I would like to address several items that appeared in the last issue of the Manhasset Press.

The implication in Admiral Early's letter was that school taxes have risen, in one year, by a magnitude of 8 percent to 20 percent. That might mislead people to believing that the school budget has increased by that amount. The school budget for this current year has risen by 3.78 percent. Individual homeowners may experience a larger percentage increase in their individual school taxes if the County increased the assessed value of their homes, and as a result of the County increase in the "adjusted base proportions" for residential property. The school budget has not increased by 8 percent to 20 percent this year. The interplay between individual assessments and other factors is too complex to address here, but the board will seek a future opportunity to explain these concepts more thoroughly.

Even though the school board cannot affect assessment and "adjusted base proportions," we continue to focus upon efficiency in the operations of the school district. We have taken a number of measures this year to overhaul our financial policies and have exercised far greater oversight over district spending. Again, the details of these initiatives would be far too comprehensive to address here. However, most are apparent to anyone who has attended our board meetings.

On another topic, an ad appearing last week suggested that school board members are elected or appointed without voting. There are five members of the Manhasset School Board, all of whom have been elected by a district-wide vote held in May of this or past years. The voting for board members takes place at the same time and place as the first budget vote. Each board member is elected to a three-year term. The terms are staggered so that district voters can vote on candidates for one or two of the five seats every year.

The selection of the board president is dictated by state law. Ed. Law § 1701 provides that "The board of education ... shall, at its first meeting and at each annual meeting thereafter, elect one of its members president." Thus, the board votes annually at the first meeting in July, after newly-elected and returning members are sworn in, to designate the president. The Manhasset board has also elected a vice-president of the board at that same time.

It is not an apt analogy to compare the President of the United States with a school board president. The US president controls the executive branch (one of the three branches) of the federal government, and the powers of that branch derived from the Constitution. The president of the school board does not control it, but has the same one vote as each of the other members of the board. The board can act only by majority vote. The board itself is also highly regulated by the state and federal governments.

Numerous other assertions appeared in last week's ad, including personal attacks on board members. Mr. Seltzer accuses the board of lack of transparency, yet he has not attended our board meetings. We urge the Manhasset community to make up their own minds by attending our meetings, and looking carefully for themselves at the facts of our student achievement and board initiatives designed to obtain greater efficiency.

Thomas J. Maimone

President, Manhasset Board of Education