Mineola Board of Ed Notebook: Jan. 5

The  held a meeting on Thursday, Jan. 5. Here are some of the things you may have missed.

Willis Avenue Rental

• An extension was given for the interested three parties to respond to the rental request for of the extension until January 13.
• “We have to have discussions after I read the proposals and what they plan to do with the building if it’s in line with what we want them to do with the building and if it makes practical sense for the scope of what they want to do,” Superintendent Dr. Michael Nagler said.

2013 Regents

• The state had still not issued the by the January 5 meeting.
• “At this time they’re retracting that it’s going to be a two-week move but they’re saying it’s going to move, they haven’t said how many days it’s going to move,” Dr. Nagler said. 

State Grants

• The superintendent said that the district is still waiting on the money from the state for the at the . The grant total is $150,000.
• “I’m cautiously optimistic that we’re going to get that money since I’ve already spent it,” Dr. Nagler said. “I thing when the legislature goes back in session, we’ll have something more definitive. We filed everything we’ve supposed to file.”
• He added that “seems confident that (the money’s) going to come.”

Construction Update

• The district has fast-tracked the expansion project at , recently . Sidewalks have already been removed, and workers have dug trenches, made forms and poured cement the week of January 8. Architects and engineers have assured the district that it is safe to pour cement at this time of the year using specific winter pouring procedures.
• The is at a “standstill” due to material requirements for the backstop in terms of its thickness of pipe, which is coming from out of state. Sod for the field has been places, irrigation has been installed and new bleachers have been delivered.
• The new art room at the high school has been finalized and phase II will be incorporated into the 2012-13 budget.
• Furniture for the Hampton Street library will be finalized, but furniture for art and music rooms is needed – specifically cabinetry and desks and chairs – which will also put into the 2012-13 budget.

Teacher Webpages

• Over the winter break, the superintendent reviewed the at the to see if faculty were utilizing the .
• “Most of them were current and if the date seemed a little off, they did have work,” Dr. Nagler said of the pages.
• “Some of them are getting a little wise and putting three weeks worth of work up at one shot so they’re covered by saying ‘there’s three weeks worth of work up’. But for the most part the work was current.”
• He added that he had to only contact one teacher to update their page.

Other Board News

• There are still three clubs at the middle school in need of moderators, including the chess club and math olympiad. The club advisor position was advertised district-wide after receiving no response from the middle school. No responses were received from the district-wide advertisements. Dr. Nagler stated that the district would next solicit parents to moderate the groups if possible.
• The Thomas and Jeanne Elmezzi Private Foundation has donated $2,000 in support of the life skills program at the high school to stock the room with supplies. Last year the for the life skills room.