School Board Reorganizes, Approves Appointments
Huntington School Board members elected trustees Emily Rogan and John P. Paci III to serve as that body's president and vice-president, respectively, during the group's reorganization meeting on July 5 in the Jack Abrams School auditorium.
Trustees appointed Elizabeth Troffa as district clerk and Jill Miranda as district treasurer. The law firm of Guercio & Guercio was appointed to serve as general counsel for the 2011/12 school year with a retainer of $41,000 and a litigation rate of $240 per hour. Guercio & Guercio was also reappointed as district labor counsel with a retainer of $80,000 and an hourly rate of $240 for litigation services other than those related to collective bargaining units.
Sheehan & Co., LLP was appointed to serve as the district's internal auditor at a maximum fee of $35,000. R.S. Abrams & Co. LLP was appointed the internal claims auditor at a rate of $2,650 per month.
Trustees Richard McGrath and Adam Spector and district resident Lynn Kiraly were appointed to serve on the district audit committee. Corporate Medical Consultants P.C. (John M. Colletta, MD) was appointed to serve as the district physician with a retainer of $53,500. The firm is located on Wall Street in Huntington Village.
Trustees also appointed members of the Committee on Pre-school Special Education (CPSE) and the Committee on Special Education. Trustee Kim Brown was chosen to review CPSE and CSE minutes, if needed, outside of the time frame of a regularly scheduled board meeting.
Trustees appointed Assistant Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Card to serve as the district's Section 504 compliance officer relative to the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Joseph Giani was appointed Title IX compliance officer. Trustees also appointed Joanne Guerreri (J. Taylor Finley Middle School), Christopher Hender (Woodhull School) and Eileen DeAngelis (Huntington High School) as building level central treasurers. The positions were established at the behest of the district's internal auditors.
Trustees also took the following actions:
• Approved a list of 83 community organizations authorized to use district facilities.
• Approved a list of employees authorized to receive mileage reimbursement for district related travel.
• Appointed Margaret Creighton the district's deputy treasurer as a stipend of $250. She will be able to sign checks in the absence of the district treasurer.
• Appointed Roberta Roth as the district's purchasing agent. Assistant Superintendent David H. Grackin was appointed the deputy purchasing agent.
• Appointed Mrs. Troffa as the records access and record management officer.
• Appointed several dozen election clerks and inspectors for school district elections and referendums. Appointed Concetta Cagnino as a member of the Board of Registration and Catherine Bender and the chief inspector.
• Appointed Dr. Giani as the residency hearing officer.
• Designated Marybeth Robinette as chief information officer for State Education Department reporting purposes and appointed Nancy Allard as "backup" information officer.
• Appointed Eastern Suffolk BOCES to provide health and safety consultant services during the 2011/12 school year.
• Designated the Huntington News, The Long-Islander, the Times Beacon Record newspapers and Newsday as newspapers authorized to receive the district's legal notices. "The determination of using any or all newspapers will be determined when the ad is to be placed," Mr. Grackin said.
• Approved Bank of America, J.P. Morgan Chase, First National Bank of Long Island, State Bank, Citibank, MBIA – Class, TD Bank and Capital One to be used as school district depositories for various funds.
• Readopted the district's code of conduct.
• Approved securing excess bonding for the district treasurer ($1 million), deputy treasurer ($1 million), assistant superintendent for finance and management services ($1 million), four central treasurers ($500,000 each) and the district clerk ($200,000).
• Designated the superintendent and assistant superintendent for finance and management services as those responsible for certifying all payrolls for the 2011/12 school year.
• Approved petty cash accounts for building level administrators and department directors. In all, 17 such accounts were authorized amounting to $2,100 in total.
• Approved the district's continued participation in the national school lunch and breakfast program.
• Authorized the superintendent to apply for and sign all grant applications and reports for both state and federal grants.
• Authorized the Huntington School Board president and district clerk to execute and sign contracts for health services.
• Authorized the Huntington School Board president and district clerk to enter into tuition contracts with individuals and school districts.
• Reaffirmed the district's purchasing and investment policies.
• Readopted all district policies.
• Established school breakfast, lunch and milk prices for the 2011/12 school year.