Friday, October 16, 2026
The North Shore School District Board of Education covered a range of topics at its Oct. 8 meeting, providing updates on district business. Representatives from the district’s English department presented on the continuing evolution of the high school’s writing center. Here are three things to know.
1. New trustee appointed
After James Svendson resigned from the board in September, trustees agreed to appoint someone to fill the seat until May’s election. They voted to appoint Richard Persaud at the Oct. 8 meeting.
Persaud was a member of the board’s audit committee going back from September 2025. He is chief financial officer at ACRES Capital, an investment adviser. Persaud oversees the firm’s financial functions like accounting, audit and financial reporting and treasury functions. He is a certified internal auditor and certified public accountant.
“He’s really going to complete the team that we have assembled here,” Board President Andrea Macari said at the meeting.
Persaud was sworn in as a trustee following the vote.
2. Propel conversation continues
Interim Superintendent Tom Dolan provided an update on the district’s opposition to the Propel NY Energy project. He began by quoting a joint statement from the North Shore, Roslyn and Syosset school districts expressing dissatisfaction with the state Public Service Commission’s decision to approve the project. Dolan recapped the district’s opposition efforts so far and read a district goal encompassing distributing information on issues that affect the potential wellbeing of residents and continuing to meet its primary educational goal. He explained that action surrounding Propel falls under this district goal.
During the public comment period, Glen Head resident Christine Panzeca asked the board to keep Propel information on the district website current with recent filings that can be difficult for community members to find otherwise. She also urged the board to file petition for a rehearing with the PSC before the Oct. 17 deadline. Dolan said that district will be meeting the deadline.
3. Writing center growing
Julie Ritter, director of English language arts, literacy and libraries presented to the board along with high school English teachers Caitlin Kirmser and Joshua Knight and Library Media Specialist Donna Rice about the high school’s writing center and writing fellowship program.
High school seniors have the opportunity to become writing fellows, where they are trained to then work with other students to improve their writing. The program is always overseen by staff.
During the presentation, Rice presented data showing that while writing centers are present in the majority of universities, they remain rare in high schools around the country.
“North Shore is ahead of the curve nationally,” Rice said, “and ahead of the curve in New York.”
Knight said that over the last five years, the number of total appointments has nearly doubled and there are already more than 100 conferences this school year.
