At one time, John Jackson held the second highest administrative position in the Mineola School District, but on Thursday, he stood solemnly in front of William C. Donnino of Nassau County Court as the judge handed down a sentence of five years probation and 90 days in jail for bribe receiving and official misconduct, which Jackson pled guilty to in October.

The case against Jackson has been an agonizing one for the Mineola School District, which has seen its image eroded in the months following Jackson's arrest in January 2005.

After an investigation by the Nassau District Attorney's Office, Jackson was arrested and eventually indicted on 20 charges. He pled guilty in October on charges of bribe receiving and official misconduct for taking approximately $28,902 from the Mineola School District in the form of labor, the cost of patio materials, the cost of a home lawn sprinkler system and district funds to pay for sod and landscape materials to be installed at his home in Commack.

The sentence of restitution in the amount of $28,902 to the Mineola School District, $45,300 in civil forfeiture, five years probation and the sentence of a maximum of 90 days in prison was agreed upon by Judge Victor Ort.

Donnino, who inherited the case from Ort, agreed to abide by Ort's decision but chose to give Jackson the maximum number of days of jail time in that decision.

Jackson's attorney, Dennis Lemke, argued for a small period of incarceration or just probation, saying that Jackson, 46, has no prior criminal history, has provided restitution and has suffered financial hardship as a result of the loss of his livelihood.

However, Donnino called Jackson's conduct egregious and said that the consequences of such actions, regardless of the fact that Jackson has no prior criminal history, warrant jail time.

With Mineola Superintendent of Schools Dr. Lorenzo Licopoli and Mineola Board of Education President Donna Strein in the courtroom, Jackson, who has three children ages 8, 7 and 2, offered no explanation or apology when he was afforded the opportunity to speak.

However, Strein read a lengthy statement from the board and referred to the two bond referendums and budget failings that occurred last year. "His actions have harmed this district in more ways than just stealing money. The violation of trust is perhaps the most disconcerting action, particularly with the relationships he shaped with the community, board of education, superintendent of schools, and his administrative colleagues. His actions have created a climate which has weakened the confidence of many of the residents of this community in the ability of its board of education and administration to faithfully and properly carry out its mission," Strein said. "After Mr. Jackson's initial arrest, we attempted to secure voter approval for a construction bond in order to fund these vital projects. Perhaps not surprisingly, the bond vote failed. Many residents told us privately, as well as at public meetings, that they would not support such a bond due to their lack of confidence and trust in the district as a direct result of Mr. Jackson's misdeeds. Consequently, our children and staff must utilize aging facilities in serious need of repair. We are powerless to remedy this situation in the foreseeable future."

Strein went on to say that Jackson's misuse of district funds has eroded the public's trust in the school district. "We believe that, in addition to the taxpayers' money, Mr. Jackson stole something far more valuable from our community, namely, the public's trust in our school system," she said.

In many ways, Jackson represented the district as a high-ranking administrator. He could be seen at homecoming parade and often gave presentations to the board and to the public at board of education meetings. It seems surreal that an administrator earning $140,000 a year would choose to steal $29,000 in landscaping materials and labor.

Strein acknowledged, in the board's statement, that "many residents believed that Mr. Jackson's arrest was only the tip of the iceberg, and that other financial misappropriations would soon be discovered."

However, in an interview with the Mineola American after Jackson agreed to plead guilty in October, Nassau Assistant District Attorney Colin O'Donnell said the investigation was completed. The only other wrongdoing was found on the part of painting vendor Michael Crisci, with whom Jackson dealt. The three district workers who worked at Jackson's Commack house were not prosecuted. O'Donnell said they cooperated with the investigation and were following the directives of a superior.

The wrongdoing at various Long Island school districts including Mineola has shaken the public's trust. "It's hurting the school district because every time something doesn't look right, it looks like there was somebody stealing," said Mineola Civic Association President Bill Urianek. "I know it's going to be tough for school districts to get anything passed and you can't blame the taxpayers."

"I certainly do feel the public's trust has been eroded," said school district resident Mark Diercks, who believes that Dr. Licopoli should shoulder some of that burden as Jackson's supervisor. "It kind of brings back the old saying, 'Who was tending the store?'"

O'Donnell said Jackson was able to conduct criminal activity over a two-year period because of his position as assistant superintendent for finance and operations. In that role, Jackson was the individual in charge of approving the payment for contracts. "He was able to request kickbacks. He would request gratuities or bribes from [the contractors] in order to continue being vendors of the school district," said O'Donnell. "We had no indication that others in the school district were aware that he was doing this. No one in the school district would have a reason to know."

Dr. Licopoli has said the district has put in measures to prevent this type of crime from occurring. The state comptroller's office is currently conducting an audit of the district and at this Thursday's board of education meeting, the audit by the firm of Callaghan and Nawrocki will be presented.

On Feb. 28, the school board will bring a $10 million bond referendum before voters for much needed capital repairs such as the replacement of windows at Mineola High School. The district faces a dilemma in having to ask the public for money while a former superintendent serves time. Urianek said he doesn't believe the Jackson scandal will affect the bond vote and said he would probably vote for the bond since the revenue from the district's agreement with Nextel for the use of communication frequencies will be used to make the bond payments.

(Note: The board of education's statement, which was also sent in the form of a letter, to the judge can be seen in the editorial section of this newspaper.)