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Board Adopts Budget for 2008-09
Spending Plan with 4.60% Increase Includes Many New Initiatives;
Capital Project Referendum and Trustee Election Also on the Ballot
APRIL 11, 2008 — By a unanimous vote, the Board of Education adopted a school budget for 2008-09 on April 10 that includes many new initiatives and a continuation of the district's ongoing capital improvement plan. The $94,156,392 budget represents a 4.60% increase over the current year. The tax levy is projected to increase 4.87% with an estimated average property tax increase of 5.66%.
In his letter to the community, Dr. Richman explains that the cost of new instructional initiatives is almost entirely offset by cost savings.
Voters will also elect two trustees to the Board of Education. The candidates (in the order they will appear on the ballot) are incumbents Meryl Waxman Ben-Levy and Clifford Saffron.
Voters will also be asked to vote on a special ballot measure, Proposition 3, which would authorize the Board of Education to expend $1,500,000 from the Capital Reserve Fund for capital projects in 2008-09. A year ago, voters authorized the Board of Education to establish a 10-year Capital Reserve Fund to address ongoing capital needs. The Board transferred $1.5 million into the fund in 2007-08, and may transfer up to $2.5 million annually to a maximum of $10 million. Approval of Proposition 3 will not increase taxes in the 2008-09 school year as these funds were previously set aside for this purpose.
Also on the ballot will be the election of two school board trustees and the Bryant Library's 2008-09 budget. Residents must be registered to vote prior to the election. For voter information, call 625-6599.
Voting will take place on Tuesday, May 20 from 7am to 9pm in the Roslyn High School gymnasium.
[NOTE: The estimated average tax increase was updated based on new information received from the Nassau County Department of Assessment on May 2, 2008. The average estimated tax increase of 5.66% is lower than the 5.92% projection in the printed edition of the SCOPE newsletter, which went to press prior to the receipt of the revised assessment information.]
[Note: Following adoption of the budget by the Board on April 10, the district received word that its mandated appropriation for the Nassau BOCES administrative budget allocation for the Roslyn School District for 2008-09 had been reduced by $22,607. Consequently, the proposed budget has been reduced by that amount. Some earlier published accounts of the proposed budget were $22,607 higher than the correct total of $94,156,392 reported here.]
• Proposed Budget 2008-09
• Budget Newsletter including the Board's message to the community
• Tax Projection and Homeowners' Tax Calculator
• Absentee Ballot Application
Kathleen Rice Addresses Board and Community
District Attorney Gives Update on Embezzlement Case & Restitution Efforts
MARCH 18, 2008 — Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice addressed the Roslyn school community on March 18 at Roslyn Middle School to provide an update on the embezzlement case and on the continuing efforts to recover stolen funds. She was joined in her presentation by Assistant District Attorney Peter Mancuso, who was the lead prosecutor in the case, and Robert Nigro, who has led the restitution effort in the D.A.'s Civil Forfeiture Division.
Ms Rice credited Mr. Mancuso for building such a strong case against each of the defendants that none had to go to trial to obtain convictions. Mr. Mancuso reviewed the cases against the six individuals who were convicted and gave an update on the sentences handed down to each of them. Four are currently serving prison sentences: the former superintendent, Frank Tassone; former assistant superintendent for business, Pamela Gluckin; former account clerk, Debra Rigano; and Tassone's partner, Stephen Signorelli. The district's former auditor, Andrew Miller, already completed his prison sentence, and one defendant, Gluckin's son, provided full restitution did not serve time in prison.
On the matter of restitution, Ms Rice and her colleagues noted that it is unusual to be able to recover large amounts of money in thefts of this size because the stolen funds are normally spent by the defendants. The district has therefore been very fortunate to have recovered $5.5 million to date through the seizure and forfeiture of money and property as well as settlements in civil suits. Restitution efforts are ongoing, both through the D.A.'s office and civil litigation brought by the Board of Education. For example, a recent auction of art and jewelry bought by two of the defendants brought an additional $30,000 to the district, and payments from Gluckin's pension are made to the district every month.
