A committee, a test score, and a calendar were the main subjects at last week's School Board meeting.

The names of the seven members of the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee were announced during the Feb. 9 meeting. Jim Carney will be representing the Eastern Property Owners' Association; Charles Koester will be representing the Central Property Owners' Association; Cosmo Veneziale will be representing the Western Property Owners' Association; John Dionisio will be representing the Estates Property Owners' Association; John Sullivan will be representing the Garden City Parent-Teachers' Association; Ken Monaghan will be representing the Garden City Special Education Parent-Teachers' Association; and Reid Sclafani will be representing the Garden City Teachers' Association. Most of those appointed have experience in engineering, architecture, or business.

According to Board Vice President Bryan Rudy, the Board will send representatives to advise the committee when necessary, and no "at large" members will be appointed. "We believe that at seven the committee is a good size," Rudy said. He added, "[The members] were selected because of their experience. A well balanced committee is what we were aiming for." The issue of balance persuaded the Board not to appoint at large members he said.

While the committee will meet privately, it will report in public at the Board of Education's regular meetings. The Board will then act as a middleman between the committee and the citizens.

"Citizens [with questions] can ask the Board and we'll answer them," Rudy said. "Or we will refer to the committee and get an answer."

While the Board was complimented on the size and balance of the committee, those in attendance became upset when the Board said it would not volunteer profiles of the individual members.

"We wouldn't want to release information without their permission," Rudy said. "They are volunteers; they're not running for public office."

Despite the unwillingness to release information expressed by Rudy, Trustee John Klupka said that, "The more confidence people have in the committee the better."

After discussing confidence in the committee, the conversation turned to maintaining confidence in the students.

In accordance with the state's changing educational standards, the Board passed a resolution to lower the passing grade on the Regents exam from 65 to 55 for students in Special Education who would have taken the Regents Competency Test, which will be phased out by the state by 2004. Students will receive a diploma, but their transcripts will reflect that they passed with a 55 instead of the 65 required for other students. This change is one piece in the new standards being set by the state for all students.

According to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Wilson, the state's changes to the Regents exam mean that students will face a test significantly different than the one they've been studying for. "Since the state is changing the rules late in the game," Wilson said, "we are making it easier for them."

Currently New York State only requires five Regents exams for a Regents Diploma and eight for an advanced diploma. With the state's new plan students can take a course over a period of three years and gain three credits for the same class another student completes in one year for which he/she would only receive one credit. Also, ESL students will now be allowed to take all Regents, except for the English Regents, in their native language. The grading period allotted by the state is one to two days, which would then force the district to ensure that they had someone available immediately upon completion of the tests to grade them in the native language of any ESL student who pursued this option. The new Board of Regents standards also call for the elimination of separate remedial classes, one of many pieces of the new state plan which has raised concern in districts across Long Island and has not yet been addressed by the state.

When the tests are given also became a topic of discussion when the school calendar came under consideration.

The Board considered several changes in the calendar to avoid starting the school year before Labor Day. It would be the first time that the Garden City School District has started the school year before Labor Day, Superintendent Wilson noted, and some feared the effect it would have on summertime athletics.

Trustee Linda Leone questioned the effect such an early start would have on the number of athletic practices students would be able to participate in during the year as well.

The calendar was tabled without consensus until the next regular meeting. The next work session is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 24. A budget work session is scheduled for Wednesday, March 18 (revised from March 16) at 8:15 to present an overview of the proposed 1998-99 Budget and Revenues. The regular monthly meeting of the Board of Education will follow.