by richard tedesco
The board's rare show of unity carries a commitment to use the $750,000 balance of an Excel grant from the state legislature to upgrade the schools' phones to voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) technology.
Three hours earlier, during its work session, the board had voted 5-2 against a motion by board member Pamela Greenbaum to declare an emergency and fixthe decrepit phone system. One mother's comments during the public portion of the meeting made the decisive difference.
The mood in the room changed tangibly when Meg Zeitzer rose to recount the four emergency hospital visits her five-year-old son required over two months due to anaphalaxisis, an acute allergic condition that can cause victims to stop breathing.
Zeitzer then declared her intention to contact the federal Department of Health and the American Civil Liberties Union.
Every day my son gets on the bus, I wonder whether he's going to come home," she said in intense, measured tones "I want to know whether you people consider this an emergency, because I have phone calls to make, which I will make, because my phone works."
Lawrence High School student Katherine Schneider had earlier recounted an incident in which a schoolmate passed out, and the school nurse couldn't be reached by phone. "I don't want to watch another one of my friends pass out," she said. "What are you waiting for - another Columbine? - before you do something?"
Both Zeitzer and Schneider had left the meeting by the time the board did, indeed, do something.
"I'm very moved," said board President Dr. Asher Mansdorf, " not by the threat, but by the concern expressed by that mother for the health of her child."
Board member Uri Kaufman backed him up: "If Dr. Mansdorf feels this is an emergency, I'm prepared to change my vote and say this is an ermegency."
So invoking the e-word to fix the phones - a move the orthodox board members deemed unnecessary earlier - suddenly became a rallying point to designate the Excel funds for the purpose.
But the apparent amity was short-lived. A few minutes later, board member Stanley Kapilow made a motion to draft a resolution for a public referendum to put the $27.5 million windfall aniticipated from the proposed sale of the number one shool into a capital reserve fund for projects the board assesses as necessary. It was quickly defeated in a 5-2 vote.
Earlier on, school board attorney Dominick Minerva said the board has until June 30 to designate those fund for capital improvement projects. Within one year after the school sale closes, the money would automatically be refunded to village taxpayers.
During the work session, Lawrence schools superintendent Dr. John Fitzsimons presented a roster of urgent capital projects that he estimates will cost more than $13 million, including a $2.6 million repair of the masonry and the curtain wall at the high school, and a $1.2 million upgrade computers in its science labs (ck). The litany of urgent needs also included $650,000 to replace air ducts, $600,000 to reconstruct three science labs, $700,000 to replace tennis and basketball courts, $558,000 for a new air conditiong system and $210,000 for steam piping in the high school, where the heating system failed last week.
Fitzsimons fix-it list for the other facilities also covered $250,000 to replace steam piping in the middle school; $720,000 for roof replacement and chimney repairs, and $450,000 to replace the fire escape at the number two elementary school; $880,000 in masonry repairs for the number four elementary school, and $1.3 million in masonry and roof repairs at the number six elementary school.
Fitzsimons pointed to the Excel money as a ready source to redress the phone system breakdowns. "Do you judge this to be an emergency or don't you?" he asked.
Greenbaum followed with her motion to declare an emergency, saying "Put your money where you're mouth is." But at that point, the board didn't pony up.
Despite the motion's 5-2 defeat, Dr. Mansdorf said the board was in agreement.
A few hours later, after he made the emergency motion that passed unanimously, he proved himself right.
Comments or questions? Contact Rtedesco@liherald.com or call (516) 569-4000, ext. 204