Prior to the meeting, the district attorney toured the middle school building with members of the Board and district administration, where she was shown some of the construction deficiencies in the expansion and renovation project that was undertaken earlier in this decade. One of the ongoing areas of litigation is against the general contractor, construction manager and architect in an effort to recover hundreds of thousands of dollars the district has had to expend to correct numerous defects.
Photos: (top left) District Attorney Kathleen Rice addresses the Roslyn community at the middle school on March 18. (bottom right) Ms. Rice with members of the Board of Education before the meeting as they reviewed the basis for litigation concerning construction in the middle school building.A New Principal is Appointed for East Hills School
FEBRUARY 1, 2008 — Allison Brown-Feldman has been appointed as the new principal of the East Hills School. She will assume her position on July 1, 2008.
Ms. Brown-Feldman is currently principal of the James H. Vernon Elementary School in the Oyster Bay-East Norwich School District. She also served as principal of the Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School in the same district from 2001 to 2007. Prior to that she taught in the Rockville Centre school district. Ms. Brown-Feldman is a graduate of SUNY Oneonta with a BS in Elementary Education, and earned a master's degree in Special Education from Hofstra University.
"We are very fortunate to have been able to find a candidate as exceptional as Allison Brown-Feldman," said Superintendent of Schools Dr. John A. Richman. "I am confident that she will provide outstanding educational leadership for the East Hills School in the years to come."
Dr. Mark Rosenbaum is serving as the East Hills School principal on an interim basis for the 2007-08 school year.
Rev. Joel L. King, Jr. Visits Roslyn Middle and High Schools
Cousin of Martin Luther King, Jr. Brings Inspirational Message to Students
JANUARY 16, 2008 — The Rev. Joel L. King, Jr., a minister from Ohio who is first cousin to Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered several addresses to Roslyn students and others as the Roslyn community observed the birthday of Dr. King.
Rev. King visited the Roslyn Middle School on January 14 and Roslyn High School on January 15, speaking to a series of assemblies that included the entire student bodies of both schools. He challenged students to overcome hatred by reaching out to people they don't know, to follow their dreams for a better future, and to make a difference in the world. "You are not the future, you are the present," he told them.
In describing the historical roots of the civil rights movement, Rev. King encouraged students to be involved in events, to participate in our democracy and to never take our freedoms for granted. He reminded students that not only Martin Luther King, Jr., but many others have given their lives for our rights and freedoms and that we honor their sacrifice by being full participants in society.
Rev. King was also the featured speaker at the annual community program on Tuesday evening, which is co-sponsored by the Roslyn School District and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Committee.
Martin Luther King, Jr. would have been 79 years old on January 15. April 4 will be the 40th anniversary of his assassination.
Photos: (top left) Rev. King speaking to an audience of high school students on Tuesday, January 15. (top right) Rev. Joel L. King, Jr. greets students at the Roslyn Middle School before addressing assemblies there on Monday, January 14. (bottom left) High School students engage Rev. King in discussion following the assemblies on Tuesday. (bottom right) Dominique Ingram was the host for the annual community program in honor of the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Tuesday evening in the Roslyn Middle School auditorium.
Self-Awareness Day at Roslyn High School
Program Addresses Many Issues Facing Adolescents
NOV 21, 2007 —
On Wednesday, November 14, Roslyn High school hosted a school-wide event called "Self Awareness Day. This program provided the students and faculty with assemblies and over 100 different workshops that addressed current issues facing adolescents today, such as gambling, date rape and dating violence, sexuality and healthy relationships. Workshops also focused on fitness and wellness. Agencies throughout Long Island provided guest speakers and instructors.
The day was arranged to enable every high school student to participate in four one-hour programs. Each high school student attended two workshops and two assemblies and was given a complimentary lunch. The day also provided workshops arranged especially for staff members. Through the coordinated efforts of Assistant Principal Jay Pilnick, Social Worker Barbara Hochman, Teachers Cathy Dodd and Michele Atkins, and a student committee, the day was a huge success and provided both students and faculty with a great deal of interesting, timely and useful information.
