In June when I stepped down from the board of education, it was with confidence that the district was in the hands of a competent and effective superintendent who for the next three years would work with the new board of education and the community to help guide them through the challenges facing the Manhasset School District. The evening of July 14,2004, I received a courtesy call from Tom Maimone, newly elected board president, informing me that he and Cindy Cardinal, newly elected board vice president, interpreted the superintendent's contract as ending in June 2005 and that the board had informed Dr. Bozzomo that his contract was not going to be renewed.

This past Wednesday an announcement was made by Dr. Bozzomo and Tom Maimone that they had come to a retirement agreement with a buyout. The vote of the board was three yes; Tom Maimone, Cindy Cardinal, Aline Katchadourian and two against; Debbie Klein and Larry Belinsky. Dr. Bozzomo will leave April 30. Although the specifics of this buyout were not explained this agreement should cost the district around $200,000 plus health benefits.

The haste and the timing of this decision leave many questions unanswered. Two of the board members, Aline Katchadourian and Larry Belinsky, had worked with Dr. Bozzomo for only two weeks before they made their decision. This calls into question why the community was not informed of their intentions before the board election. In Feb. 2003, Tom Maimone and Debbie Klein voted yes in a public resolution to extend Dr. Bozzomo's contract to June 2007 and also voted to adjust his salary. This was announced to the community at a board meeting and in the Manhasset Press. Why then did Mr. Maimone come to the conclusion in July that the superintendent's contract expired June 2005 and why did he vote to pay Dr. Bozzomo $200,000 to retire two months before he believes the contract ends?

What is even more troubling, in my opinion, is the fact that this board is not unanimous on such an important decision. One has to ask if it is prudent for this board to spend such a substantial sum of money as well as change leadership and direction midstream when they have not resolved the following critical issues: 1. The district is on austerity and is facing another difficult budget. 2. The board is at impasse with the teachers' union. 3. The board will begin negotiating another major contract with the support staff in June. 4. The schools are overcrowded and in need of major repair and 5. The board is contemplating outsourcing transportation.

Although Mr. Maimone did not give a specific reason for their decision, Dr. Bozzomo stated, "The community deserves and needs a board and district management team working together to meet the significant challenges that lie ahead." This statement suggests that members of this board would not work with this superintendent.

My recollection of the direction of this district in the last five years with a board who was willing to work with Dr. Bozzomo has been one with a focus on quality education and fiscal responsibility. Since his arrival the district has continually moved forward in all areas of education. The Whole Language curriculum was revised to include a more balanced Literacy Approach. Early intervention services and alternate reading programs were added. A curriculum review cycle was established and yearly tracking and reporting of all test scores was begun. Special Education services have been far reaching and the district was in the process of controlling the costs. The children, teachers and academic programs as well as the arts and athletic programs were consistently cited for excellence and in 2003 the high school was the only public school to be asked to join a consortium of private schools that excel in math, science and technology. That year the high school was also cited by Newsweek as one of the top 20 best high schools in the country. Mr. Maimone cited these and other facts about the excellence of the Manhasset schools at the recent Chamber of Commerce luncheon honoring Eileen Murphy and John Shorter, both Manhasset High School teachers.

Financially, when Dr. Bozzomo came to Manhasset in 1999, the per pupil cost was 14 percent higher than the next highest district in Nassau County. By 2003 the per pupil cost was down to 4 percent higher than the next highest district and in 2004 that cost was no longer the highest. Although the district is now in austerity, the original budget was one of the lowest in the county with a budget process that was open and transparent. In 2002 Dr. Bozzomo was able to negotiate a merit-based contract with the administrators which had been unheard of in New York State. Overcrowding in the schools, improvement of the facilities and inefficiencies in all areas especially in transportation were studied and in the process of being addressed by the present administration. The administrators listened to the board and the community and addressed many of the issues that were of concern.

A superintendent search is both costly and time consuming. A competitive salary and benefits will need to be offered in order to attract another quality superintendent. This search process and the transition to a new administration can bring the district to a standstill for a year or two. Can the district afford that? How much money has the board set aside from this austerity budget to pay for a professional search firm in their search for a new superintendent and what will the board be willing to offer as salary and benefits to this person? How much money has been set aside to compensate an interim superintendent? More important, what children's programs are at risk because of these added expenses?

A school district is about the children and Manhasset epitomizes the best in educational opportunity for all. In the last five years, Manhasset has continually moved forward with a hard working and dedicated team of administrators, teachers and staff under the leadership of Dr. Bozzomo. Why fix what isn't broken?

I hope this board has given a great deal of thought to all the possible repercussions of their decision. Time will tell.

Barbara Donno

Past President, Manhasset Board of Education