Guilderland School Board
Weisz, Dornbush at helm again



GUILDERLAND — For the first time in recent years, the school board chose its leaders in uncontested votes.

President Richard Weisz and Vice President John Dornbush were re-elected to their posts for another year by all seven members present at Monday’s meeting.
"One could say no one else wanted the job," said Weisz when asked after the meeting for his thoughts on the uncontested election. In a more serious tone, he continued, "I feel complimented by the board members. They bought into my ideas."
Weisz, a lawyer, said that, in his first year as president, he was proudest of having the board set priorities for the administration to follow and of "streamlining meetings so there is more time for substantive work."

Last year, at Weisz’s urging, board members set two priorities — to improve technology education and to start foreign language instruction at the elementary-school level. The administration incorporated both priorities into the $82 million budget, which was passed handily by voters in May.
Meetings, during Weisz’s tenure as president, have been "streamlined" in two ways. First, much of the discussion takes place in committee meetings; the chairs then report to the board. The committees have fewer board members than a quorum and so are not subject to the state’s Open Meetings Law. Second, the board votes at its open session on what Weisz terms a "consent agenda" so that individual items are not verbally listed.
Asked about his plans for the upcoming year, Weisz said, "We have challenges with the facilities report coming in; the budget is always an issue; and we’re hiring a new superintendent."
He plans to continue with the board’s setting priorities and with the meeting format, which allows for "more substantive discussion," Weisz said.
Asked about serving with Dornbush as vice president, Weisz said, "He’s a sweetheart."

Dornbush, who lives in Altamont and works at the University at Albany in financial aid, was not at Monday’s meeting. He was out of town this week and could not be reached for comment.

Monday’s session was cut short by the dark. A violent storm just before the meeting had knocked out electricity. The re-organizational session was filmed for public-access television, Channel 16, by students holding battery-operated cameras.

The board proceeded with the re-organizational part of its meeting as twilight fell, dimming the room, but agreed to postpone its regular meeting until Tuesday evening.

Appointments

The board appointed for 2007-08:

— Linda Livingston as district clerk at a stipend of $5,238;

— Joy Pierle as treasurer at a stipend of $3,508 and Livingston as deputy treasure at no additional pay;

— Norma Henness as tax collector for the towns of Knox and New Scotland for $925;

— Joseph Ferrandino as an internal claims auditor for $15.45 per hour;

— Josephine Polsinelli to conduct bank reconciliations for $13 per hour;

— John Bevilacqua as consulting school physician at an annual rate of $3,000;

— Schoolhouse Road Pediatric Associates and Capital Care Pediatrics as school physicians for state-mandated exams of students; Access Health Systems for sports physicals; and Occupational Medical Services and First Stop Medical Care and Access Health System for employee physicals;

— Dorfman-Robbie, an accounting firm, for the annual audit, for which $19,1000 has been budgeted;

— Questar III BOCES as an internal auditor to asses risk and report on internal controls for $9,750;

— Neil Sanders for asbestos management and as purchasing agent. His authority is $10,000 for purchases and $20,000 for public works contracts;

— Susan Tangorre as American Disabilities Act coordinator, as Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act coordinator, as records access officer, as administrator of Civil Service Law, and as Title IX compliance officer;

— Wayne Bertrand as coordinator for the automated external defibrillator program;

— Sally Dague as records management officer;

— Stephen Hadden as compliance officer for Section 504;

— Girvin & Ferlazzo as general legal counsel for the annual retainer of $35,000;

— The Altamont Enterprise and The Daily Gazette as official newspapers;

— First Niagara Commercial Bank as the official bank depository;

— Colleen O’Connell to serve as the voting delegate to the New York State School Boards Association meeting, with Barbara Fraterrigo as the alternate;

— Hy Dubowsky as the legislative liaison to the NYSSBA;

— Cathy Barber, Dornbush, Denise Eisele, and Fraterrigo to the policy committee;

— Dubowsky, Eisele, O’Connell, and Gloria Towle-Hilt to the communication committee;

— Barber, Dubowsky, Peter Golden, and Towle-Hilt to the business practices committee;

— Golden, O’Connell, and Weisz to the audit committee along with citizen members Steven Kozlowski and Jeffrey Pitkin; and

— Eisele to be a liaison to Altamont Elementary, O’Connell to Guilderland Elementary, Barber to Lynnwood Elementary, Dornbush to Pine Bush Elementary, Towle-Hilt to Westmere Elementary, Dubowsky and Fraterrigo to Farnsworth Middle School, and O’Connell and Golden to Guilderland High School.