moving the relief point to the school and said police will begin utilizing it as soon as the requirements for it are met.
"It's important that the board back up its words with action,” School Board President Bill Dwyer said. “By committing to support the shift change we are demonstrating to our school community and the neighborhood around Jack Abrams School, that we are serious about doing our part as a member of the community. I trust that the town and county will show similar resolve in helping to clean up and revitalize Huntington Station."
Trustees also took the following actions:
• Approved a change order in the amount of $2,900 related to the paving project at Huntington High School. Assistant Superintendent David H. Grackin said that prior to the commencement of paving “it was determined that there was a large area of unsuitable material that needed to be replaced.”
• Approved a memorandum of agreement between the district and teacher aide unit represented by the United Public Service Employees Union covering the period from July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009. It calls for a 2 percent salary schedule raise and longevity increases at steps 10 ($325), 15 ($375), 20 ($400) and 25 ($400).
• Accepted the resignation of Director of Mathematics O. Wayne Edwards, Huntington High School security guard Gloria Wilson and Jack Abrams School long-term substitute special education teacher Carolyn Naldi.
• Granted a leave of absence to Flower Hill School classroom teacher Leticia Cuthbertson, effective Oct. 16 through Jan. 29, 2010.
• Appointed Demetra Doscas as a 10-month clerk typist in the foreign language department office at the high school.
• Approved part-time appointments for student lab assistant Luis Fernando, audio-visual technician Dana Schlaikjer and Washington School teacher aide Angela Rogan.
• Granted tenure effective Nov. 16 to ESL teacher Vivian Joseph and teacher assistant Daphine Harkins.
• Approved long-term substitute teacher appointments for Katherine Hicks (Jack Abrams School special education/Oct. 27 to approximately Jan. 29, 2010), Martha Renderos (Woodhull School dual language/Oct. 27 to approximately Jan. 4, 2010) and Matthew Perlongo (J. Taylor Finley Middle School math/Nov. 2 to TBD).
• Appointed Amanda Meyer and Keith Mattis as ninth grade Mathletes advisors.
• Authorized teachers Heather Horton, Louise Sugrue, Allison Daly, Dorren Karavalis, Jeffrey Dicker, Megan Himmelman, Janet Meyers, Heather Barfuss, Katherine Hicks, Margaret Matthews and Jennifer Irvolino to receive stipends of $376 for each teacher assist they supervise.
• Appointed Philip Lowe, Caterina Cain, Regina Connors, Heidi Magerle and Carol Dow as J. Taylor Finley Middle School cafeteria supervisors at a stipend of $28.73 per period.
• Approved changes in assignment for buildings and grounds staff members Robert Miranda, Rocco Munno and James Muller and teacher aides Maria Rodriquez and Laurene Napurano.
• Rescinded the 2009/10 appointment of School Heritage Museum curator Jack Abrams at his request.
• Approved Gail Mahoney as the program administrator for the McKinney-Vento homeless grant at a stipend of $50 per hour and authorized Alexandra Cope and Deborah Winans to work as home tutors in the program at a rate of $47.07 per hour.
• Authorized an additional three hours of work for teachers Mary Bly and Claudia Gonzalez-Butler and teacher aides Lynne Aloe and Emmagene Brown to hold a “meet the reading teacher night” as part of the AIS reading program. Costs associated with the additional work will be funded by a Title I grant.
• Appointed teacher Sharon Holly to supervise the Safe and Drug Free School peer mediation program at Finley Middle School. Her stipend of $47.07 per hour for up to 20 hours will be funded by a Title IV grant.
• Appointed Michael Graziano as a math teacher in the alternative high school program for the 2009/10 school year. He will be paid $51.19 per hour.
• Appointed K-1 Saturday Academy program teachers, including Angela Berner, Luz Marotta, DonnaMarie O’Shaughnessy, Nancy Giorgios, Glenn Edwards, Heather Barfuss, Peri Alfano, Soraya Triessl, Patricia Persichilli, Suzanne Knoezer, Vivian Joseph, Maria Romero and Carol Soskil. The program, which is for ELL students, is funded through a Title III grant.
• Approved Rachel Ashendorf, Meghan Brown, Sharon Giblin, Christina Gottlieb, Charles Guttilla, Sarah Ketcham, Carolyn Naldi, Erin Nally, Elizabeth Overbee, Nisha Puri, Marcie Richter, Catherine Sears, Holly Skir, Jessica Stanzione, Stephanie Bragman and Jennifer Segal to work as substitute teachers when a regular faculty member is absent. Substitutes earn $90 per day.
• Authorized the addition of custodians William Bailey, Andrew Bartolotta, Ruben Garcia II and Thomas Napolitano, clerical workers Patricia DeLecce, Margaret Herrmann and Lavonna Smith and food service workers Brian Miller and Marie Nardelli to the list of approved substitute employees.
• Approved budget transfers between accounts to cover costs associated with special education supplies ($500), instructional technology conferences ($500), screening supplies for psychological services ($92), the Finley Mathletes club advisor stipend ($1,685), a “treasure chest” for sixth grade ELL students ($400), reading books for ELL students ($500) and a retreat for the Huntington School Board ($160).
• Authorized teachers Katie Canales, Amanday Shimkin, Chelsea Jablon, Robert Curtin and Jayne Hallett to receive mileage reimbursement as per the current IRS rate for district related travel between buildings.
• Approved a $1,600 contract with Pam Schlauch to teach an in-service course for teachers on “Using a SMARTboard in an ELA Classroom.”
• Approved a request by Washington Primary School librarian Georganne White to dispose of a Sharp TV, manual binding machines and a card catalog drawer.
• Approved an agreement with the South Huntington School District for it to provide fingerprinting services related to prospective Huntington School District job candidates when expedited action is required.
• Approved a contract with Lynne Stock to provide teacher workshops at a rate of $375 per workshop.
• Approved a contract with Adults & Children with Learning Disabilities (ACLD) to provide educational services at a rate of $85 per hour.
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