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- - & !
What Happened J.
f f j l ^ l At the School s^ i " ' 1
Board Meeting?
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School District 22 merit were far below the stan-
At Monday's District 22 Board
of Education meeting Trustee
Josephine Jones reported that
there would be a public information
meeting on the high school
referendum for $ 988,000 additional
monies for expansion purposes
was set for Tuesday, January
23.
A panel of teachers made a
presentation on the emotionally
disturbed program in the two
elementary and the one junior
high school classes.
The Board approved a Theatre
Club and Debate Club field trip
to the Shakespeare Theatre in
Strafford, Connecticut on Saturday,
June 1, with all costs
to be absorbed by the students.
During the public participation
period, Edward Werner of 178
West Drive, North Massapequa,
asked the Board of Education
permission to show a film strip
regarding a particular text book,
which he admitted was not in the
Farmingdale Schools, ( see story
elswhere)
Frank Gelish of 51 West
Walnut Street, F a r m i n g d a le
asked the Board whether a swimming
pool would still be provided
in the high school regardless of
the outcome of the forthcoming
referendum. The answer was
yes. It was pointed out that a
defeat February 10th referendum
would mean an increase in the
tax rate of 23 cents, but if the
$ 988,000 bond issue was passed
there would be a tax rate of
21 cents. Ground breaking would
take place in March if a yes
vote resulted, while a ' no' vote
would result in a delayed construction
of the already passed
expansion program.
v. u33vyr^ aIKAS. r ecsgte a- oW'br'tfie
Nassau County Civil Service Employees
Association as bargaining
agents for the non- teaching
staff rather than a Farmingdale
unit. It was pointed out that
the Farmingdale unit did not
constitute a legal entity, so that
the Nassau unit was approved
for a one year period.
Designation of 24 assistant
clerks and inspectors of election
for the February lOtii referendum
and the approval of renting nine
voting machines was made.
Trustee Robert Campbell commended
Trustee A. T e r ry
Weathers for having been elected
to the Executive Board of the
New York State School Board's
Association. Weathers is the
first Long Islander to have
achieved this honor. He was a
former President of the Nassau-
Suffolk School Board's Association.
Weathers proposed a motion
that die Board of Education write
to the Governor and to Dr. William
J. Ronan of the Metropolitan
Commuter T r a n s p o r t a t i on
Authority. See Story elsewhere.
Guy Morone of 119 Woodward
Parkway, Farmingdale, presented
the Board of Education
with a 412 signature petition
asking that the taxes not be
raised. It was later learned that
the petitions were gathered by
a new group which calls themselves
" District Educational
Body for Taxpayers" or DEBT.
School District 23
Arthur Rohr, Assistant Superintendent
of the Massapequa
Schools presented a report to the
District 23 Board of Education
on Thursday night on his recent
tour of the schools of Yugoslavia,
Greece, Russia, Poland and East
Germany. He was one of 127
educators selected to participate
in this Comparative Education
Tour under the auspices of Dr.
Gerald Read of Kent State College
in Ohio.
In Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia, Rohr
found that the schools were doing
a good job of preparing youth for
employment even though the
equipment and phy s i cal equip-were
dards set in the United States. He
found t h e children " friendly, curious
and confident" and pupils
showed a great desire for knowledge
. The pupils were assigned
many janitorial tasks including
work on their playground. The
teachers work an eight hour day
in a six day week for an eleven
month year. The eleventh month
is used for planning, methodology
and c u r r i c u l u m . Compulsory
school age is seven through 15
years or eightyears of schooling.
In Athens, Greece, Dr. Rohr
visited two high schools which
could be compared to the best in
u l t r a m o d e r n schools in the
United States, Athens College for
boys and Pierce College for girls.
The schools are unique in that
t h e y a r e preparatory schools
built with American capital and
have American principals and
many American teachers. The
school has a New York State Regents
Charter and many graduates
enter Ivy League universities
in the East and larger universities
in California to continue
their studies. Many of the faculty
are Fulbright exchange scholars,
Rohr stated.
The public schools in Greece
offer compulsory school education
from seven through 13 years
of age. The schools cling to the
traditional Plato- Aristotle philosophy.
The teachers are poorly
paid and many tutor privately to
supplement their income.
