Bethpage-Tribune_1975-08-28

              BETHFflGE KIHPAfiE FUBUC U8MRY 1
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OLDBETHWGE
also serving ISLAND TREES
PLAINVIEW PLAINEDGE SEAFORD
VOL.9 NO. 40 Thursday, August 28, 1975 10 cents per copy
CONGRATULATIONS: Two police officers from the
Levittown Precinct were cited by the Diocesan Union of Holy
Name Socities for their rescue of a three-year old youth from
a family swimming pool in Levittown. Shown (l-r) is Bishop
John H. Mcdann, Auxilary Bishop of Kockville Centre,
congratulating Patrolmen Nicholas A. Cavalle and Charles F.
Kelly. Looking on as the Patrolman hold their citations is
John Kilbride, President of the Diocesan Union.
Message From Bethpage
Board of Education
On August 4th, The Board of
Education took action to increase
the tax rate for school purposes
by $1.04 per $100 of assessed
valuation. This represents an
increase of 7 cents per $100 of
assessed valuation over what was
estimated in June, at the time the
budget was approved.
In June, the Board of
Education had estimated that the
tax rate would increase by $0.07
per $100 of assessed valuation on
the assumption that the State
Legislature would approve the
same State Aid for this year as it
had for last year. Up until last
week, it appeared that this was a
fact when all the papers and the
press releases from our
Legislature stated that "save
harmless" had been approved.
This means that no District would
receive less State Aid this year
than last year.
The sad truth is that you and we
were misled. "Save harmless"
was not approved totally. It was
approved for operating aid but
not for transportation and
building aid. The result is that we
are getting $120,000 less State Aid
this year than we received last
year.
If we had just accepted this
reduction in aid without taking
any offsetting action, it would
have resulted in an increase of 22
cents per $100 of assessed
valuation. Instead, the increase
is being held to only 7 cents per
$100 of assessed valuation with
the reduced aid. This is possible
because of a small increase in
assessed valuation and because
the Board has taken action to
curtail spending in the approved
budget, for the least essential
items, to make up the difference.
We were very upset that this
aid reduction took place. We have
no doubt that you will also be
upset. We plan to write our
Legislators to tell them how we
feel and we urge you to do the
same.
Area Schools Openings
At A Glance
BETHPAGE SCHOOLS
DISTRICT NO. 21
Opening Date - Tuesday, Sep­tember
2nd - V-i day session
New Tax Hate • $15.21 per $100 of
Assessed Valuation
Names of Board Members -
Anthony LoFaso, President,
Anthony 1). Cotton, Vice-
I'residenl, Lee Hilton, Marie
Hurley, Joseph Parisi, Harold
Itesnick and Michael Verdosa.
ISLAND TREES SCHOOLS
DISTRICT NO. 26
Opening Date - Tuesday, Sep-
PIaiiiedgo Board Report
by Terri Bahnken
The regular monthly meeting
of the Plainedge Board of
Education was held on Thursday,
August 21, 1975. Board president
Gagliardo informed the audience
that no progress had been made
in the negotiations with Boces
regarding the rental of Picken
School. Mr. Gagliardo expressed
optimism concerning the
disscussions currently being held
with the Town of Oyster Bay.
T.O.B. has indicated interest in
leasing the grounds and possibly
the building . for use as
recreational and senior citizen
facilities.
After Mr. Gagliardo's an-nouncment
the Board dealt with
the routine matters of approving
the minutes, the school financial
report and the report on
Executive sessions. Motions
receiving unanimous approval
included the appointment of
inspectors and registrars for the
September 11th budget vote the
appointment of the district
negotiator, the resignation of an
elementary school teachers the
reinstatement of two staff
members, permanent substitute
appointment and the schedule of
bills.
Roy Van Nostrand, attorney for
the school district, informed the
board that school districts are no
longer required by law to pay
tuition for Boces students who
have graduated from high-school.
The board unanimously
passed a resolution effective
9 1 75 tuition for post-graduate
students will no longer be paid by
the district. Five students
currently enrolled in continuing
programs will be allowed to
complete their programs but no
exceptions will be made in the
future.
The attorney for the district
completed his report by in­forming
the board that effective
9 < 1 75 anyone registered to
vote in county or state elections
may vote in school elections. This
change in the law eliminates the
necessity of a special or separate
registration in order to vote on
the school budget.
