JULIE LANE PHOTO
Brian Doelger takes the oath of office as the Shelter Island School District’s superintendent. Board President Kathleen Lynch administered the oath at Monday night’s school board meeting with members, from left, Katherine Rossi-Snook and Linda Eklund.
Brian Doelger, who left the district in 2014 as a social studies teacher, earned his doctorate degree and returned this month, was sworn in Monday night as superintendent, replacing Christine Finn, now superintendent in the Carle Place School District.
“I’m so excited to be here,” he said.
He promised new teachers entering the district and former colleagues that he would support their efforts to “do amazing things” adding, “I really understand how special this place is.”
He will be at the school to meet with parents and community members between 6 and 8 p.m. on Thursday, August 22 and at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, August 27.
Board members welcomed him back, with Linda Eklund telling him he would have “all the support imaginable” in his efforts to “really take this place and fly.”
Gearing up for grants
Town Engineer John Cronin told the Board of Education Monday night he’s applied for a $30,000 state grant to pay part of the cost of a design engineering study for a septic system. The proposed system could serve several buildings, including the school, Shelter Island Library and the Fire Department.
If the town receives the grant, it would put out a request for proposals from design engineers who would bid on the project.
This is the first time the state has opened the competition for these specialized grants, Mr. Cronin said. In the past, grants were only awarded for “shovel-ready” projects, he said.
None of the Center institutions has been asked to put up any money, and no commitment has been made “to actually build this at this point,” Mr. Cronin said.
Assuming an engineering study goes forward and concludes with a viable proposal, later in 2020 grants would be sought for actual construction, Mr. Cronin said. He pointed out that while the town had grants for an original plan to provide a system that would serve the American Legion Hall/Youth Center and one third of the school, those grants were not used because a wider system was deemed a better use of taxpayer money.
Library budget vote
Shelter Island Library Director Terry Lucas told the Board of Education that a vote on the 2020 budget would be scheduled on Saturday, October 19, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the library. Details on the proposed budget will be available shortly.
The Board of Education accepted the resignations of Deanna Locascio as a music teacher and Jessica Nardi as an elementary teacher and confirmed the hiring of:
• Claire Read as an elementary teacher at a salary of $67,842.
• Lauren Farkas as a music teacher at a salary of $65,275.
• Maggie Manarel as literacy teacher at a salary of $65,275.
• Timothy McElroy as a teacher assistant at a salary of $42,210.
The new appointees must receive three composite ratings of “effective” or “highly effective” for at least three of four years under the district’s Annual Professional Performance Reviews and can’t have a rating of ineffective in the final year of the probationary period to be considered for tenure.
The Board appointed Jasmine Bielic-Frasco, Chris Geehring and Karen Flint as permanent substitute teachers at the rate for each of $175 per day.