In Russia, Rohr found that the
government has done a remarkable
job in reducing illiteracy,
but found the schools not as well
equipped nor their education as
broad as in this country. The
Russian child starts to specialize
in the fifth grade and children are
StefiOW^ terthk figSa eonsts':"' '
Dr. Rohr observed that the
Warsaw, Poland educational system
appeared to be more progressive
and cognizant of individual
differences than that of
either Yugoslavia or Russia.
In East Germany, the indoctrination
of Socialism is constantly
taught from the age of
three upwards.
The teachers seemed very dedicated
to their profession and took
great pride in their schools, educational
programs and countries.
Dr. Harold Beall, Superintendent
of Schools said that the dist
r i c t ' s professional staff was
working closely with architect
George Dippell in the development
of final plans for the additions
and alterations to Massapequa
High- School and Parkside
Junior High School.
Dr. Beall explained the ramifications
of the Taylor Law and
said that an election would be held
among the teachers on Thursday,
January 18 to determine whether
the majority wished to be represented
by the Massapequa Federation
of Teachers or the Massapequa
Teachers Association. At
this time, neither organization
will be allowed to pass out materials
through the teachers mail
boxes in the schools.
The Board will send a letter of
appreciation to Coach Arnold
Herman, Massapequa High School
social studies teacher for his
work in coaching the high school
team, " It's Academic" who appeared
for two weeks on the NBC
TV program.
School District 1 8
The Plainedge School Board
approved the recommendation of
Superintendent of Schools, Dr.
John Rinehartfor the employment
of 11 reading teachers and two
reading supervisors under the
Fedei- al Title I program.
Some Hoard discussion ensued
over payments to physicians
which one board member felt
were excessive, It was pointed
OUt that the bills never exceed
$ 9,000 per year, but appear to
be more, especially at this time of
year, when more bills than usual
Slate Portrait
Painting Oinic
Techniques involved in starting
a portrait painting will be
demonstrated at the monthly
meeting Thursday, January 25 of
the Farmingdale - Amityv i 11 e -
Massapequa ( FAM) Art Group.
The program to which the general
public is invited, is scheduled
for 8: 45 p. m. at the Marjorie
Post Community Park. North
Massapequa artist and teacher
Mrs. Isabelle Witonski will be
guest speaker. Mrs. Witonski
is art consultant to the Farmingdale
public library.
Interested artists who wish
to join the group, may contact
the group's president, Al Young,
at LI 1- 7298.
Libraries Ready
For National
Library Week
Sparked by an early selection
of a theme, " Be All You Can
Be.. Read", plans are gaining momentum
to celebrate National Library
Week on April 21 to 27
with Nassau County Library Day
scheduled to be celebrated on
April 22.
Calling public attention to the
benefits of reading and libraries,
promotional materials in Nassau
County will include a series of
four lively posters illustrated by
the noted cartoonists, Charles
Saxon and William Steig. The
posters dramatize ina humorous
but pointed way the road open to
self- development through reading.
Informative brochures about
public library services inNassau
County and giant plastic paper
clips for year ' round use will
also be distributed by public libraries.
come in for payment.
The Science areas in the South-edge
school also came in for
considerable discussion since
some major plumbing items
hayp nn+ vat hpprjpnrnnlpfprj. Thp
Woara was assured Dy administration
that this would be done
within the next two weeks, according
to the contractor.
The Board awaited an a r chitect's
report, but no representative
was present to make
the report.
Former Board member Irving
Kleinman was asked for a transportation
committee report. He
informed the Board that it would
be forthcoming next month.
Dr. Rinehart then reported that
a swimming pool survey had
been made by Dr. George Grover
of the State Education Department,
who said that there was a
strong possibility of obtaining
Federal funds. Plans for a
joint venture with the Town of
Oyster Bay were discouraging,
according to Dr. Rinehart.
A letter, pointing up the dangerous
sidewalk conditions on
Hicksville Road was sent to Town
Supervisor Michael N. Petito on
December 21. His reply came
during the holiday recess and
no action could be taken.
Discussion on a Change of
Zone application to the Town of
Oyster Bay for a gasoline station
to be erected on Patricia Court
was tabled. The hearing is to be
held on Tuesday, January 23.