Photo: Among the many presenters on Self-Awareness Day at Roslyn High School was Peter Hawkins, who became a paraplegic as a result of a drunk-driving accident while he was a senior in high school.
Martin Luther King Dinner Benefits Scholarship Fund
More Than $6,000 Raised for College Assistance
NOV 8, 2007 —
NOV 2, 2007 —
Dr. John Richman gave a presentation entitled "Negotiating So Everybody Wins" at the annual conference of the New York State School Boards Association in New York City on October 27. Some 150 school administrators and board of education members from across the state attended this presentation at the Sheraton Hotel on alternative methods to traditional negotiations.
Based upon the principles of William Ury, author of "Getting To Yes", and the work of the Program on Negotiation at Harvard University, participants were able to understand how this "interest-based" process can increase opportunities for success which benefit both sides in a negotiation. Dr. Richman was joined in making the presentation by two of his former colleagues from the Plainedge Public Schools, Chris P'Simer, the current superintendent of schools in Plainedge, and Laura Pokorny, the president of the Plainedge Federation of Teachers. They held everyone's attention with interactive activities to demonstrate how both sides can win in negotiations.
OCT 22, 2007 —During National School Bus Safety Week, October 22-26, it is a good time to recognize the exemplary safety record of our bus drivers and take a few moments to remember that everyone has a role to play in school bus safety.
More than 2.3 million children in New York ride to and from school every day on the safest form of travel in the nation: a yellow school bus. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, children are nearly eight times safer riding in a school bus than with their own parents in their cars.
According to the New York Association for Pupil Transportation, a New York school student will step onto or off a school bus over 1.6 billion times during this school year. The goal of all school transportation professionals is to ensure a safe and secure experience each and every time children board or leave one of our buses. Motorists have a responsibility, too: to STOP whenever they see the red flashing lights and extended stop sign on the school bus. Short of a DWI conviction, failing to stop for a school bus carries the most serious fines and the most points of any driving violation.
Like school bus drivers throughout the state, Roslyn's drivers undertake extensive preparation and training and are also subject to background checks and physical performance tests that assure their worthiness to drive the yellow school bus. Advanced routing systems and a highly experienced staff helps to get children to and from school as safely, efficiently and quickly as possible.
The New York State Legislature has designated October 24 as School Bus Driver Appreciation Day. It is an opportunity to acknowledge our drivers for their professionalism and to commit ourselves to a continuing effort on behalf of child safety.
PHOTO: ALEX KASSIMIR
Roslyn residents came together to support the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Fund at the 18th Annual 2nd Year Scholarship Dinner on November 7, 2007, at the Swan Club. The dinner raised more than $6,000 for scholarship assistance for Roslyn graduates who have successfully completed their first year of college.
Three members of the community — Stu Botwinick, Regina Colardi and Bobbi Stern — were honored for their invaluable contributions to the youth of the Roslyn community, and Roslyn alumna and past scholarship recipient Qiana Burton was presented with the Achievement Award.
For the last 25 years, the fund has enabled more than 225 Roslyn students to pursue their goals of higher education. A separate fundraising campaign every winter supports the first-year scholarship fund.
Photos (clockwise from top left):
Mistress of Ceremonies and former Roslyn High School Assistant Principal Joan Greenfield (center) with Achievement Award honoree Qiana Burton (left) and her mother, Odessa Burton.
Honoree Stuart Botwinick (right) was introduced by Paul Isserles (left) of the Sid Jacobson JCC.
Phoebe Goodman (left) introduced honoree Barbara Stern (right), formerly the director of the Building Blocks Day Care program.
Honoree Regina Colardi, Principal of the Heights School, (left) was introduced by Assistant Principal Dot McHugh (right).
