PSEG Long Island major accounts consultant Mark Infranco stepped in front of the Sewanhaka Board of Education last Tuesday to present the district with a rebate check for $613,265.
The district upgraded over 8,000 lighting fixtures in seven schools, replacing 400 light bulbs with LED light bulbs and updating refrigeration systems.
The upgrades will save the district over a million kilowatt hours total on its electric bill annually, translating to about $215,000 a year.
“Not only are we minimizing the district’s impact on the environment, we are saving our taxpayers money,” said Ralph Ferrie, Sewanhaka Central High School District superintendent of schools. “We’re very proud to be a part of this initiative.”
Sewanhaka school district’s board of education also passed a 29 point agenda unanimously at the regularly scheduled meeting.
Items on the agenda ranged from paying teachers to conduct the districts SIFE (Students with Interrupted Formal Education) Program at Sewanhaka High School during the school year to the high school’s parent program.
Noteworthy subjects that passed with the agenda were the agreement with Adelphi University for a Diversity Certificate Program not exceeding $12,3000 and the contracting of five out-of-district consultants for various projects, totaling $74,400 allocated from Titles I and II.
Floral Park Memorial High School and Sewanhaka High School had model UN trips approved to William and Mary University and Empire respectively.
In finance and operations items passed, the board approved transfer appropriations within the 2017-2018 budget in the amount of $2,193,810.
The board also passed several items pertaining to agreements with Cullen & Danowski, LLP. in the matters of risk assessment updates and reviewing extrra classroom activities.
The board also accepted a donation of 10 used softball bats from Molloy College’s softball team, valued at $250, and a donation of an upright piano from a Jeffrey Brown, valued at $1,000.
Directly proceeding the passing of the agenda, two presentations were given about the state of the district.
Dr. Kathleen Sottile presented on the districts 2017-2018 regents, AP and state assessment results, of which many areas showed improvements in number of students given the opportunity to take the exams, as well as mastery of subject matter.
Brian Messinger, of the H. Carey High School, and Dan Espina, Director of Technology at the Sewanhaka Central High School School District, presented on the state of the districts security and technology.
Teachers will soon be able to use their identification cards in order to enter the building and rooms within the schools, Espina said, pending the input of that data into a system.
Board of Education President David Del Santo, of New Hyde Park-Garden City Park Union Free School District, prefaced the opening of the meeting to public comment with a statement regarding the continued search for a new superintendent to replace Ferrie, whose request to retire was approved by the board at a July 9 reorganization meeting.
“The board has entered into an agreement with Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates,” Del Santo said. “We’ll be in the process of finding a proper replacement for Dr. Ferrie, and Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates will be available to ensure the interests of the board and the public are intact.”
