BOE continues to organize as school year approaches

WEBUTUCK — Interim Superintendent Michael O’Neil has been kept busy since being hired by the Board of Education at its Aug. 3 meeting. Both administration and the school board are continuing to work to improve the system, in anticipation of the soon-to-start 2009-10 school year.

“It’s been a whirlwind week,� O’Neil admitted at the board’s Aug. 10 business meeting. The board discussed several issues that night, all of them dealing with new changes to the district.

Athletic bids too high?

Trustee William McGhee questioned what he perceived as high costs for some of the items on athletic equipment bids, which were recently returned to the district for review.

McGhee asked whether all the items were necessary, calling the equipment and prices “a wish list,� specifically citing the high costs of the Under Armour brand.

Board of Education (BOE) President Dale Culver explained that the bids represent the individual prices for each vendor.

“We’re not obligated to buy everything on the list,� he pointed out.

As the discussion shifted to the athletic department, O’Neil mentioned that one of the duties of the new athletic director, Charles Harris, is to create an inventory of equipment. It was clear from the discussion that an inventory had not taken place for quite some time.

“Unfortunately, we have to start from scratch,� said board member Andy Jablonsky.

“It’s a big job for a new person, but it needs to be done,� said O’Neil, who said it was “appalling� that an inventory hasn’t been kept.

One of the main problems mentioned is that many sports uniforms from the spring season haven’t been returned yet. Board member Joe Matteo said he has been holding on to his son’s uniforms because he didn’t want to complicate things.

From the team’s rosters a list of students will be compiled and each will be contacted in the hopes of getting all of the uniforms and equipment back to the school.

Culver stressed the need for inventory control to be established, as well as backup personnel, in case the athletic director isn’t available.

“The key is you have to hire a responsible person to do the work,� remarked O’Neil.

Consolidation moving along

As the district prepares for its first school year without use of the Amenia Elementary School building, O’Neil reported that the central campus “looks fabulous,� and that staff has been moving into the fourth-and fifth-grade wing already.

“I think we’re on schedule,� he added.

Not everyone happy with new vending machines

School board member John Perotti expressed his displeasure with the board’s approval of the company, Coffee Systems, to provide full-service vending programs to the district.

“I’m concerned about the way it was presented,� Perotti explained, saying that he understood the products to be organic when in fact they were not. He also mentioned that Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is currently sponsoring a bill to outlaw all vending machines in public schools.

“I’m not a proponent of vending machines,� he said firmly. “I support the [FFA] milk machine, but it would be better if we could sell [everything] over the counter in the cafeteria.�

Culver and other board members said that the contract with Coffee Systems will give the district control over  what is distributed in the machines.

“It’s the best out of what we can hope for,� Culver added. “I can live with it to try it this year.�

The board approved the one-year contract, with Perotti voting no.

Reorganizing elementary

schedule a win-win

Finally, Katy McEnroe, Webutuck’s elementary school principal, asked the board if it would consider allowing her to slightly reconfigure the start and end times for the school. With a later starting time, staff would have time each day to meet before school began to discuss ideas about students, programs and curriculum.

“There’s a tremendous need for all that’s going on in education for teachers to have a collaboration time with each other,� O’Neil explained after the meeting. “During the school day, there is no time for that.�

Under the new schedule, lunch and recess would also be changed and held back-to-back, which will give teachers more contact time with students.

McEnroe said letters would be sent home alerting parents of the specific changes. The board voted to put the new schedule into effect for a one-year probationary period.

“I don’t see a problem trying it this year,� said Culver. “If there are quirks we can tweak it or revert [back to the old schedule]. We’re gaining some time, but if it’s all productive time we’re better off in the end.�

McEnroe added that she could provide quarterly or monthly reports updating the board as to the success of the new schedule.

The next Board of Education meeting was Monday, Aug. 17, after this paper’s publication deadline.