December 2007
 BOARD BRIEFS
Office of Public Information, Mamaroneck Union Free School District/ 914-220-3070 

§         Independent Auditor’s Report: Scott Oling of Bennett Kielson Storch Yablon & DeSantis presented a summary of their report which concludes that the district is in the strongest financial condition that it can be in as a school district in New York State.

§         MHS Student Report by Jodi Miller and Charlotte Gardiner: students have been very busy—more than 60 students donated blood, $13,000 was raised for Fields for Kids, Pet Adoption club collected 200 cans of pet food, hot chocolate day raised money for the ambulance corps. Student council is sponsoring free SAT tutoring. COAST dance was a huge success. The Junior Class had college night, already; Peer Leaders had their first trip to the Hommocks. Green Week was held to promote the use of alternative fuels. Many issues were raised at the last student forum and they are being addressed by the high school administration. Thanks to Bill Derby, MHS Info is back. Safe Rides was suspended last year for a variety of reasons but is looking for parent volunteers to help reorganize in order to bring it back.

§         Tax Certioraris: The board approved these court-ordered tax certioraris: $15,634.66 and $13,023.61.

§         The board expressed its thanks for a $500 donation from the Exxon Mobil Corporation for the Mamaroneck Avenue School principal’s discretionary fund.

§         Student Honors: Congratulations to the MHS FBLA members who won awards at the FBLA National Fall Leadership Conference in November in Buffalo. Individual Event: Grace Novikoff placed 1st and Giancarlo Riso placed 2nd in the Battle of the Chapters. Team Event: Grace Novikoff and Elias Everett placed 1st in separate Battle of the State, Eastern Region. Battle of the Chapters tests members’ knowledge of the FBLA national organization and current events.
Congratulations to the members of the MHS Trivia Team who participated in a “Knowledge Master Open” competition, placing 1st in Westchester County, 5th in New York State, and 136th out of the 748 teams that competed both nationally and internationally:  Alexander Leaf, Katharine Rice, Ben Viagas, Neil McMillan, Emma Murphy, Henry Nabholz, Isabelle Bourdain, Wednesday Derrico, Brendan Gaffney, Alec Genecin, Gregory Maller, Luke Randall, Christina Angilletta, Amanda Ligouri.  The “Knowledge Master Open” is an academic competition in which teams of student answer curriculum-based contest questions (200 at the high school level) on a CD-ROM, using a computer at their own schools. 

§         December 4th Study Session Report by Nancy Pierson. The board continued its discussion of the proposed field improvement plan. Fields are currently used to their fullest capacity and cannot meet current needs. To meet current and future needs, proposals call for increasing number of fields and improving playing surfaces. Two plans presented on November 13 are outlined on district website. Bill Aniskovitch, district fields’ consultant, addressed questions regarding the cost of grass versus an synthetic turf; alternative synthetic turf products; environmental concerns about use of synthetic turf. The board reached consensus that it is in favor of pursuing the most extensive field plan with some form of artificial turf and can now begin the SEQRA process.
The board discussed a separate plan for the field at Central School, which is used gym classes, modified sports teams and community youth and lacrosse programs. Given the heavy usage, grass is not a viable option but more study is needed to determine what surface is appropriate. The board also discussed the main playgrounds at Chatsworth and Murray, which need to be resurfaced for safety reasons. Rather than simply replace the asphalt, the board is considering a softer, safer surface based on concerns voiced by staff and parents. The cost estimate of new surfaces is substantial but further work needs to be done to refine the plans, working with the playground committees at both schools. (See the full report on the website.)

§         Board Committee Reports:
o       Communications Committee: Robin Nichinsky reported that nine community members participated in a focus group on December 4. Of this group, the most popular means for getting district news are: the Larchmont Gazette, school and PTA newsletters, Know Your Schools and Board Briefs. While the parents rely mostly on school newsletters, PTA emails and Board Briefs, the non-parents rely more heavily on newspapers and word of mouth. Their recommendations included that the district try to get more information to community members more frequently, probably using email, and to get more positive stories about our schools and students into the media using a variety of vehicles. The group was glad that the district was reaching out to the community for feedback and ideas. The Communication Committee was excited by the many suggestions received.

§         Report from Dr. Fried on several topics: Dr. Fried complimented the teachers and students involved in PACE’s Kinesthetia and the All Media student art show.  In view of the parking and dismissal issues at the elementary schools and Hommocks, the district is working with Mamaroneck Town officials to address safety concerns. The administration is working with school physician, Dr. Ann Engelland to develop guidelines regarding athletes who have suffered concussions and when they can return to play. The MHS safety and security committee are continuing the work started last year that include looking at the school culture.
Dr. Fried thanked Jan Northrup and John Esposito for their efforts with “Wreaths Across America” which stopped briefly at the Kemper Memorial on its way to Arlington Cemetery.

§         Renaming of Hommocks Auditorium. In response to heartfelt letters from the academic community, district retirees, and former administrators, the board discussed dedicating the Hommocks auditorium to Rick North, former principal of Hommocks who passed away this year. The board and current administrators agree that this would be a fitting tribute to a man who was a real educational leader and a visionary regarding middle school education. It was suggested that holding a ceremony for this purpose in the fall would coincide with the fortieth anniversary of the Hommocks School.

§         Drivers Ed Program, which is regulated by State Education Department, needs a certified instructor to teach the classroom section of the program. The district has been unable to find a qualified individual and therefore cannot offer the program at the current time. Updates will be sent to parents via Tiger Bytes.

§         Overview of Budget Process by Meryl Rubinstein, Assistant Superintendent for Business Operations. The development of the budget for 2008-09 began in October when central staff and building administrators met to discuss and identify the needs in their buildings. The timeline going forward is: presentation of a preliminary budget to the Board of Education on 2/22; community meetings on March 4, 12 and 15 (Saturday); Board votes to adopt a budget on April 8; voter registration day on May 14; and BUDGET VOTE on May 20.
Ms. Rubinstein stated that her first budget in Mamaroneck would stress fiscal responsibility while emphasizing the needs of children. The addition of any new programs will include an evaluation of current programs. The administration is encouraging a collaborative approach within each building, asking for input from teachers and others and giving the principals more flexibility with their budget allocations.
Ms. Rubinstein outlined the basics of the revenues and expenditures that make up the budget. The administration and board stressed the importance of the community getting educated about the budget by coming to meetings, asking questions and sharing their views in a variety of ways including:
Email: budget@mamkschools.org and a new BUDGET HOTLINE: 220-3028. The hotline will allow residents to ask questions and give comments. Budget information will also be posted on the website.        It is critical that the board hear from the community before a final budget is adopted when it is still possible for changes to be made.    

 §         Future Meeting Dates:
Tues., Jan 8 -- Study Session CANCELLED; Board will be holding meetings about building committee proposals and field improvement plan at various schools and locations to be announced.
Tues., Jan. 15 at 7:30pm--Regular Meeting /MHS Tiered Classroom; Special Education Report moved to February meeting