During the public participation
portion of the meeting, the
question of teacher salary negotiations
was brought up. Board
President Lawrence 1. Hammer
replied that it was not incumbent
on the Board or the teachers
to make public at this time the
status of negotiations.
In answer to a question by
Irving Kleinman of the use of
the planetarium in the Packard
School by outsiders, the answer
given was that this would be
discussed at an executive meeting.
Past Board member I rving
Kleinman was presented with a
plaque by Board President Hammer
for years of dedicated service
on the school board from
July 1961 to June 1,1907. Kleinman
served as President from
August 1964 to June 1965.
Newly appointed school board
member, Hugh Burr was unable
to attend the meeting.
ALBANY,
By Alex Rankin
The state Legislature last week
received Gov. Rockefeller's annual
message with something less
than enthusiasm.
They sat in stony silence during
the entire 35 minute speech.
They did not applaud once. They
applauded at the end but it was
only a formality.
This lack of enthusiasm, the
respectful applause can be traced
directly to the fact that the governor
told them two things:
1. There will be a tax hike.
2. But there will be a signif-cant
hike in state aid to local
school districts.
These two items are tied together
in a- year in which all the
legislators are understandably
nervous because they are up for
reelection.
In brief, the governor said a
tax hike will be needed to pay
for an increase of half a billion
dollars for state aid, not only
to school districts, but to local
governments.
The present state budget is
$ 4.6 billion , the biggest in the
history of the state. Mandated in-creases
for the next budget year,
which begins April 1, a re about
$ 300 million. That, plus the $ 500
million the governor talked a-bout
last Wednesday, means the
new budget will be about $ 5.4
billion.
In private talks with legislators
from almost all parts of the
state, this pattern appears to be
forming.
For the present, most of them
are not ready to, as one might
expect many of them to do, flatly
denounce the tax hike proposal.
For one thing, they are waiting
to see Rockefeller's budget. The
budget will say just what taxes
Rockefeller wants hiked, and just
• - _ . . . u t4. „,; j| a a v whn~* tK& a
new money will go.
This last point is important in
the minds of most legislators.
It is axiomatic that Legislators
do not go around raising taxes in
election years, not if they want
the taxpayers to re- elect them,
they don't.
There is one exception.
This exception is particularly
apparent in talking with legislators
from Westchester and Rockland
Counties and Long Island.
Some of these legislators say
they feel their constituents are
willing to go along with a tax
hike— if the tax hike goes for a
substantial increase in the per
pupil aid formula.
And thus the exception to the
axiom is that taxes can be increased
in election years which
are also years of great financial
pain and burden.
This is the case with school
district taxes, local real estate
taxes in the lower Hudson and
Long Island areas particularly,
and to a great extent in most
other areas of the state. The point
is that the impetus for a favor-•
able action on a tax hike is coming
from this area— even though
it affects other areas as well.
The formula for state aid is now
$ 660 per pupil. But some districts
in Long Island, for example, are
actually spending as much as
$ 2,000 a pupil. They make up
the difference in local real e s tate
taxes.
These legislators, led by Assembly
Republican Minority
Leader Perry B. Duryea of Mon-tauk,
L. I., are pushing for a
formula of $ 800 per pupil.
" Obviously, this is out of the
question," Rockefeller told the
legislators in his speech.
And just as obviously, this was
greeted with stony silence.
A token increase in the formula,
reason a number of legislators,
does not offset the ugly
prospect of a tax hike. If they
could go home and explain that
the tax hike will reduce the local
real estate tax burden, they could
do it.
The feeling now is that anything
less than $ 800 per pupil, which
« MMU « •-* » * » & oo- t uanion of the
$ 500 million increase, wouldn't
even put a dent in local real
estate taxes.
Youth Arrested
Mario Fasano, 21, of 847 Main
Street, Farmingdale was arrested
by the Nassau County Police and
charged with the armed robbery
of Dairy Barn on North Broadway,
Massapequa.
Let Us Keep You Beautiful
During ' 68
\
Call for Appointment
Robert's Beauty Cottage
795 CONKLjN STREET, FARMINGDALE • CH 9- 7593
Broadlawn manor nursing Home
spital Affiliated
400 Broadway
AMityville 4- 0222
ipectton At Any
Tracy H Logon
Business Manager
Farmingdale OBSERVER Thursday, January 18, 1968 Page 7
