The Board of Education Meeting at the Manor Oaks School on July 9 began with a moment of silence for former Superintendent of the New Hyde Park/Garden City Park School District Thomas Rooney who recently passed away and Superintendent Joseph Rudaitis requested that the flags on all of the schools be flown at half-staff.

The first order of business was the reorganization meeting which began with the election of officers to the board. To begin that process Martin Cernese was elected Temporary Chairman and in quick succession James Kane was elected as president of the board and Lawrence Montreuil was elected as vice-president. In other words both trustees just switched positions because for the last two years Montreuil has been president and Kane has been vice-president. Diana Biehayn was reelected to the position of School Board Clerk.

The following officers were appointed:

District Treasurer: Herman Kratz

Deputy Treasurer: Bonnie Palker/Mary Ellen Kenny (Asst.)

School Attorney: Richard Nicolello

Other appointments included:

School Physicians: Dr. Vincente Salvador for Manor Oaks, Notre Dame and Hillside Grade; Dr. Frederick Mooallem for Garden City Park, New Hyde Park Road, Holy Spirit and Sephardic Hebrew Academy.

Independent Auditor & Certified Public Accountant: Miller Lilly & Co

Internal Auditor: Robert Levine

Central Treasurer for Classroom Accounts: Joseph Rudaitis, Bonnie Palker

Records Access Officer: Joseph Rudaitis

Attendance Officers: Joseph Svendsen, Dr. Tom Raab,

George Usdin, Karen Ames, Stephen Scarallo, Laureen Golden

Records Management Officer: Mary Ellen Kenny

Asbestos Designee: Director of Facilities Christopher Milan

Purchasing Agency Joseph Rudaitis

Title IX Compliance Officer: Bonnie Palker

Section No. 504 Officer: Joseph Rudaitis

ADA Compliance Officer: Bonnie Palker

Designations:

Official Bank Depository (All Funds)

State Bank of Long Island, European American, Fleet Bank

Official Newspapers

Illustrated News and Herald Courier-for the purpose of Notices of Regular and Special Meetings and Notices of Annual Meeting and the availability of Statement of Estimated Expenditures for the preceding year (Education Law No. 1721); and any other notice, statement or information that the district is required by law to publish in a newspaper of general circulation within the district.

Newsday- for advertisements and bids pursuant to General Municipal Law

Authorization:

To Certify Payrolls:

Designation of superintendent of schools or his designee as the person responsible for purchasing and certification of payrolls.

Authorization for

Board Conferences, Conventions,

The board authorizes the attendance of trustees to board conferences, conventions and workshops with expenses to be paid for by the district. All trustees and board employees (excluding the superintendent) will obtain the prior approval of the board to spend more than $500 on a trip or conference.

Petty Cash

Authorization

The following will be given $100 in petty cash:

Garden City Park, Principal James Svendsen; Hillside Grade, Principal Karen Ames; Manor Oaks, Principal Stephen Scarallo; New Hyde Park Road, Principal George Usdin; Superintendent's Office, Joseph Rudaitis; Business Office, BonniePalker; CSE/CPSE Officer, Dr. Tom Raab; Curriculum/Technology, Karen Bayerback; Buildings and Grounds, Chris Milano

Authorization of

Signature on Checks:

Resolved that the treasurer or assistant treasurer are hereby authorized and empowered to sign voucher order checks for the district in the sum total amount of any duly certified payroll for the salaries of regularly appointed employees and officers legally entitled to be compensated for their services.

Be it further resolved that the treasurer or deputy treasurer of the district be authorized to continue an account to be known as and by "Payroll Account" in the State Bank of Long Island and deposit therein any such voucher order payroll checks when and as the same duly drawn are delivered. Withdrawal against the payroll account be made by check signed by the treasurer or deputy treasurer to the order of the individual employee or the officer legally entitled to be compensated for services.

Be it further resolved that the school district maintain the following checking and money market accounts in the depositories designated as State Bank of Long Island: 1) General Funds; 2) Trust and Agency Fund; 3) Federal Aid Fund; 4) Capital Fund; 5) School Lunch Fund; European American-General Funds; Fleet Bank-General Funds.

Withdrawal against such accounts shall be made by check signed by the treasurer or deputy treasurers of the Board of Education in accordance with the New York State Education Law.

Be it further resolved that the treasurer or deputy treasurer be authorized to transfer funds from the savings account to other district bank accounts.