Superintendent Presents at State School Boards Convention
Alternative Negotiation Methods is Topic at Well-Attended Session
School Bus Safety is Everyone's Concern
October 22-26 is National School Bus Safety Week
An Unforgettable Homecoming
OCT 15, 2007 —
Roslyn celebrated Homecoming '07 on Saturday, October 13. It was an exquisite autumn day that matched the spirit of the students and the extraordinary crowds that came out to cheer them on. The slide show highlights many of the weekend's events, from the pep rally on Friday afternoon through Saturday morning's varsity boys' soccer game, breakfast, parade, dedication of the new turf field, varsity football game and the Marching Bulldogs' halftime show.
School Personnel Helpful to Police in Capture of Vandals
TWO ARRESTED IN WEEKEND INCIDENT
SEP 4, 2007 —
A Roslyn School District security guard who discovered a swastika painted on a school bus over Labor Day weekend was among the individuals in several north shore communities whose assistance led to the arrest of two men from Manhasset.
As was reported over the weekend, vandals wrote anti-Semitic graffiti in a number of locations in the area, including a synagogue in Plandome and a house in Roslyn Estates. The swastika on the Roslyn school bus was removed by district staff immediately after the police finished their investigation, and no other buses or district property were affected.
The bus that was defaced was parked close to Round Hill Road, and the school district does not appear to have been a specific target of the vandalism. Nonetheless, security staff will be on extra alert as the school year begins and the district will continue to assist the police in any way possible.
"This unfortunate incident will not detract from what we expect to be an exciting opening of school on Wednesday," said Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Richman. "I had the pleasure of greeting all of the district's faculty and staff this morning at the high school, and the mood was very upbeat. We are looking forward to a great year."
Dr. Richman continued, "Many Roslyn students and staff have been involved over the years in local and county-wide programs to combat prejudice, and this kind of mindless attack should serve as a catalyst for all of us to actively confront this problem in our society."
New Turf Field at Roslyn High School
BULLDOG BOOSTERS LEAD FUNDRAISING EFFORT
AUG 16, 2007 —
Work began on August 15 on the installation of an artificial turf field at Roslyn High School, thanks to a generous gift from the Roslyn Bulldog Boosters. The new field will replace the existing grass football field.
Over the last two years, the Bulldog Boosters undertook an ambitious and highly successful fundraising campaign, which culminated in a $650,000 gift to the school district in July.
The field is being installed by Landtek, a company which has installed similar turf fields at many high schools, colleges and other public facilities in the region.
While commonly referred to as the football field, the field is actually used by numerous boys' and girls' varsity and junior varsity teams, particularly for lacrosse and soccer. While some practices and games will have to be relocated during the first weeks of the fall athletic season, Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Richman recommended to the Board that the district begin the project now so that it can be available for at least part of the fall season.
"This will be an outstanding facility and a great source of pride for Roslyn for decades to come," Dr. Richman said. "I am confident that our coaches, athletes and their families will agree that the ultimate value of being able to play on a turf field will far outweigh any minor inconvenience we may experience now."
The projected completion date is October 6. To ensure proper safety, the high school track that encircles the field will be closed during construction.
PHOTOS: [upper right] Work under way in August to prepare for the installation of the new turf field.[lower left] School officials and representatives of the Bulldog Boosters visit the site and review the progress of construction in early September. From l. to r.: Thomas Mohrman, Assistant to the Superintendent for Operations; Steven Shenfeld, Co-President of the Bulldog Boosters; Dani Kline, School Board President; Jodi Efros, Co-President of the Bulldog Boosters; Dr. John Richman, Superintendent of Schools; and Dr. Mira Martincich, Director of Physical Education, Athletics and Recreation.
Click here to see more photos showing the progress of the installation.
Click for information about the Bulldog Boosters' "Bulldog Bricks" Fundraising Campaign.
AUG 10, 2007 —
The tax bill for Roslyn taxpayers will be lower in 2007-08 than expected at the time of the budget vote last May, as the Board of Education approved a tax levy on August 9 that is $250,000 less than originally projected.
