Live Blog: Sachem Central School District Board of Education Meeting

Did you miss the Sachem Central School District Board of Education meeting Wednesday night? No worries, check out the rundown on Sachem Patch's live blog.

Location: Administrative Annex, Samoset Middle School

Opening minutes: During recognitions, Sequoya Middle School Student Cynthia Brand was honored as a Long Island Young Scholar of Mathematics. She competed against 850 top ranked students in various math related topics. Other students were honored as All-State student musicians. A handful of them performed live for the board and audience.

7:57 p.m.: Students are still performing ... they're even singing Christmas songs.

8:00 p.m.: Laura Amato and Danielle DeLorenzo are making a presentation about the Sachem has recently embarked on. They said the students have been using the book "7 Habits for Happy Kids." Students are reading examples of assignments they have worked on in school to the school board to show early leadership skills. 

8:10 p.m.: Ten students read various examples of things they've done to be leaders, then concluded the segment with the seven hand signals that coincide with Covey's seven laurels.

8:13 p.m.: The agenda items are being discussed now.

8:15 p.m.: One action item approved is an energy proposal offered by National Grid to transition to firm gas. Schools will transition from temperature control rate to firm rate for a three year period. These schools include Lynwood, Merrimac, Tecumseh, Hiawatha, Wenonah, Cayuga, Waverly and Nokomis.

According to the agenda, the program will:

• Provide gas main for Samoset Middle School to accommodate the switch to firm gas. National Grid will absorb the $80,000 construction costs.
• National Grid shall install 465' so Grundy can convert from oil to gas. National Grid will absorb $30,000 construction cost.
• National Grid will provide a $10,000 rebate for the Grundy Elementary AERCO boiler.
• National Grid shall offer the construction of $120,000 at no cost to the Sachem Central School District.

8:21 p.m.: Representatives from the district budget advisory committee, including who ran for the school board last year, are speaking about costs of summer school, which totals $452,000. With tight financial constraints ahead for 2011, talks of cutting summer school have increased. A kindergarten through second grade reading program costs $250,000 and the secondary summer school program costs $237,000. 

8:26 p.m.: Board trustee Anthony Falco asked if numbers can be presented stating how many students attend summer school because of missing physical education courses, or failing other academic courses. The committee will be looking into what percentages of people are taking what courses.

8:31 p.m.: Jessica DePasquale, an administrative assistant for instructional support in Sachem, is presenting about AIS - Academic Intervention Services. Tonight, teachers were approved as AIS representatives at all 12 elementary schools in the district to instruct during after school sessions. Certain districts needed more instructors based on their numbers. All positions were posted.

Across the board Sachem is spending $88,930.40, DePasquale said. The number is tentative based on transportation and materials costs. "We're working with a company to provide some staff development," she said. "We want to provide materials that help teachers target skills in the areas students need."

8:45 p.m.: Still in regards to AIS ... Administrators around the county are dealing with state standards and financial issues. "People are in a state of panic," said Sachem Superintendent James Nolan. "Everyone has their own unique plan. I don't know if we realize as a Sachem family how fortunate we are to have the people we have in this [AIS] group. This has been a very trying and stressing time because you have the unknown, different curveballs thrown our way at the last second. I think we're going some place we've never been before. Folks are really making an effort for one reason, to benefit our children."

8:54 p.m.: Bruce Singer, Sachem's Assistant Superintendent of Business, is giving a budget update. He said they gave a list of proposed cuts - about $2 million - to the board. "Stopping some spending will put us in a better position," he said in regards to possible mid-year cuts when Gov.-elect Cuomo takes office. They did not mention any of the potential areas that may be cut.

8:57 p.m.: That's it. Catch us next time right here.

Next up: The next board of education meeting is Jan. 5 at 7:30 p.m.