I felt this letter was necessary to clarify any misunderstandings that readers may have as a result of reading the letter that was printed in Manhasset Press on Feb. 5, entitled "ICAC Meets With Dr. Bozzom0."

I am sure that the author, Mr. Crombie, did not wish to mislead readers, therefore, hopefully he will not mind me clarifying several points. I did agree to meet with the Independent Citizens Advisory Committee (ICAC) on Jan. 26 to discuss the school budget and proposed bond referendum. I made this offer because I believe that they are a group of well-meaning community residents who deserved to take part in an open dialogue and have their questions answered. The meeting was cordial, and I felt, productive, however, there are several points I wish to clarify.

I want to make it clear that at no time did I say to this group, that "the teachers union has had a sweetheart contract in place for many years." What I said, in fact, was the current teachers' contract is very similar in most respects to contracts, in terms of language and compensation, in place in other North Shore school districts.

Secondly, the assertion that in prior years the board provided "lucrative perks such as 100 percent health care to retiring teachers" is not accurate. The fact is that in 1995, the then board and administration negotiated a retirement incentive for teachers which included 100 percent health care for life. However, that benefit was offered in that year only, and the retired employees contribute 15 percent of the cost of their health care, which is an amount as high as any other North Shore suburban district.

Mr. Crombie also mentioned several numbers with regard to the standard work year and the teacher work year. I do not recall at any time during our meeting anyone attempting to quantify the number of hours per year that the Manhasset teachers work.

Last, Mr. Crombie states "The school board provides no guidance or direction to the school superintendent, although he says he carries out the board's direction." This statement, in itself, is contradictory. I, in fact, said that the board and I had extensive discussions regarding budget targets and I was preparing a budget, consistent with the direction the board provided to me.

I do not have the time or space to respond to every point in Mr. Crombie's letter, but I hope I have clarified the main issues.

The school district is navigating challenging waters and, in order to build a consensus within the community, I will meet with any responsible group or individual within the community to discuss the challenges that we face and to explore possible solutions. It is inevitable, when meetings like these occur, that there could be misunderstandings regarding what was communicated.

Lawrence E. Bozzomo, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools