Huntington School Board Notes
The Huntington School Board honored the district’s top winter season athletes during a public meeting in the Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School auditorium on Monday night. Coaches briefly discussed season highlights and introduced their stars, including three-time state swimming champion Gunther Cassell, state wrestling champion John Arceri and state indoor track 4x400m relay champions Kyree Johnson, Exayvian Crowell, Lawrence Leake and Infinite Tucker.
Superintendent James W. Polansky made a budget presentation related to staffing for the 2015/16 school year and the current status of budget development. The district has still not been notified what it can expect to receive in state aid next year, complicating the budget process.
Trustees also took the following actions:
• Approved memorandums of agreement with the Associated Teachers of Huntington and the District School Principals Association related to reopening retirement incentives for members of the two organizations who had already passed their first eligibility to retire without penalty.
• Approved a bid in the amount of $219,017.30 submitted by Nickerson Corp. for work related to reconstruction of the Huntington High School and J. Taylor Finley Middle School locker rooms. The work involves installing new lockers and benches at both schools.
• Approved the disposal of 115 science textbooks that are obsolete.
• Approved a consultant services contract with Paul Sachs of New York City to provide six one-hour presentations on economic reform. He will be paid $400.
• Accepted the resignation for the purpose of retirement of the following faculty members: Carmela Leonardi, Carmen Kasper, Vilma Matos, Carmela Mastragostino and Caterina Cain. The retirements are effective at the close of business on June 30.
• Appointed Ian Morales as the Huntington High School JV baseball coach.
• Authorized Haidee Ganz-Bonhurst and Johannes Stern to work as athletic event supervisors.
• Authorized Lynn Hefele to work as a crew event supervisor.
• Approved post-season pay for winter coaches Brian Carey, Edward Lein, Michael Kaplan, Marissa Bergman, Gilbert Smith, Margaret McConnell, Ronald Wilson, Eliasib Acosta, Debra Cheskes, Shawn Anderson, Travis Smith, Peter Fusco and Kieran Mock.
• Appointed Andrew White to serve as a security guard at Huntington High School.
• Appointed Christina Longobucco to serve as a five-hour food service worker at Flower Hill School.
• Accepted the resignation for the purpose of retirement of the following non-instructional staff members: Flower Hill School teacher aide Ruth Santiago (effective March 20); Food and Nutrition Dept. senior clerk typist Melissa Alessio (June 30); Food service workers Lina Floro (effective March 30) and Lucrezia Groe (effective April 1).
• Granted a leave of absence to food service worker Araceli Espinal, effective April 3-19.
• Authorized Giovanna Petrizzo to work as a per diem substitute teacher.
• Authorized Woodhull School dual language teacher Cinzia Reeves to return from a leave of absence, effective July 1.
• Approved long-term leave replacement teaching appointments for Edward Parry (Finley Middle School, effective April 24 through June 6), Pamela Perez (Flower Hill, effective March 13 through June 30) and Justine Vaughans (Washington, effective April 2 through May 26).
• Adopted a meeting calendar for the 2015/16 school year, beginning with a reorganization meeting on July 7.
• Approved a resolution placing a capital reserve fund proposition on the May 19 ballot. The proposition covers numerous projects to upgrade the district’s facilities. Since money is already set aside in the capital reserve fund for this type of work, there will be no impact on taxes should the proposition pass.
• Discussed a proposed new district policy related to the athletic placement process for middle school students advancing to high school level competition.
• Authorized overnight field trips for the boys’ spring track and field team to participate in competitions in Columbia, South Carolina, Greensboro, North Carolina and Washington, DC.
• Accepted a donation from the Special Education Parent Teacher Association in the amount of $3,745.22 to support nine different mini-grants submitted by district teachers.
• Accepted Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Harper’s donation of square dance clothing, costumes and accessories to the Huntington High School fine and performing arts department. The items have an estimated value of $950.
• Approved budget transfers to cover costs associated with a professional membership ($239), transportation for Mathletes ($436.76) and Finley Middle School technology class supplies ($559.33).
• Approved bid awards submitted by Tobay Printing for the printing of the Huntington High School student newspaper, The Dispatch and the district’s annual transportation department newspaper