Last week, predictably, Mr. Lou Kaplan and the district leadership mailed to us a "massaged" version (I thought I was at a health spa!) of the N.Y. S. Report Card results for OB-EN. Here's what Mr. Kaplan didn't tell you:

A. Roosevelt - The New York Times (March 8) reported that our third-graders, when compared with children in 17 similar Nassau County schools, ranked fifth from the bottom in both reading at grade level and reading with distinction.

B. Vernon - Newsday (March 8) reported that our sixth-graders, when compared with children in 34 similar Nassau County schools, ranked last in percentage of students reading above a minimum level, second to last in reading at a typical level, and third from the bottom on reading with distinction. In addition, the percentage of students suspended from school is significantly higher than similar schools and has increased each of the past three years, while similar schools have not.

C. Oyster Bay High School - while the district report emphasized a 17 percent increase in the percentage of students receiving a Regents Diploma, the "massaged" report failed to state that only 3 additional students received a Regents Diploma! The percentage increase is high only because students with limited English proficiency were not required to be tested. Thirteen percent of our graduates go directly to employment. At similar schools the percentage isn't higher than 6 percent. Our suspension rate is three times that of similar schools. We placed fifth in the percentage of students going to four-year colleges. None of our special education students received a Regents Diploma. Imagine these results with only 101 graduates!

Mr. Kaplan and the district leadership want to convince us that they have done a wonderful job as managers of our system. Nothing could be further from the truth!

What is the truth is that the district, of all years, needs to pass its budget. The Regents graduation requirements simply demand that additional positions and staff development be provided if we are to be successful. What the board needs to understand is that you can't support for re-election board members who haven't done the job.