School Board Reorganizes,
Approves Appointments
Huntington School Board members elected trustees Emily Rogan and Jennifer Hebert to serve as that body’s president and vice-president, respectively, during the group’s reorganization meeting on July 1 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 2014/15 school year with a retainer of $42,000 and a litigation rate of $245 per hour. Guercio & Guercio was also reappointed as district labor counsel with a retainer of $82,500 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 an annual fee of $33,840 or a rate of $2,820 per month. Trustees Jennifer Hebert and Thomas DiGiacomo 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 $54,500. 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 Jennifer Hebert 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 Sam Gergis was appointed Title IX compliance officer.
Trustees also appointed Joanne Guerreri (J. Taylor Finley Middle School), Christopher Hender (Woodhull School) and Donna Cama (Huntington High School) as building level central treasurers. The positions were originally established at the behest of the district’s internal auditors.
Trustees also took the following actions:
• Approved a list of 105 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 with a stipend of $250. She will be able to sign checks in the absence of the district treasurer.
• Appointed Kim Zelman as the deputy district clerk, who will serve as needed in the absence of the district clerk. She will receive a stipend of $250.
• Appointed Roberta Roth as the district’s purchasing agent. Assistant Superintendent Sam Gergis was appointed the deputy purchasing agent.
• Appointed Joanne Miranda as the records access and record management officer.
• Appointed several dozen election clerks and inspectors for school district elections and referendums. Appointed Margaret Creighton as a member of the Board of Registration and Elizabeth Troffa and the chief inspector.
• Appointed Sam Gergis as the residency hearing officer and district-wide Dignity Act coordinator.
• Designated Marybeth Robinette as chief information officer for State Education Department reporting purposes and appointed Nancy Allard as “backup” chief information officer.
• Appointed Eastern Suffolk BOCES to provide health and safety consultant services during the 2014/15 school year.
• Designated the Huntington News, The Long-Islander, Times Beacon Record 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. Gergis said.
• Approved the use of Bank of America, J.P. Morgan Chase, First National Bank of Long Island and Citibank 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 business ($1 million), three 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 2014/15 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 2014/15 school year.