Superintendent Ed Melnick informed the public at the North Shore Board of Education meeting on Dec. 18 that the governor's budget proposal for the fiscal year 2009-10 would result in a 14.75 percent cut in state aid for the North Shore District. Despite economic conditions, the Sea Cliff School's PCA held an auction to raise money for a Wellness Center for the students. Forty thousand dollars was raised to furnish the center with a rock wall, trampoline, and technology-oriented games such as Wii, game bikes and Dance Dance Revolution. While engaging with exercise in an exciting new way, students learn about their muscles and cardiovascular health. Physical education teacher Eileen O'Connor remarked that the students' fitness scores have greatly improved since the beginning of the school year. "They're learning while they are playing," she said.

The board of education is in the process of reviewing the current wellness policy to increase the scope of focus and implement recommendations from the Tri-State Review. As a result, the existing policy would be expanded to incorporate overall wellness and include physical, social and emotional health. Nutritional changes in the district's food service program include baking French fries and reducing the quantity served by substituting them with roasted potatoes. Bacon will be eliminated and the committee will discuss a different option for birthday treats instead of the traditional cupcakes. Future plans include the possibility of constructing a greenhouse to grow organic vegetables to be used in students' lunches. The new wellness policy will be submitted for board approval in May 2009.

The special education department made several recommendations for changes to be applied at the elementary level in grades four and five for the next school year. No more than five special needs students would be placed in a cluster and self-contained classes will be eliminated. Over the next three years, the district will make the transition from employing teacher aides to teacher assistants who are licensed and legally able to provide direct instruction to the students, unlike aides. The amount of time a special education teacher spends in the classroom would increase from 1 hour to 2 and one-half hours each day. A teacher assistant would spend the remainder of the day with the students, leaving no time without either instructor in the classroom with the mainstream teacher. What the district calls "the new blended model" is based largely on the practice of co-teaching. Professional development that would benefit not only special education students, but mainstream students as well, is being stressed by the special education department. Training sessions in different methodologies would be required of all teachers.

Superintendent Melnick emphasized that the new blended model was not designed in an effort to reduce costs. On the contrary, he said, additional staff would be required for each elementary school in the district, including behavioral consultants. A 4 or 5 percent budget increase in the special education budget is anticipated to implement the program.