MINUTES
BOARD OF EDUCATION
Regular Meeting – September 28, 2004
Riverhead High School Auditorium
PRESENT: President, Mrs. Lori H. Montefusco;
Vice President, Mrs. Nancy G. Gassert; Mrs. Kathleen Berezny; Mr. Timothy
Hubbard; and, Mrs. Christine Prete.
ABSENT: Mrs. Mary Ellen Harkin.
LATE: Mr. Timothy Griffing.
ALSO PRESENT: Dr. Joseph Laria, Mr. Joseph Singleton,
Mr. Richard Anderson, Mr. Joseph Ogeka and Christopher Powers, Esq.
President, Mrs. Montefusco,
opened the meeting at 5:50 p.m. with the pledge of allegiance to the flag.
A motion was made by Mrs.
Gassert, seconded by Mrs. Prete, to recess to executive session to discuss
personnel, contract administration and specific legal matters.
Yes
5 No 0
Motion
Carried.
The Board of Education
recessed to executive session at 5:51 p.m.
Mr. Griffing arrived at 6:00
p.m.
A motion was made by Mrs.
Gassert, seconded by Mr. Griffing, to return to open session.
Yes
6 No 0
Motion
Carried.
The Board of Education
returned to open session at 7:47 p.m.
A brief recess followed.
The meeting resumed at 7:55
p.m.
There were about 60 other
people in attendance.
ALSO PRESENT: Mrs. Barbara O’Kula.
A motion was made by Mrs.
Gassert, seconded by Mr. Hubbard, to approve the minutes of the following
meetings:
Pledge of Allegiance
Recess to
Executive Session
Return to
Open Session
-Approved
(103)
Minutes
Board of Education
September 28, 2004
Page 2
Regular
Meeting – May 25, 2004
Special Meeting – May 26,
2004
Regular Meeting – June 8,
2004
School Budget Re-Vote – June
15, 2004
Yes
6 No 0
Motion
Carried.
Dr. Joseph Laria commented
on the following:
-extended birthday wishes to
Board member, Kathleen Berezny, and emphasized her dedication of public service
to attend a board meeting on one’s birthday
-this evening’s presentation
of audit report for the 2003-04 school year by Donald Pearce of the independent
auditing firm, Miller Lilly and Pearce
-the school climate is
educationally sound based upon visits to the schools and thanked administration
and support staff that helps bring about advocacy for the children
Mrs. Montefusco addressed
parental concerns regarding removal of field trip funding from the budget. She remarked on the Board’s painstaking
task to review the budget, line by line, at the budget hearing and during which
field trips were discussed and cuts were made that would make the budget acceptable
to the public. If field trips are
restored, the allocation of funds would be reallocated from one budget line to
another. The board and
administration will revisit the issue to restore field trips. She also stated
that the Board of Education will begin to evaluate a proposed real property tax
exemption for qualified firefighter and ambulance volunteers allowed by state
law. They will seek input from the
public and consider the impact of the exemption, if approved, upon the
taxpayers in the district. The
Board continues to interview for the Superintendent candidacy and have targeted
the first week of October to meet with the finalist. A PTO executive council meeting is scheduled for October 6
at 7:30 p.m. at the Riverhead High School for the public to meet the
finalists.
She announced that the Board
of Education has agreed to the following assignment of Board members adopting a
school:
Opportunity for
The Superintendent
Opportunity for
Board Members
(104)
Minutes
Board of Education
September 28, 2004
Page 3
Lori Montefusco - Riley Avenue Elementary School
Nancy Gasert
- Roanoke Avenue Elementary
School and
Alternative School
Kathleen Berezny -
Riverhead High School
Timothy Griffing - Riverhead Middle School
Timothy Hubbard - Aquebogue Elementary School
Mary Ellen Harkin -
Pulaski Street School
Christine Prete - Phillips Avenue Elementary School
Mrs. Berezny reported on her
attendance to the NYSSBA Academy for Public School Governance on September
17-19 accompanied by fellow board member, Christine Prete. The classes were designed for veteran
and new board members and were very informative.
Comments heard from the
community included:
-costs associated with
action item, American Revolutionary Re-
enactors of New York (no definite number at this time but is
funded through Cultural Arts Program)
-request of population by
grade for each school (unavailable
at this time but offered current student population of each
school:
High School - 1,392
Middle School
-
785
Pulaski Street
-
761
Aquebogue - 444
Phillips
-
513
Riley
-
564
Roanoke - 366
-funding for action item,
Appointment of Consultants
(fully funded by grant, negotiated at a per diem rate, at no
expense incurred by the District)
-cost to the district for
action item, NYSSMA All-State Festival
(students are chosen according to performance level by the
music chairperson with the collaboration of music educators;
no stipend for chaperone)
-cost of action item, Out of
State Trip to Rhode Island and
insurance coverage (the district’s insurance covers students
traveling anywhere in the U.S.A. and costs are limited to
entry fees and transportation)
-support of real property
tax exemption for firefighter and
ambulance volunteers
Community
Comments
(105)
Minutes
Board of Education
September 28, 2004
Page 4
-Riverhead Fire Chief, Kevin
Davis, informed the Board that the
proposed legislative changes in the real property tax
exemption
law were
prompted to encourage recruitment of new and younger
volunteers in Suffolk and Nassau counties; that firefighters
are
required to complete more intensive hours of OSHA training;
and,
that the exemption would be at less cost to the taxpayers in
the
long run
-recommendation to the Board
to contact Suffolk County with
regard to availability of land on Rte. 25 as a site to
relocate the
bus garage and Middle School which has not been communicated
to the Space Planning Committee (The Space Planning
Committee is a separate and distinct committee from the Board
of
Education and their considerations are separate from that of
the
school district)
-suggestion to swap Grumman
site for Pergament (comments
should be directed to the Open Space Planning Committee)
-another suggestion to
utilize the Roanoke Avenue Elementary
School to house the Alternative High School, Pupil Personnel
Services and District Office
-concern that homosexuality
is being taught in health classes as an
acceptable alternative lifestyle (students are provided the
necessary knowledge and skills to establish and maintain
physical
fitness, participate in physical activities and maintain good
personal health)
A motion was made by Mrs.