Before the budget vote, district officials anticipated that the tax levy would increase by 3.6 percent. The actual tax levy will instead increase by 3.3 percent
The reason for the lower tax impact is the district's decision to return more money to the taxpayers from the funds remaining at the end of the 2006-07 fiscal year. Additional funds became available as a result of the aggressive pursuit of recovery of misappropriated funds by the school district and the better than anticipated results of limiting expenditures and enhancing revenues during the 2006-07 fiscal year. The long-term plan is to apply $250,000 per year over the next five years to mitigate future tax levy increases.
"Roslyn finds itself in the enviable position of having more money at the end of the 2006-07 school year than was expected when the budget was put together last year," said Assistant Superintendent for Business Joseph Dragone. Dr. John Richman, Superintendent of Schools, recommended to the Board that additional funds be returned to the taxpayers. "It is only fitting that the taxpayers receive some of the benefit of this recovery right now," said Mr. Dragone, "and prudent to keep additional funds in reserve to hold tax levy increases steady over the next few years as we address other educational and facilities needs."
Taxpayers are reminded that taxes are influenced by many complex factors that are not controlled by the Board of Education. These include changes in assessed valuation, base proportions, equalization rates and the STAR and other tax exemptions. Homeowners can calculate how their school taxes are likely to change next year by using the tax calculator on the business and finance page.
Tax Levy Is Lower Than Expected
ADDITIONAL FUNDS RETURNED TO TAXPAYERS
Board Elects Officers, Welcomes New Trustee
JUL 11, 2007 —
The Board of Education re-elected Dani Kline as president and Ron Smith as vice president for the 2007-08 school year at the Board's annual Reorganization Meeting on July 10. Kim Hunter, who was newly elected to the Board in May, and Stanley Stern, who won re-election to a second term, were sworn in to begin their new terms of office.
Comptroller's Report Concurs with District Findings of Deficient Work on Past Capital Projects
NO FRAUD FOUND IN AUDIT COVERING CAPITAL
PROJECTS FROM 2000 TO 2004
JUN 22, 2007 —
An audit report by the New York State Comptroller concerning capital improvement projects undertaken from 2000 to 2004 agrees with the school district's findings of deficiencies in some of the work performed during that period. While the audit also noted some insufficient procedural and accounting safeguards during the audit period ending in June 2004, no fraudulent activity was uncovered.
The Comptroller's office conducted an audit of the district's $25.5 million capital improvement plan, which was approved in a voter referendum in April, 2000. The audit covered the period from February 1, 2000 to June 30, 2004, when the projects were initiated, undertaken and paid for. The Board of Education formally accepted the report, which was released this month, at its meeting on June 21.
The findings of deficient and substandard work by contractors focused on the Roslyn Middle School renovation and addition project. The Comptroller's report concurs with the district's allegation that it would cost $862,000 to correct the deficiencies in the middle school construction, in addition to $128,000 paid to a new construction consultant for a comprehensive study that identified the problems. This allegation is already part of ongoing litigation brought by the school district against the former general contractor, architect and construction manager for this project. The Comptroller's report may, in fact, be helpful to the district in either successfully recovering these funds or compelling the general contractor to complete the work at no expense to the district.
[Included in the 2007-08 school budget approved by Roslyn voters on May 15, 2007 is a $512,000 transfer to capital fund. These monies, together with an additional $200,000 available from capital programs previously approved by voters, will be dedicated to addressing the deficiencies at the middle school as the litigation continues.]
The report also identified several procedural and accounting failures by the board and administration that was in place prior to June 2004, when the audit period ended. Proper procedures for the management and oversight of capital project accounts have long since been put in place. These earlier failures involved not having the architect certify all applications for payment from vendors; not having the board of education approve all change orders; and not withholding funds from each application pending project completion. As noted above, these have been standard operating procedure in the school district since 2004.
In the district's official response to the report, Board of Education President Dani Kline wrote, "This report is a welcome addition to the process that we are following to improve the management of our school district."
