Education

Board of Ed met Monday on bond, appointments, field trips

SUFFOLK TIMES PHOTO School Superintendent Leonard Skuggevik gave a presentation Monday night  on the upcoming school bond vote.
SUFFOLK TIMES PHOTO
School Superintendent Leonard Skuggevik gave a presentation Monday night on the upcoming school bond vote.

The Shelter Island Board of Education had travelling on its mind Monday night — as in presentations for student field trips to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Manhattan and Block Island.

The presentations were made after Superintendent Leonard Skuggevik made a final wrap-up on the state of the school’s heating and cooling systems, as well as the overall state of the infrastructure of the school.

This was in preparation of the school bond vote scheduled for Tuesday to finance necessary repairs and upgrades. (See the Reporter Thursday for a full examination of the bond issues.)

The BOE also filled the post of social studies teacher, unanimously voting to appoint Danielle Gill at a salary of $61,749.

The post was left vacant when Brian Doelger took a position as assistant principal of the Sexton Middle School in the Patchogue-Medford District.

Science Teacher Daniel Williams gave a presentation to the board for a field trip, in partnership with other schools, to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory for students who are doing research into the ecology of the East End. The hope is that the ongoing research will be published in a science and education journal, with introductions by teachers.

Mr. Williams said another goal is to provide students with “hands on, real work.” The only expenditures would be for a bus to Nassau County and back, Mr. Williams said. The date of the trip is still to be determined.

Teacher Keith Brace told the board of an upcoming field trip to Block Island scheduled for September 26. Island students have gone to Block Island in the past, taking bicycles and exploring the Island. Board Member Marilynn Pysher asked what educational benefit the students would receive, and Mr. Brace said there were several historic sites to view.

The students would travel by private cars to Montauk and the ferry company has given the school a break on ticket prices.

Teacher Jessica Bosak spoke about a an opera field trip to Manhattan to see “The Magic Flute” on October 3, “The Nutcracker,” on December 17, and a Broadway field trip for play to be determined on May 20.

All expenses for the students will be paid from the Shelter Island Educational Foundation, she said, and the only cost for the school would be for buses.

Board member Elizabeth Melichar spoke about sharing expenses with other schools for transportation on field trips, which would also benefit Shelter Island students in the area of socialization with other students outside the district.

Director of District Operations Todd Gulluscio said the district was aggressively looking into shared services, by letting other districts know that on certain field trips there were empty seats and costs could be split.

In other business the board:
• Swore in Elizabeth Dunning as student liaison to the board
• Appointed Jasmine Frasco as a permanent substitute teacher at a rate of $175 per day
• Appointed Katherine Garrison, Beverly McGrath and Christie Gallagher as additional substitute teachers at $110 per day for each.
• Appointed Debra Spears and Kerri Knipfing as 9th grade co-advisers at $361.37 each for the year
• Appointed Toby Green, Brian Gallagher and Bryan Knipfing as Running Club joint-advisers, at $391.95 each
• Appointed Marilynn Impastato as senior account clerk at a salary of $48,794
* Approved the Eastern Suffolk BOCES contract for services in the 2013-2014 school year at a cost of $235,178.49
• Authorized the extension transportation contracts with Sunrise Bus for the 2014-2015 school year