Authorize the superintendent to apply for all grants in aid and to approve attendance of staff at conferences.

Resolved that the superintendent of schools or his designee is authorized to represent the board of education with reference to approval of and matters pertaining to all federal, state and of other grants and projects as well as staff attendance at conferences.

Conferences that exceed $500 must be board approved. Authorize the superintendent to approve student teacher and student observer assignments.

The superintendent of schools or his designee is authorized to approve placements for student teachers and student observers enrolled in accredited colleges and universities. Authorize superintendent to make budget transfers.

The board of education hereby authorizes the superintendent of schools to make budget transfers during the school year (July 2, 2001 to June 30, 2002) within the limits established by board policy No. 6150.

Readoption of Policies:

Resolution: The board of education authorizes the readoption and continuation of all district policies currently approved.

Field Trips:

The maximum rate per child for field trips for 2001, will be set at $40.

Approval of Operating Standards Aid Plan for 2001/2002.

Approval of Revised Academic Intervention Services Plan.

Payment of Mileage for District Business: The board of education authorizes payment of mileage for use of automobile belonging to district employees or representatives when used for district business to be paid at the rate of the IRS rate which is $.34 per half mile.

All persons and positions required by law or regulation are to be bonded by Faithful Performance Blanket Bond in the amount of $150,000.

Payments to Sewanhaka

Central High School District

Resolved that the district treasurer be authorized to make payments to SCHSD as tax receipts are received as a proportionate share of the district's funds and also to the Hillside Public Library.

The board then closed this portion of the meeting and opened the regular meeting.

Regular Meeting

Superintendent Rudaitis announced that both summer school and the summer recreation program are in full swing. Further he said that bond issue work is going at both Manor Oaks and Hillside Grade School.

The next items on the agenda were those of personnel appointments and Rudaitis proposed and the board approved the tenure of Francine Berke. Paul McDuffie was appointed both a substitute teacher and a leave replacement teacher for 5th grade teacher at Hillside Grade, Stephanie Rises, who is leaving on or about Oct. 1, 2001.

Rudaitis then moved to the report from Committee for Special Education and Committee for Pre-School Special Education and recommendations from the CSE/CPSE. Both were approved.

A clerical stipulation of agreement was approved and so was the custodial and transportation stipulation of agreement.

Custodial holidays were listed but was amended to include July 4 as one of the holidays.

The BOCES Technology Program Contract was read aloud by Superintendent Rudaitis and was approved and will be in effect for the next three years. By approving the contract the school will now be able to set up its four new PC labs and have them up and running during the summer in preparation for the start of school in the fall.

Audience to Visitors

A member of the audience wanted to know why it was necessary to guarantee to BOCES that the technology contract would be paid whether or not the budget for next year passed. Rudaitis explained that since BOCES is giving equipment to the district they want to make sure the district continues to pay for it. He assured the audience that it was a line item in the budget. The contract is for $91,000 and the reason it is a little higher is that software is also included but the district will receive BOCES aid on the software and the amount decreases each year.

Another woman expressed her concern over the replacement roof for Hillside Grade School. Board members informed the individual that the roof was no longer going to be a slate roof, but was in fact going to be replaced by an architectural tile, which looks very similar to the old roof.

An inquiry was made as to why school buses are parked in the Manor Oaks School lot, instead of at Tully Park. It was explained that due to the summer traffic at Tully Park, the buses were cleaned and washed at Manor Oaks, and will remain at that location for the time being.

Another woman wanted to know why the playgound was being moved at Hillside Grade School. Superintendent Rudaitis said, "As a result of the bond issue and the construction the configuration of the playground will be changed and will be placed in an appropriate spot."

The meeting concluded with one final question from the audience, with the inquiry of the progression of the projects listed in the bond issue one of them being the Hillside Grade School roof. Rudaitis said, "The contractor postponed the completion of the Hillside Grade roof because we had problems with the roof at Manor Oaks. However, the Hillside roof will be completed well in advance of school opening in September. Apparently the Manor Oaks roof was not replaced sufficiently the first time to prevent water from coming in as it did during the last rain storm. We have some issues with the contractor and we are dealing with those issues."

The meeting then was adjourned and the next meeting is set for August 9 at Manor Oaks School at 8 p.m. The September meeting and those in the future will again be held on the second Monday of the month. The calendar will be issued by then and the meeting locations will be noted in the calendar.