On Monday, Dec. 5 the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Board of Education held a Leadership Forum for key stakeholder groups to identify issues and help establish priorities for the district. Invited groups included members of: Roosevelt, Vernon and the High School PTA's; SEPTA; PTA Council; Booster Club; Faculty Council; OBENANA; clerical unit; custodial unit; central administration and the board of education.

The meeting was held in an "open space" format, which gave all participants an equal footing and encouraged participation at every level. After a brief introduction and "ice breaker" we broke down into six smaller groups. Each group was charged with identifying three top priorities for the district. The groups gathered at the end of the meeting to share their data and compose a plan to move forward. A summary of those discussions, in largely unedited form, is posted on the home page of the school district website at www.obenschools.org.

I left the meeting feeling invigorated and very positive about our district. We have asked that all stakeholder groups share the notes from our meeting with their membership and be prepared to take it to the next level at our February Leadership Forum.

As we begin our budget process this year, the board is looking to encourage public participation in building the 2006-2007 budget from the ground up. The board will hold a public meeting to work on the budget on Saturday, Feb. 4. A complete budget meeting calendar and further details will be announced, but anyone who had concerns with the budget last year should attend this meeting.

James Smiros

President of the OB-EN Board of Education