Board hesitates a third time

By TOM KANE

LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY — With the new superintendent sitting at the head of the meeting table, the newly formed Sullivan West School Board heeded the pleas of a number of parents, teachers and students and postponed for another month the decision to make intended staff cuts.

It was the third time the board took such action.

To be cut are: one full-time vocal music teacher, one art position, one business education position, one remedial reading teacher, one elementary position, one teacher assistant, a part-time remedial math position and nine full-time teacher aides, one part-time occupational therapist and two part-time nurse positions.

Superintendent Alan R. Derry, who had just been sworn in along with the newly appointed president of the board, Richard Sandler, and three newly elected board members, Rick Lander, Shawn Bailey and Jerry Murphy, admitted that he was not prepared to comment on the cuts.

“This is my second day and I’m trying to find a home and sell another home,” Derry said.

Two of the cut positions involved two teachers who had retired and another teacher might not be available to teach, he said. “I do not have the background to make a decision.”

Derry added further that the picture is complicated by the fact that he might want to add positions in the future.

“Do you think you will be able to advise us in one month?” asked board member Rick Lander.

“I should be able to,” Derry said. Derry has one more week of vacation.

In the discussion that followed, board member Arthur Norden repeated something he has said in earlier meetings.

“We have the money right now in our budget to pay for these positions,” Norden said, referring to contingency money the school has placed in a fund for cases of emergency. Board members in past months did not agree with Norden’s opinion that the money should or could be used.

The board, then, voted to postpone the cuts until the August 5 meeting with Norden voting no.

Later, the board approved the hiring of a full-time occupational therapist and a full-time school nurse.

Earlier in the meeting, the board held its yearly re-organization meeting, making numerous appointments to positions in the school system.

A motion to adopt an all policies and codes of ethics was tabled to a future meeting.