By Linda Delmonico-Prussen
So began a discussion at the North Merrick Board of Education meeting last week over the elementary school's aging playground. More than 50 people turned out for the Tuesday meeting.
Middendorf said $30,000 was needed to update the playground, which all in attendance agreed was a reasonable figure. In the end, the board voted to construct a new playground. Board members, however, disagreed about how to pay for it.
Trustee Karen Repole suggested including it as a line item in the budget.
Board member John Pinto suggested funding it through the capital reserve fund. Trustee Jonathan Bulter agreed.
Board member Linda Fuller said she would support use of the capital reserve account as a last resort.
Either way, the public must vote to approve the monies, through the budget or the capital-reserve fund.
Superintendent David Feller, who said he looks forward to working with parents in the planning the new playground, urged the public, as did all the board members, to begin a letter-writing campaign to Gov. George Pataki and legislators to "help restore building aid, BOCES [Boards of Cooperative Educational Services] aid and state aid."
Other items touched upon earlier in the meeting included:
The successful performance of the North Merrick Theater Arts Club in "The Music Man." Fuller commended not only the children on stage, but also those in the audience who, she said, "truly did encourage their classmates." Board member Norbert Billig added, "It was a pleasure to see support from the community."
Another briefly addressed item was concern over what paperwork should go home with parents for various school field trips. Feller said he would review what information should be sent home, other than the standard permission slip.
When the issue of child-care leave requests for teachers came, Billig raised concerns. He said, "Thirteen teachers are on child-care leave. One teacher has been on leave longer than they have worked in the district."
Billig said the teachers on leave have not benefited from various in-service workshops. He said his concern was also for youngsters who will be in the class when the teacher returns, as well as retaining the long-term substitutes the district now has who are looking for tenure-track positions.
Ultimately, all leave requests were granted.
