Again, the board meeting on March 17 was held in the auditorium to accommodate the larger number of residents attending. One of the first items discussed was the need for a fence at the Munsey Park Elementary School playground where a large area remains unfenced. The district is under austerity and money cannot be spent on capital improvements unless health and safety issues can be shown. Bill Clemency designed the fence at no cost to the district, the attorney rendered a decision that it is in fact a health and safety issue, and the fence will cost approximately $6,000.

Dr. Lawrence Bozzomo, superintendent of schools, spoke of the ongoing dialogue with the liaison committee, established between the school district and the Manhasset EOC, to ensure that all individuals respect diversity. The group endorsed eight initiatives to deal with the challenge. They are as follows:

1. Make a Clear Definitive Statement of Beliefs Condemning Racial Intimidation and Indeed Intimidation of Any Type

2. Promulgate a Joint Press Release (Manhasset Press, March 17, page 38)

3. Review the Code of Conduct and Recommend Changes where Appropriate - The current Code of Conduct was last revised in 1997

4. Establish a Liaison Committee

5. Explore the Need for Sensitivity Training

6. Recruitment

7. Student Advisory Group

8. Student Patterns of Participation

Tom Maimone, board president, informed the community that by March 29 the firm conducting the search for a new superintendent should produce a slate of five candidates.

Topics raised during public comments were the use of steroids by high school students, the need to trim "redundancy" at the top and not cut programs, and how difficult it is to get information from the administration under the Freedom of Information Act. A member of the district support staff slated to lose her job spoke from the podium to put a face on the cuts being made. A resident commented that the board has been working tirelessly on the budget, and another asked that the board make it crystal clear what issues will be placed on the ballot with the budget because of the confusion last year surrounding the proposition extending the walking distance. One resident asked why non-resident tuition, said to be around $10,000-$17,000, is well below the roughly $23,000 paid by residents. The answer was the amount is determined by a formula set by the state.

When Austin Gavin, interim assistant superintendent for business, next spoke he said he was disheartened by the flier distributed door to door by the MSICAC, and was told by others to strike back, item by item, but he said he felt differently. He said he wanted to speak from the heart, not the calculator. Gavin said he hopes to solve problems through collaboration, through working together and he believes the answers will come from listening to each other, from finding a middleground. He explained that any cut proposed will have proponents for or against the cut. He said when he assumed the position of interim assistant superintendent for business near the beginning of the year he asked the community to walk the journey with him, to walk together, to stay together, to learn about each other. He said, by way of illustration, "If I don't want what you want, don't say I'm wrong and don't change me into a copy of you." He recounted a story underlining the need to build bridges, not fences.

The student senate spoke next and said they had held an open meeting where any student in the school could air concerns and that they were preparing a letter to be sent to the SCA and the board based on their findings. They are also involved, among other issues, with reviewing the code of conduct for the high school.

Before the budget presentations the Gifted and Talented program came under review and the CAC, recently formed to study outsourcing transportation, gave their report. Those presentations will be covered next week.

The budget for the high school building given by William Stark, principal, and a summary of those expenses for 2004-05/2005-06 with the variance is:

Compensation: $10,458,000/$10,595,000 up 1.3 percent;

Benefits: $2,519,000/$3,020,000 up 19.9 percent;

Equipment: 0/$64,000;

Other expenses; $600,400/$594,200 down 1.1 percent;

Supplies: $192,200/$186,000 down 5.2 percent;

Total direct costs: $13,733,600/$14,459,200 up 4.9 percent;

Total students: 819/804 down 1.8 percent;

Direct cost per pupil: $16,818/$17,984 up 6.9 percent

The art, music and drama budget was presented by Barbara Trancredi, interim director of music and the arts, and a summary of expenses for 2004-05/2005-06 with the variance is:

Compensation: $1,969,400/$2,007,200 up 1.9 percent;

Benefits: $437,000/$527,000 up 20.6 percent;

Equipment: 0/$38,300;

Other expenses; $140,000/$123,400 down 11.9 percent;

Supplies: $33,000/$36,700 up 11.2 percent;

Total direct costs: $2,579,400/$2,732,600 up 5.9 percent;

Total students: 2,825/2,895 up 2.5 percent;

Direct cost per pupil: $913/$944 up 3.4 percent

The building and grounds budget was presented by Armand Markarian, director of buildings and facilities, and a summary of costs for 2004-05/2005-06 with the variance is:

Compensation: $2,330,300/$2,161,700 down 7.2 percent;

Benefits: $720,000/$857,700 up 19.1 percent;

Equipment: $16,000/$40,000 up 150.0 percent;

Other expenses; $1,609,700/$1,482,000 down 7.9 percent;

Supplies: $148,200/$141,900 down 4.3 percent;

Total direct costs: $4,824,200/$4,683,300 down 2.9 percent;

Total students: 2,825/2,895 up 2.5 percent;

Direct cost per pupil: $1,708/$1,618 down 5.3 percent

To date the budget has been through eight drafts and stands at $68,661,702 representing a 5.4 percent budget increase. Around the beginning of the year when Austin Gavin arrived the budget stood at a 12.8 percent increase. Under austerity a 3.8 percent budget increase is permitted.

For a more detailed breakdown of expenses contact Brenda Damiani, in Community Services, at 267-7750.