Mr. James Reilly, assistant
superintendent of schools,
reported on plans being made for
the opening of school on Sep­tember
3rd. As a result of the
austerity status of the district a
mailing will be sent to the parents
regarding transportation and
supply fees. Parents should send
the fees with their children on the
first day of school and if the
budget is passed on 9 / 11 the
monies paid will be refunded.
Only two motions lacked the
approval of all members present.
The first motion granting an
administrative leave of absence
was passed by a 5-1 vote with Mr.
Edelmann voting in the negative.
The second motion pertained to
the proposed budget. During
discussion before the vote the
(Continued on Page 3)
Plainedge School Plans
by Ray T. Blank Superintendent of Schools
. Schools will be opening in
September not only under dif­ficult
and challenging cir­cumstances,
but with promising
new programs, plans and a new
grade level organization struc­ture.
Slightly more than 5500
children will begin school on
September 3. An austerity budget
will be in effect until September
11 and a budget revote will take
place to determine whether
austerity will continue or an
approved budget will return the
district to what we might call
normal conditions.
In the meanwhile, all K-8
students living less than two
miles and 0-12 students less than 3
miles from their respective
schools, will be required to walk
since transportation less than the
so-called legal limits is not
permitted under a contingent
budget.
Other restrictions will also be
in effect. Student will be required
to pay for all supplies and a per
pupil assessment has been
calculated for that purpose.
There can be no library books
purchased, no public use of
buildings and grounds unless
paid for in advance, and no funds
for interscholastic sports.
Maintenance of buildings and
grounds will be almost
nonexistent except for matters of
safety and to prevent irreversible
deterioration.
As a result of the closing or
Picken School with resultant
savings to the taxpayer, the new
organizational structure of most
of the grades in Plainedge School
District will be K-5, 6-8, 0-12. This
structure provides for the op­portunity
to establish what is
called a middle school in which
grades 6 to 8 are included in one
building. The middle school
concept, which began very slowly
about 20 years ago, has recently
flourished and increased across
the United States, until there are
currently over 200 such schools.
We look forward to the op­portunity
of planning and
developing this newer concept in
education to the benefit of the
Plainedge children.
Plans for other innovations and
improvements are in effect or in
process. The new Learning
(Continued on Page fS)
Plainview Looks Ahead
by Dr. Robert F. Savitt Superintendent of Schools
tember 2nd - ' 2 day session
New Tax Hate - $16.13 per $100 of
Assessed Valuation (this includes
library tax)
Names of Board Members -
Hichard Ahrens, President,
Hichard Melchers, Vice Pres.,
Frank Martin, Louis Nessim,
Patrick Hughes, Hichard
Michaels and Christina Fasulo
PLAINEDGE SCHOOLS
DISTRICT NO. 18
Opening Date - Wednesday,
September 3rd. full day session
(CuntiNued on Page 7)
Plainview-Old Bethpage
Schools will open for the school
year on Wednesday, September
3, with about 8200 pupils expected
to report for class. On Tuesday,
September 2, a planning con­ference
will involve members of
the teaching and administrative
staff. During the summer
months, Buildings and Grounds
staff have been hard at work in
readying schools for the opening
and information on bus schedule
will be forthcoming shortly.
Like many other districts,
Plainview-Old Bethpage is ex­periencing
an enrollemnt decline.
A close check has been kept on
enrollemnt projections and at the
present time there appears to be
no reversal of the trend which
motivated the 5 year
reorganization plan. Because of
the changes that are con­templated
in the near future, a
number of programs and
meetings are being scheduled to
keep parents completely in­formed.
During the past summer,
several professional committees
have been hard at work
developing plans for the Middle
School that will open in Plain­view-
Old Bethpage Junior High
School a year from September. In
the months ahead, plans for the
Middle School, encompassing
grades 5 - 8, will be further
developed and the Board of
Education will consider the new
educational program in
November and December.
Plans will also be carried out,
during the coming year, for the
closing of the Oak Drive and
Central Park Road Schools in
June of 1976. These closings are
also part of the long range
reorganizational plan approved
by the Board of Education in 1974.
Professional work has already
been started to accommodate the
inclusion of grade 9 in Plainview
High School in September of 1976
and teacher and administrative
committees will develop specifics
on this new high school pattern
prior to January.
The Board of Education and
Administration will expand ef­forts
started last year to keep the
community informed about
school programs and activities.
Periodic newsletters and other
reports will be sent to every home
and information on important
topics will be presented at
regular and special meetings.