The Levittown Board of Education held its monthly meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 8 at Levittown Memorial Education Center. In what proved to be the shortest meeting in duration of the school year, there were not many points of contention, as the board was even applauded by the half-filled audience at times.

The most important decision of the night was to not vote on the Salk/MacArthur Traffic Study, and rather set up a special meeting for Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. at LMEC. The meeting will discuss the Traffic Study exclusively and the traffic engineering firm, Nelson & Pope will be on hand to present their latest findings and answer questions from board members and concerned residents alike.

Board members have been busy over the past month, as they attended the New York State Business Education Counsel Meeting in Manhattan in late October. The October BOE meeting was marred by talk from Levittown residents on the need for increased state aid. BOE President Gina Interdonato claimed then that they would try their best at the October meeting in Manhattan to get more.

"This year was different than most," Interdonato said referring to this year's Education Counsel Meeting. "In the past, districts from upstate came down with different needs than us, but this year they said 'enough is enough' and urged for more state aid too."

Some favorable state aid initiatives were voted on so it appears that more aid could be on the way, especially with new New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer taking the reins in Albany this January. Spitzer claims to be an "education governor" and if increased state aid is passed in the legislature, there is more hope than in the past, that he will approve it.

That was excellent news to the crowd at LMEC, and especially to Levittown resident Steve Shapiro, who was very outspoken against the BOE at the October meeting.

"You really took the wind out of my sails with this good news you told me tonight," Shapiro happily said.

The Levittown School District later provided the Levittown Tribune with the following statement regarding the meeting:

"Many of the resolutions adopted at the annual meeting dealt with curriculum, governance and safety issues such as student discipline, alternatives to state testing programs, Megan's Law and student immunizations.

More than half the resolutions dealt with issues of finance, state aid and school taxes, including the following items, all of which affect the property taxes paid by school district residents.

a. Opposition to the use of local, state or federal tax dollars to pay for private school vouchers and/or tuition tax credits

b. Support to retirement benefits provided to school employees

c. Support of permissive legislative allowing school district to establish reserve funds and accrued liabilities relative to pension contributions and other post employment benefits

d. Support of mandatory employee contributions to pension funds

e. Support of optional retirement benefit programs on the part of employees and/or school districts

f. Support of standards and reform of educational funding throughout New York State

g. Support of public financial accountability for the operation of charter schools

h. Support of state, rather than local payment for student attendance at state-operated schools for blind and deaf students

i. Opposition to the unfunded mandate, wherein local school districts are required to pay for the administration and scoring of sate mandated tests

j. Support of specific measures calling for school property tax relief throughout the state, including fairness, stability and integrity in the real property tax assessment and collection system.

The Levittown Board of Education, its administration and the Levittown Council of PTAs undertake numerous lobbying activities during the year to support the measures listed above, as well as other issues affecting our children, residents and taxpayers of the Levittown community. Residents are encouraged to write their own letter to our state legislators encouraging them to adopt positions in support of the items listed above."

Assistant Superintendent Victor Longaro gave a very impressive presentation on the Revised Design for Instructional Improvement Program. This program is in relation to Levittown being a member of the Nassau County Data Warehouse, which enables administration to compare test scores to other districts.

"For example, if we see that our kids are getting questions on WW II wrong and the rest of the county is getting them right, then we know where to improve," Longaro said.

Finally, an update on Levittown's Wellness Initiative was given by BOE Secretary Roseanne Gullans. Gullans said that sodas have been taken out of district cafeterias, and the only place where there still is soda is in the machine by the MacArthur gymnasium. Also, low sodium and low fat foods are now available. Even clubs such as the Get Moving Club at Salk have been established to keep children in shape who do not play sports.

The Levittown Board of Education will have its next regular meeting on Dec. 6 at 8 p.m..