By NANCY HILER
The board unanimously approved the appointment, effective through Dec. 31.
"We're looking at ourselves closely in preparation for an audit," Mucci said at the meeting. Since a major financial scandal unfolded in Roslyn in 2004, school districts have been under close scrutiny by the state comptroller's office, which is conducting audits of districts statewide.
"We will be involved in a state audit sooner than later," Mucci said the following next day. "Two of our local districts are in process right now, North Merrick and the high school district, so there is a likelihood that we could be next, so why not be prepared?"
Mucci added, "We are being proactive in our efforts to be certain that our business office and our business practices are in line with the comptroller's expectations." A district-wide review of the functioning and efficiency of all departments is part of the recently initiated strategic planning process, he explained. "That review extends to all departments -- instructional, non-instructional, facilities, special education, technology, food service, transportation, etc."
Chapman, Mucci said, "has been through, I think, three or four audits, and comes to us with tons of experience." Chapman is a retired school business official, having served most recently as interim assistant superintendent for finance in the Sewanhaka Central High School District.
Bond proposal next spring
Mucci announced at the board meeting that the district's proposed $38.2 million bond issue would be brought before voters in the spring. The bond is being considered to cover the costs of renovations and repairs at all six elementary schools and the district's grounds, as reported in the Herald last month.
The need for extensive capital improvements and repairs to the neglected facilities first came to light in the spring of 2006, and was one of the first major challenges Mucci faced as the new superintendent. The district's architectural firm at the time, H2M Group, presented the results of its building condition study to the public at a board meeting that June, putting a price of close to $18 million on "bare bones" renovations to improve conditions in the school buildings.
A district Facilities Planning Committee was formed in July 2006. It examined building needs and sifted through related information, shared its findings with the board over the course of almost a year and issued final recommendations early this June.
The district also hired a new architectural firm, JAG/John A. Grillo Architects, in February 2007, to evaluate the condition of the district's buildings and grounds. The firm called for extensive, district-wide repairs and renovations as well as building additions.
An EXCEL aid package to fund some capital improvements and repairs to district facilities will be brought before voters on Tuesday, Dec. 4, the director of facilities, Chris Milano, announced at the meeting.
"The district has done its homework in applying for projects that are fully 'aidable' under the EXCEL guidelines," Toni Ann Cincotta, assistant to the superintendent, said in a follow-up phone interview. EXCEL, which stands for Expanding Our Children's Education and Learning, is one-time reimbursement funding provided by the state's Dormitory Authority for capital improvements.
District officials hope to fund projects costing about $1.68 million, according to Cincotta. Of that, the district expects to receive about $765,000 back in EXCEL aid. The money is usually reimbursed the year after it is spent, and the balance of the $1.68 million will be returned over the useful life of the improvements. "This is essentially at no cost to the district, to the taxpayers," Cincotta said.
The amount is higher than the $1.2 million originally considered early last winter, which had excluded costs of the roof replacement at the Jacob Gunther School.
Milano announced at the meeting that the proposed EXCEL package would:
€ Fund new fire alarm and smoke detector systems at John Dinkelmeyer, Newbridge Road and Park Avenue schools.
€ Address unventilated spaces at five schools (all except Newbridge).
€ Replace kitchen doors with fire-rated ones in all schools.
€ Provide maintenance and upgrades to stage rigging district-wide.
In February, the district's Facilities Planning Committee had recommended pursuit of EXCEL money to fund the first item on the list, but also suggested funding roof and/or masonry work to resolve water infiltration problems at Newbridge as well as the repair and upgrade of doors and hardware at the Saw Mill and Martin Avenue schools. Many districts in Nassau County, including Bellmore Elementary and Bellmore-Merrick Central High School, put up EXCEL aid packages for votes during May's budget elections.
Following the announcement of the aid proposal, Facilities Committee Chairman Marc Berkowitz said, "Let's get all the money the district is entitled to from the state and elsewhere, including this EXCEL aid, before asking the community to pay a large sum of money in the form of a bond. The district needs to show that it's capable of obtaining and spending these funds properly to gain the trust of the taxpaying community."
Community invited to meetings
Water infiltration issues at Newbridge are being addressed separately. Milano announced that repair work at Newbridge would begin the weekend of Oct. 14-15, and would continue through the fall on weekends and during vacations periods when the school was unoccupied. The work is being funded by the $450,000 capital improvement proposition approved by voters in May. The board also approved a statement required by the state that the work at Newbridge would have no environmental impact.
Milano invited Newbridge parents and other community taxpayers to two meetings about the work being conducted at the school. The first was Tuesday, and the second is Thursday at 7 p.m. at Newbridge.
Milano implied at the meeting that the replacement of the roof at Gunther School, which has been under way since July 1, is progressing more slowly than anticipated. "The contractor has been mandated by the district to wrap up the project," Milano said. Referring to himself and the district's current architect, he added, "Today [Oct. 11] we came up with a strategy to close up the project," The roof is being paid for via a capital reserve proposition passed in the 2005 budget that designated $450,000 for this purpose.
The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 8, at Martin Avenue School.
Newbridge Road School meeting
The North Bellmore School District will hold a meeting on Thursday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. at Newbridge Road School to discuss plans to address water infiltration issues at Newbridge. All North Bellmore residents are invited to attend.
Comments about this story? NHiler@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 234.
