By Anthony Rifilato
By law, the school district must review the state of its infrastructure. The district retained H2M Group, a Melville-based architectural and engineering firm, to evaluate and estimate the cost of the improvements needed -- everything from new boilers to roof repairs -- among the 10 district buildings over the next five to 10 years.
H2M presented its findings at the Jan. 15 school board meeting. "Tonight we are taking a look at the kind of work needed to be done in the long term," said school board President James Scannell, adding that H2M's presentation was only a report to the board and that the district needed to conduct its own analysis of the suggested improvements.
In 2002, the state changed the way it funds building aid to schools. Instead of being given a substantial reimbursement for a building project the year after it's completed, a school district will now be reimbursed over a 15- to 30-year period.
Because of this, the Baldwin district is looking into alternative sources of funding for its building improvements, one of which includes securing municipal bonds, a process that ultimately would have to be approved by voters.
"It now may make more sense to borrow," said Scannell, citing low interest rates.
The $25.5 million proposal by H2M includes improvements that would come in phases. At the high school, for example, the work would include replacing the roof, refurbishing the main athletic field and renovating the main entrance. Inside, H2M suggested heating and air-conditioning upgrades, a gymnasium ceiling replacement, and a renovation of the kitchen and cafeteria.
The firm also suggested district-wide improvements such as technology upgrades and landscaping. But H2M also addressed the issue of asbestos when any work is done, and cited a need for "asbestos abatement" district-wide.
Scannell emphasized that this was the beginning of a "long look" at the report, and he proposed that Superintendent Kathy Weiss form a committee in the next several months comprising staff, faculty, parents and residents to analyze the information and make recommendations to the board on how to proceed. The $25.5 million figure is subject to change after the district committee evaluates the work -- and possibly adds or subtracts items the committee determines are or aren't necessary.
"The estimate is preliminary and needs to be verified by the district," Scannell said after the meeting. He added that many of the improvements included in H2M's report are typical of the work figured into the regular school budget.
Afterward, several parents asked about the scope of H2M's proposals. One parent, Mary Anne Gochman, lauded the overview and said it was beneficial to the community. However, Gochman said, she felt the high school gym needed better lighting, an item not included in the H2M report.
Another audience member suggested a "quick shut-off" mechanism for the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system in case of bioterrorism. Scannell noted that the variety of suggestions underscored the need to form a committee.
Hiring Practices
Following months of discussion, the board voted on new hiring procedures, after some frustrated parents said they wanted greater involvement in the hiring process.
The board announced that a committee consisting of parents, administrators and teachers would now be involved in the in-depth interviews of the final eight candidates for a position, though the committee would not be involved in the early screening process, and the board would still have the final decision on who is hired.
Up to now, such a committee has been present during the interview process of only the final three candidates for a position.
The change comes as the board prepares to search for a permanent principal at Brookside Elementary School, a process expected to begin in February.
Later in the meeting, one Brookside parent, Umberto Thomas, noted that the problem some parents had was not with hiring practices but with the abrupt and unexplained termination of former principal Sheryl McBeth. Thomas said the board had still not addressed past problems.
Scannell explained the board's position -- that it is unable to discuss personnel matters -- saying, "Dismissals are not a public process, due to the privacy of an employee."
Writer's Workshop
Assistant Superintendent Jeff Hollman gave an overview of the Writer's Workshop, a creative writing program being taught in the first and third grades.
Last year, the district initiated the Columbia Writing Project in an attempt to engage children in the creative aspects of writing. The program focuses on imagery, details and writing regularly. Kids also discuss their work, develop ideas and edit one another's writing.
Third-grade teachers attended workshops last year with a consultant trained at Columbia University and used what they gleaned in their classrooms. First-grade teachers were trained this year.
The students, Hollman said, "write what they care about." He read noteworthy essays written by budding authors in the district, and noted how a third-grader used imagery in his writing. Hollman said that because writing is required in English, social studies and math, the workshops are a beneficial tool, though the emphasis is on teaching students to become writers.
Comments
In the public comment period of the meeting, a few parents again brought up the termination of McBeth and its aftermath. Edisson Bramble thanked the board for the completion of a Building Bridges Workshop, a series of meetings involving Brookside parents and teachers held last fall in order to put the issue to rest.
"It went a long way in getting the Brookside school community back on track," Bramble said.
He asked if the board was addressing any of the recommendations parents had made in the workshops. "We tried to be proactive in how we were going to approach this year at Brookside," said Scannell, who thanked Bramble for acknowledging the workshop and added that what happened last summer is something no one wanted to happen again.
