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LETTER

School Document Under FOIL

On Oct. 22, I attended the regular meeting of the Hicksville Board of Education in the auditorium of the Hicksville High School. The meeting was moved from the administration building to accommodate a large number of students who were present to see democracy in action as part of their government course.

During the public session, Helen Lafferty asked if she could obtain a copy of the auditor's report for fiscal year 1996-97. In the past this document had been readily available to taxpayers. I was deeply troubled by the manner in which Mrs. Lafferty was stonewalled by School Board President Jay Schwartz and Mr. Guercio, the school attorney, who stated that she could only obtain the document under the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) at a cost of 25 cents a page. I was left with the distinct impression that there was something in that report that Mr. Schwartz did not want to share with the public.

Mrs. Lafferty also gave an overview of the Memorandum of Agreement between the Hicksville School District and the Hicksville Council of Principals, Assistant Principals, Supervisors and Department Chairs. This contract was negotiated by Mr. Guercio's office with board approval and signed on Aug. 1. It should be noted that Mrs. Lafferty was also stonewalled in her effort to obtain a copy of this union agreement and was forced to use FOIL again to obtain this important taxpayer information.

According to the 1997-98 Proposed Budget booklet, a "top pay" principal's salary would be raised to $100,800 effective July 1, 1997. Scheduled semiannual increases under the Memorandum of Agreement will result in a top pay of $108,400 by Jan. 1, 2000, plus an additional $2,000 in longevity increments for a total salary of $110,400 a year, plus additional fringe benefits.

If we are to attract qualified people, we must pay them well. However, at a time when Social Security recipients are getting an annual raise of 2.1 percent or $16 a month for a single person and $27 a month for a couple, I feel that this union contract is unduly excessive.

If the students of government who attended the school board meeting paid attention, they learned a good lesson. They witnessed the totalitarian side of government and they also saw Mrs. Lafferty exercising her democratic rights.

Thomas J. Walsh