The full report, including the district's response, is available online at the website of the New York State Comptroller.
Board Makes Administrative Appointments
Dr. Salina Will Be Assistant Superintendent; New Chairpersons for Language and Social Studies
JUN 8, 2007 –
Dr. Edward A. Salina, Jr., currently principal of the East Hills School, was appointed by the Board of Education on June 7 as Assistant Superintendent. When he assumes his new position on July 1, he will have responsibility for human resources and technology. He replaces Dr. Mark Rosenbaum, who has served as an interim assistant superintendent for the last two years.
Dr. Salina first joined the staff of the Roslyn Public Schools in 2001 as Director of Educational Technology. He brought numerous innovations to the district, including wider integration of technology into instruction, redesign of computer labs to encourage collaborative learning, and introduction of SmartBoards in classrooms. Since 2003, he has been principal of the East Hills School, where, among other accomplishments, he was directly involved in the development of an enrichment program for the district's fourth and fifth graders and introduced a new character education program. He is also an adjunct professor at Long Island University and Touro College.
JUN 22, 2007 – Paul Rosenboom was appointed as Social Studies Chairperson at the June 21 Board of Education meeting. Mr. Rosenboom (pictured, left) has been the district chairperson for social studies in the Plainview-Old Bethpage school district since 2005. He worked at Newtown High School in Elmhurst from 1992 to 2005, serving as a social studies teacher, dean of special education and assistant principal. Mr. Rosenboom holds a B.A. from Queens College and a master's degree in European history from Fordham University.
AUG 22, 2007 – Dr. Mark Rosenbaum was appointed on August 21 to serve as Interim Principal of the East Hills Elementary School. In July, Dr. Rosenbaum (pictured, right) completed a two-year term of service in the Roslyn Public Schools as Interim Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources. In addition to his familiarity with the Roslyn school community, he brings a wealth of administrative experience to this position, having served in a number of administrative posts, including elementary principal, during the course of his distinguished career in education. Since his retirement in 2003 as Superintendent of Schools in Lawrence, Dr. Rosenbaum has also held interim positions in the Garden City and Port Washington school districts.
SEP 7, 2007 – Colleen Grady was appointed as Dean of Students at Roslyn High School at the September 6 Board of Education meeting. She replaces Jonathan Silkowitz, who has accepted a position of assistant principal in the Plainview-Old Bethpage school district. Ms. Grady (pictured, left) has been a Social Studies teacher at Roslyn High School since 2005. She previously taught social studies at Bayside High School, Bronx School for Career Deveopment and in the Hicksville public schools. She came to Roslyn from Francis Lewis High School, where, in addition to teaching, she served as coordinator of an alternative instruction program, dean and law advocate. Before embarking on a career in education, Ms. Grady spent nearly a decade as an Assistant District Attorney with the Queens County District Attorney's office. She holds degrees from St. John's University and Queens College.
The appointment of Dr. Salina (pictured, left) was recommended by both Interim Superintendent Gerard W. Dempsey, Jr. and the incoming superintendent, Dr. John Richman, and follows a search during which a number of qualified candidates were interviewed. "Dr. Salina brings to this position a wealth of experience as a supervisor of both professional and noncertified staff, and as a superlative leader in the field of educational technology," said Mr. Dempsey. "He is well-known to the faculty, staff and many parents in Roslyn and has already proven himself as an administrator of great ability."
The Board also appointed Vincenza Graham, a teacher in the district since 1999, as Foreign Language Chairperson. She replaces Guillermo Ortega who is retiring at the end of the June after 33 years as a teacher and administrator in Roslyn. In addition to her classroom duties, Ms. Graham (pictured, right) has been the assistant to the Foreign Language Department during much of the past school year, assuming many of the duties of chairperson during Mr. Ortega's illness. She has also served as advisor to the Italian Club, member of the Honor Society Committee, mentor to new language teachers, co-advisor of the varsity/jv cheerleading team, curriculum writer, teacher in the summer ESL institute, and inservice instructor for fellow faculty members.
