The Levittown School District has joined about 20 other districts in an effort to sue the state Department of Education for what they allege was a manipulated 2001 physics Regents examination. The board of education on Nov. 13 unanimously authorized the law firm Ingerman Smith, LLP to pursue litigation. The district's share of the litigation is not to exceed $4000.

School Superintendent Dr. Herman Sirois said that the school district received little information about how the test would be graded beforehand. He said scoring might have been determined after the tests were taken, possibly in a political move to benefit Department of Education Commissioner Richard Mills. "We hope to prove the results were tampered with in court," said Dr. Sirois. "These tests were taken by kids. You can't do that to kids."

The Rockville Centre School District recently spearheaded the campaign to sue the state. Even to this day, school districts have had difficulty receiving detailed information about the tests. So it's necessary to file a lawsuit to find out more facts about how grading was conducted, Dr. Sirois said. "It's unfortunate we have to go to court to find out what happened," he said.

Also at the meeting, the board appointed nine community members to serve on the Citizens Advisory Committee for the Budget. Among those chosen was Andrew Booth, who is an active member of many town organizations and was an instrumental part of the September 11 remembrance event.

Board members officially approved 12 capital improvement projects. The bids included $40,981 for asbestos abatement at Jonas Salk Middle School, $69,500 for site work at Wisdom Lane Middle School and $1.235 million for roof reconstruction at Division Avenue School. One contract bid of $179,900 for a backup generator replacement was tabled until the December meeting because further information was needed.

In other news, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Robert Davis presented a detailed discussion on the district's Extended Readiness Program. "Many parents ask us what it is," he said. "We wanted to explain it and give as much information as possible."

Extended Readiness starts in kindergarten and it entails staff members looking for students who need to have more focus in class. "They could have learning problems, motor problems, low self-esteem; or they could simply be immature," said Dr. Davis.

To help combat the problem, students are placed in separate classes during first and second grades. The school district has also been performing studies on students who go through the program. Results are favorable, the assistant superintendent said. "Youngsters tend to do better than expected," Dr. Davis said. "They score higher on tests."

"They tend to do better in English than in math," added Dr. Davis. "That's probably because English is a big focus of the program."

The board also expressed its sorrow upon hearing of the death of former fifth-grade teacher John Monteleone. Monteleone was a 19-year district employee and was chairperson at Abbey Lane Elementary School and was coordinator of the Levittown After School Program. "He was the mayor of Abbey, if not the mayor of the Levittown School District," said Board President Paul Granger. "He brought character to the school. He brought character to the community. He will be missed by teachers, administrators, students and parents."