Huntington School Board Notes
Huntington School Board members have approved a retirement request from Eugene O'Hara, a senior accountant in the district business office. His retirement is effective at the close of business on October 2. Trustees took the action during their public meeting this past Monday night at J. Taylor Finley Middle School.
Mariantoniette Morello was given a probationary appointment as an English teacher at Huntington High School. Her three-year probationary period stretches to September 1, 2014.
Trustees also approved a leave of absence for music teacher Nicole Lynch effective September 10 and continuing through the 2012/13 school year. Christine Amodeo (Washington/Flower Hill) was approved for a long-term leave replacement librarian assignment from Sept. 1 through approximately Nov. 30. She will be filling in for Georganne White. Teachers Ashley Williams (Woodhull/special education) and Melissa Lang (elementary classroom) were given long term leave replacement assignments for the entire 2012/13 school year.
Trustees also participated in a spirited discussion concerning possible state mandate relief in the areas of the "last in, first out" seniority law, the Triborough Amendment to the Taylor Law and the legal obligation of the district to transport resident students to private or parochial schools located within a 15 mile radius.
Trustees also took the following actions:
• Approved a bank of start-up monies for the district's food service program in the amount of $600.
• Accepted the resignation of Alicia Bailey, a 10-month clerk typist at Huntington High School, effective at the close of business on Sept. 4.
• Appointed Julie Hecht as a 10-month senior clerk typist at Jefferson Primary School.
• Recalled teacher Nicole Malizia from the preferred eligible list and assigned her to Washington Primary School.
• Approved salary schedule adjustments for Jaclyn Ambrosio, Lauren Amendola, David Benjamin, Katherine Canales, Susan Danzig, Kenneth Donovan, Glenn Edwards, Dame Forbes, Brian Foster, Christopher Hender, Chelsea Jablon, Erica Jessen, Keith Mattis, Amanda Meyer and Brian Stellato.
• Rescinded a change in assignment for Theresa Campsey, who will remain as a 12-month clerk typist at Huntington High School.
• Approved an additional five days of summer work for Noreen Hernandez in the district's student registration office.
• Authorized Julian Watts to supervise athletic events during the 2012/13 school year. He will be paid $31.70 per hour when he works.
• Approved Wanda Gonzalez and Vanesa Long to perform special education state mandated written/verbal translation during 2012/13. They will be paid $48.97 per hour when needed.
• Approved Valerie Capitulo-Saide as the Jefferson Primary School Dignity Act coordinator.
• Approved librarians Patricia Dillon and Ellen Blanchard for one day each of summer curriculum writing related to developing student learning objectives. They will be paid $200 each. The work will be funded by the Race to the Top grant.
• Approved Melissa Borzumato, Risa Brachman, Amanda Custini, Pamela Jacovina, Meghan Jost, Louise Lang, Rosamaria Napoli, Christine Schmiedecke, Nancy Walton, Adrienne Wood, Melissa Lang, Melissa Goldsborough, Pamela O'Brien, Doreen Ellis, Brian Henselder, Lisa Caporusso and Dorothy Vlachos to work as substitute teachers. They will be paid $90 per day as needed.
• Approved up to 250 hours of additional work for Linda Leake during the 2012/13 school year related to special education file retrieval and recording data. The work will be paid for through the district's special education grant.
• Approved Elizabeth Boyd-Lupi to work as a substitute teacher aide. She will be paid $9 per hour as needed.
• Approved Julie Hecht, Paradise Goodwin-Taylor, Nancy McCarty and Joan Sciacchitano to work as substitute secretaries. They will be paid $10.50 per hour as needed.
• Authorized teacher Rich Agnello and clerical worker Joan Sciacchitano to receive reimbursement for district related travel between buildings at the IRS approved per mile rate.
• Approved a contract in the amount of $12,856 with the Centris Group, a software service provider. The contract covers services related to the IEP Direct special education software system.
• Approved a contract with Islip Tutoring Service, Inc. for educational services, including home teaching and hospital based instruction as needed during the 2012/13 school year.
• Approved a contract with The Long Island Home South Oaks Hospital for a variety of services.
• Approved a contract with St. James Tutoring for educational services during the 2012/13 school year.
• Authorized Superintendent James W. Polansky to attend a New York State Council of School Superintendents Conference in Saratoga Springs, New York. 2012 Fall Leadership Summit, High Quality Education: The Mandates is scheduled for September 23-25. Presenters will include Dr. Yong Zhao, associate dean for global education in the College of Education at the University of Oregon, Dr. John B. King, Jr., New York State's commissioner of education and Raymond J. McNulty, chief learning officer of Penn Foster.
• Approved an agreement with the Town of Huntington to continue participating in the town's youth court program through August 2013. Cases are referred to the court through the Suffolk Probation Dept. The students who volunteer to staff the court receive six to ten weeks of training from attorneys, social workers and probation officers, learning about basic principles of criminal procedure and law, sentencing considerations and options related areas.
• Approved a change order in the amount of $6,313.81 related to the replacement of the underground oil tank at Jefferson School. The order was necessitated due to an "unforeseen condition" discovered during the project. The existing fill line was found to be not as depicted on the original architectural drawings, requiring removal and replacement of an additional 495 square feet of concrete driveway.
• Authorized the Long Island Field Hockey Assn. to use district facilities. The organization "was founded in 1932 to provide local opportunities for players of all ages to experience field hockey in a positive and enriching setting," according to the group's application. It is a registered not-for-profit. Only Huntington School District players involved with the organization will use the facilities.
• Authorized the Great Huntington Civic Group, Inc. to use district facilities. The group would like to use the Huntington High School auditorium in October for an evening debate between US Rep. Steve Israel and his opponent, Stephen Labate. The two candidates are vying to represent the Second Congressional District.
• Rescinded Natalee Rubcewich's appointment as a part-time elementary grade level health teacher. She accepted a position outside of the district.
• Approved new Concussion Management and Response to Intervention policies.
• Approved an amendment to the Dignity for All Students Act policy.
• Approved overnight field trip requests submitted by the Huntington High School Habitat for Humanity club chapter.