At the last Herricks School Board meeting, an Energy Performance Contract was proposed for the district. The contract will be handled by Johnson Controls, Inc. (JCI) of Syosset and the money saved in energy conservation will totally pay back the entire amount of money to be borrowed by the district in an 18-year period.

After the board approves the contract for the work to be done, the contract will then be sent to New York State for approval. The board and administration will hold meetings with the public to fully describe how the work will be facilitated by JCI.

Herricks Director of Facilities James J. Brown detailed the work proposed for each school including lighting controls, lighting upgrades, window replacement, and boiler controllers. Controls will even be placed on the vending machines to allow the compressors to work for longer cycles but less frequently.

The following is a brief summary of the work to be covered in the contract:

Herricks High School: Three building envelope improvements (weather stripping), boiler controllers, vending machine controls.

Denton Avenue School: Lighting upgrade, building envelope improvements, boiler controllers, window replacement, roof replacement, and vending machine controls.

Center Street School: Lighting upgrade, building envelope improvements, boiler controls, window replacement, and vending machine controls.

Searingtown School: Lighting upgrade, lighting controls, building envelope improvements, boiler controls, steam traps, vending machine controls.

Herricks Middle School: Lighting upgrade, building envelope improvements, boiler controls, vending machine controls.

Shelter Rock Academy: Lighting upgrade, lighting controls, building envelope improvements, boiler controllers, steam traps.

Herricks Community Center: Lighting upgrade, lighting controls, building envelope improvements, boiler controllers, steam traps, window replacement, and vending machine controls.

The entire list of the upgrade may be obtained at the Herricks School Administration Office on the second floor of the Herricks Community Center, 999 Herricks Road, New Hyde Park.

During the announcement section of the meeting Herricks Superintendent Dr. Jack Bierwirth said he thought monies might be coming to the district through Excel Aid. However, this has not been confirmed, but the amount would only be used for expansion capacity and conservation and electrical upgrades. If the monies did come through, Dr. Bierwirth said it would be used for capital projects.

Bierwirth went over again the aid proposed by the state legislators, as described by New York State Senator Michael Balboni. If approved, next year each family in Herricks with children ages 4-16 years old will receive a check in the amount of $330 per child. The seniors would receive a STAR rebate of $528. The amount each homeowner will pay on taxes will depend on how much their home has been reassessed.

The next item on the agenda was a discussion regarding the Audit Committee. The Herricks Audit Committee is made up of members of the Herricks school board. It is mandated that the school must send out a request for a proposal for the positions of internal claims auditor and internal auditor for the 2006/07 school year and, as mandated by the state, they must not be the same company. The request will be made for auditors and administrations will make the recommendations to the school board.

The board approved the property tax report card for the 2006/'07 school year.

Total Spending:

Budgeted for 2005/'06 - $77,156,584

Budgeted for 2006/'07 - $82,545,907

Percent change: 6.98

Total School Tax Levy:

For 2005/'06 - $66,967,993

For 2006/'07 - $71,300,669

Percent change: 6. 47

Public School Enrollment:

2005/'06 - 4,167

2006/'07 - 4,237

Percent change: 1.68

Consumer Price Index:

Percent change: 3.40

The board also approved the PTA initiative to revise the Child Safety Zone Legislation. The Herricks PTA will now bring the issue of Child Safety Zones to the attention of PTAs across New York State.

The board also approved the preliminary board meeting calendar for 2006/'07.

The following pilot clubs were proposed for the current school year and were approved by the school board:

Animation Club

Chinese Cultural Club

Diversity Club

Herricks Model United Nations Club (HMUNC)

Hispanic Heritage Club

Jewish Cultural Club

Youth Against Cancer Club

Herricks Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Dr. Deidre Hayes proposed the clubs and each one had a description of how the club would be operated. That information may be obtained when the students sign up for clubs.

Denton Avenue PTA Donates Money for Smart Boards

The agenda item that provoked the most discussion was the one stating that the Denton Avenue PTA was donating $9,001.78 to the Denton Avenue School and requesting the monies be used for Smart Boards.

Herricks School Board Trustee Christine Turner was very vocal in her disapproval of the donation, as were some members in the audience, who were former PTA members. Their feeling was that the PTA should only be donating monies to pay for playgrounds, etc. and not for instructional programs.

Trustee Turner said that she felt such a large donation to be designated for Smart Boards would only pit one school PTA against another school PTA.

At the end of the discussion the board approved the donation.

The next meeting of the Herricks School Board will be held on May 4 at the Herricks Community Center at 7:15 p.m. It will be the budget hearing and a regular meeting.