Huntington School Board members elected trustees Christine Biernacki and Xavier Palacios to serve as that body’s president and vice-president, respectively, during the group’s reorganization meeting on July 7 in the Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School auditorium
Trustees appointed Joanne Miranda as district clerk and Jill Miranda as district treasurer. The law firm of Guercio & Guercio was appointed to serve as general counsel for the 2020/21 school year with a retainer of $48,500 and a litigation rate of $265 per hour. Guercio & Guercio was also reappointed as district labor counsel with a retainer of $87,500 and an hourly rate of $265 for litigation services other than those related to collective bargaining units.
Cerini & Associates, LLP was appointed to serve as the district’s internal auditor at a maximum fee of $26,770. R.S. Abrams & Co. LLP was appointed the internal claims auditor at an annual fee of $39,200. Cullen & Danowski, LLP was appointed the external auditor at an annual fee of $48,800.
Trustees Thomas DiGiacomo, Bill Dwyer and former trustee Richard McGrath, who is a CPA, 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 $57,000.
Trustees also appointed members of the Committee on Pre-school Special Education (CPSE) and the Committee on Special Education. Trustee Lynda Tine-D’Anna 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 Beth McCoy to serve as the district’s Section 504 compliance officer relative to the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Trustees also appointed Mardella Edwards (J. Taylor Finley Middle School) and Patrice Boyle (Huntington High School) as building level central treasurers. The positions were created several years ago at the behest of the district’s internal auditors.
Trustees also took the following actions:
- Appointed trustees Xavier Palacios, Lynda Tine-D’Anna and Michele Kustera as members of the district’s policy committee.
- Appointed Dignity Act coordinators and support personnel.
- Appointed Assistant Superintendents Kathleen Acker and Beth McCoy as the district’s civil rights compliance officers.
- Approved a list of 156 community organizations authorized to use district facilities.
- Approved a list of employees authorized to receive mileage reimbursement for district related travel.
- Appointed Christine Doherty as the district’s deputy treasurer. She will be able to sign checks in the absence of the district treasurer.
- Appointed Kim Zelman as the deputy district clerk. She will serve as needed in the absence of the district clerk.
- Appointed Christine Doherty as the district’s purchasing agent. Assistant Superintendent Kathleen Acker was appointed the deputy purchasing agent.
- Appointed Joanne Miranda as the records access and record management officer.
- Appointed 20 election clerks and inspectors for school district elections and referendums. Appointed Margaret Creighton, Elizabeth Troffa, Barbara Abrahamson and Janine Johnson as members of the Board of Registration. Appointed Mrs. Troffa and Christopher Hender as the chief inspectors.
- Appointed Assistant Superintendent Kathleen Acker as the residency hearing officer.
- Appointed Assistant Superintendent Beth McCoy as the district-wide Dignity Act coordinator.
- Appointed Gail Mahoney as the district’s liaison for homeless children and youth for 2020/21.
- Designated Marybeth Robinette as chief information officer for State Education Department reporting purposes and appointed Nancy Allard as “backup” chief information officer.
- Appointed Diana Rich as the district’s substance use resource/information contact for 2020/21
- Appointed Eastern Suffolk BOCES to provide health and safety consultant services during the 2020/21 school year.
- Appointed George Austin as the district’s asbestos designee for 2020/21.
- Designated the Huntington News, The Long-Islander, Times Beacon Record and Newsday as newspapers authorized to receive the district’s legal notices. “The decision to use any or all newspapers will be determined when the ad is to be placed,” Ms. Acker said.
- Approved the use of Metropolitan Commercial Bank, NYCLASS, J.P. Morgan Chase and First National Bank of Long Island as school district depositories for various funds.
- Readopted the district’s code of conduct.
- Approved the district’s organizational chart for 2020/21.
- Authorized George Austin to act as the district’s school pesticide representative for 2020/21.
- Appointed Marybeth Robinette as the district’s data protection officer for 2020/21.
- Authorized securing excess bonding for the district treasurer ($1 million), deputy treasurer ($1 million), assistant superintendent for finance and management services ($1 million), two central treasurers ($500,000 each) and the district clerk ($200,000).
- Designated the superintendent and the assistant superintendents for finance and management services and curriculum and instruction as those responsible for certifying all payrolls for the 2020/21 school year.
- Approved petty cash accounts for building level administrators and department directors. In all, 19 such accounts were authorized amounting to $1,800 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 2020/21 school year.
