Amityville Schools discuss budget; state scores

by Carolyn James

Saying that the School Board members may disagree on issues but are committed as a whole to providing a sound education to the children of Amityville, Amityville School Board President Diane Egglinger appeared to reach out to the board’s minority two weeks ago as the district attempted to hold its first budget review. That meeting was canceled due to the lack of a quorum however, an indication of the ongoing dissent on the board. Absent were Trustees Chuck Walters, Stephanie Andrews, Connie Palazzo and Patricia Cahaney.

"I think we all want the same thing and that is to see the district improve and we are trying to work together to do that," said Egglinger. "It has taken a long time for Amityville to get where it is and it cannot be turned around all at once. We are seeing positive changes, but change does not happen overnight."

While recent statistics released by the state show that Amityville is still a district in need of improvement, the results indicate a steady climb in test scores, something that Superintendent of School Brian De Sorbe described as "promising." And, he predicted that the numbers for last year, which have not been released yet, "will be the best in the history of the district for its 8th grade students," he said.

The most recent results show that there was a 12-percent increase in two years for 4th grade English, Language Arts and that 4th graders showed a 50-percent increase in their test scores from the year before.

In the 8th grade, ELA scores remained flat, but math scores rose 50-percent.

In addition, in 1997 Amityville’s Regents diploma rate was 20- to 30-percent. Last year it increased to 55 percent. And, while the district is not satisfied with that figure, it shows a marked increase in two years, said De Sore.

"I feel good about the Middle School where the staff is working very hard to turn the school around," said the superintendent. "And at the high school we have a dynamic team in place. The community and the Board have been super in providing what we have needed to provide this kind of a turnaround."

In other business, the district has announced initial budget figures, which called for some expansion of programs to support educational needs.

"We want to provide afterschool support in a different framework," said De Sorbe. "What we are looking to do is have afterschool program, 3-4 days a week, with dedicated staff."

The program will provide homework help for students, some down time and one-on-one tutoring, is funded.

At the high school, the district is hoping to be able to continue afterschool help for students for whom the day-to-day resource means a difference between failing and succeeding.

De Sorbe said he was impressed with the requests made by the building principals, which showed a conscious effort to be cautious about spending and focused on education. "They really focused their requests on improving programs for children," he said.

In addition,

•the proposed budget looks to expand the District’s technology program. "The students and staff have responded positively to what we have done, and teachers have been given the opportunity to get training, materials and time to work with the kids and we want to continue doing that," said De Sorbe.

Egglinger said the school board would carefully review the proposed budget and keep it as low as possible "because the taxpayers have paid enough," she said.

"I would support all new initiatives if I believed they were important," said Egglinger. "Change is a good thing but it has to be something the board believes is positive change."

•the District has also hired Dr. Karen Chapman a retired administrator from Hewlett-Woodmere School District to the position of superintendent of finance, replacing interim superintendent of finance Dr. Fred Smith. Dr. Chapman spent some time with Smith going over the budget figures and familiarizing herself with the documents.