Gassert, seconded by Mr. Hubbard, to approve the following resolution:
RESOLVED, that the Board of
Education of the Riverhead Central School District approves the historical
demonstration by the American Revolutionary Re-enactors of New York at the
Riverhead Middle School in a revolutionary encampment setting on November 18
and 19, 2004 (tentative). Costs to
be funded through the Cultural Arts Program.
Yes
6 No 0
Motion
Carried.
A motion was made by Mrs.
Gassert, seconded by Mrs. Berezny, to approve the following resolution:
-Approved
-Approved
(106)
Minutes
Board of Education
September 28, 2004
Page 5
RESOLVED, that the Board of
Education of the Riverhead Central School District accepts the award from the
New York State Energy Research & Development Authority for the retrofitting
of 30 school buses to reduce air pollution; and, authorizes the Interim
Superintendent of Schools to sign the grant on behalf of the
school district. This grant has an estimated value of
$60,000 and will be implemented over the current school year and is without
cost to the school district.
Yes
6 No 0
Motion
Carried.
A motion was made by Mrs.
Gassert, seconded by Mrs. Berezny, to approve the following resolution:
WHEREAS, the residents of
the Riverhead Central School District approved by referendum a bond issue
totaling $3,512,240 for the purchase of school buses, and
WHEREAS, the refinancing of
existing notes and issuance for the purchase of three 18-passenger vans, one
24-passenger track bus and two conventional buses during the 2004-05 year, will
require the issuance of bond anticipation notes in the amount of $1,124,000,
and
WHEREAS, formal quotes were
obtained for the school district by Munistat Services, Inc. resulting in a low
bid by Commerce Capital Markets at an annual net interest rate of 1.4226%, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, that the award is
hereby made to Commerce Capital Market; and, the President of the Board of
Education is hereby authorized to sign the necessary papers related to these
notes.
Yes
6 No 0
Motion
Carried.
Mr. Don Pearce of the
auditing firm, Miller Lilly & Pearce, reported on the district’s
independent audit report for July 1, 2004-June 30, 2004 and stated that the
district is moving in the right direction and is financially strong. A few items highlighted are that the
district received $3.4 million in grant monies last year and records show that
the district met compliance to use the funds for their intended purpose. The extra-classroom activity fund
determined that fund-raising activities by the students raised $219,000 and spent
-Approved
-Miller, Lilly & Pearce
-Accepted as
Amended
(107)
Minutes
Board of Education
September 28, 2004
Page 6
$195.000. The district has retained 2% of last
year’s $80 million budget in accordance with Real Property Tax law and $1.6
million has been set aside for emergencies. He suggested that the Board consider the hiring/appointment
of an internal auditor.
In a discussion that followed,
the Board of Education agreed to accept the report to be filed with the appropriate agencies.
A motion was made by Mrs.
Gassert, seconded by Mrs. Berezny, to amend the following resolution as
follows:
WHEREAS, the audit firm of
Miller, Lilly & Pearce has completed their audit of all district funds for
the 2003-04 fiscal year, and
WHEREAS, the Board of
Education has received copies of the Financial Statements and Auditors
Reports, dated August 5, 2004
therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the Financial
Statements and Auditors Reports for 2003-04 fiscal year is accepted for filing,
not endorsed or approved by the Board of Education; and, copies be forwarded to the Office of the State
Comptroller and the State Education Department.
Yes
6 No 0
Motion
to Amend Resolution Carried.
A motion was made by Mrs.
Gassert, seconded by Mrs. Berezny, to approve the following resolution as
amended:
WHEREAS, the audit firm of
Miller, Lilly & Pearce has completed their audit of all district funds for
the 2003-04 fiscal year, and
WHEREAS, the Board of
Education has received copies of the Financial Statements and Auditors
Reports, dated August 5, 2004
therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the Financial
Statements and Auditors Reports for 2003-04 fiscal year is accepted for filing,
not endorsed or approved by the Board of Education; and, copies be forwarded to the Office of the State
Comptroller and the State Education Department.
Yes
6 No 0
Motion
Carried as Amended.