School Board Meeting Cheat Sheet - March 8

Hauppauge Board of Education held its first meeting on the 2011-2012 school budget. Main topics of discussion focused on the superintendent’s recommended budget, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed superintendent salary cap and the district’s International Baccalaureate application. 

Superintendent’s Update:

Superintendent Patricia Sullivan-Kriss, Trustee Geri Richer and Frank Pitrelli attended a national conference called ““ Advancing student achievement through labor management collaboration” in Denver, Co. Hauppauge was one of 150 school districts across the nation selected to attend. School officials were charged with creating an action plan to continue improving student academics despite economic hardships, that will be put online and shared with others in effort to provide ideas for others.

Kriss also attended the New York State Schools Superintendent conference, in which she spent the last day in Albany lobbying political leaders including State Sen. John Flanagan, R-East Northport, on the proposed 2 percent property tax cap and other fiscal issues. 

Board of Education Trustees Eileen Mass, Susan Hodosky, and Geri Richter will be heading to Albany next week to continue lobbying for Hauppauge School District and state educational issues.

To update the public , the middle school music and science addition has been opened for student use. A formal ribbon cutting ceremony will be scheduled for March 22 at 6:30 p.m., prior to the scheduled board meeting. 

Hauppauge High School Auditorium renovations are nearing completion, but there remains a small list of items. It will be open for the high school musical performance of “Beauty and the Beast’ on March 25 with a ribbon cutting prior to the opening performance.

2011/2012 Budget Presentation

Sullivan-Kriss gave a presentation of her recommended  $97 million 2011/2012 budget to the board of education for their consideration. The drafted budget represents a $3.4 million increase from the current, a 3.69 increase. Of the $3.4 million increase, approximately $2.9 million will be raised by tax levy with an estimated tax rate increase of 4.06 percent for Islip and 4.14 percent for Smithtown residents.

The recommended budget calls for cutting 23 teaching instructional positions with an additional five teaching assistant positions. It also suggests eliminating the junior varsity boys and girls tennis teams, combining middle school athletic teams and reduction of co-curricular clubs.

Check Patch for a full story on the superintendent’s recommended draft budget for the 2011-2012 school year later this evening. 

Questions and Comments from Community:

District resident Rob Scarito raised a question about Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to cap superintendent salaries based on the side of the school district, and how that might impact Sullivan-Kriss’s salary and working for the district. While admitted it would cap her salary to $165,000 if passed, Sullivan-Kriss was unsure what she would do if it was passed but had supports from board members. 

Residents also questioned the board on moving ahead with the Many feared IB program would only offer challenge to a limited number of students, its application costs and whether it was the right fit for Hauppauge.

Administrative Matters of Note:

• Kendra Balcom, a teaching assistant at l was appointed to tenure.
• Fred Pitrelli, a math and social studies teacher at will be retiring in June, at the end of the current school year. He also serves as the teacher union president and is an active member of the PTA.

Next: Hauppauge Board of Education will hold its next budget meeting on March 15 at 8 p.m.