The Sept. 18 meeting of the Herricks Board of Education covered a range of issues, from the district’s overall performance to the sudden death of a student to fiscal and personnel issues—even to the loss of maple trees.
National Ranking
Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Bierwirth announced that the district’s high school had achieved an impressive level of distinction in a recent national survey that measured scholastic achievement; in fact, a great deal of Long Island made the cut, he said.
“Herricks High School was ranked 177th in the United States in a survey that includes public schools, magnet schools, and charter schools,” he said. “When you remove all the magnet and charter schools, we were ranked 83rd in the United States, and around us are the usual cast of characters. This area of the United States tends to be disproportionately represented among the top high schools in the United States…Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, and Fairfax counties are a very high chunk of the top high schools in the U.S.”
Borrowing Against Tax Receipts
In other business at the BOE meeting, Board of Education President James Gounaris announced that the Herricks school district accepted the sale of $7 million in tax anticipation notes for the 2014-2015 school year at a net interest rate of 0.234962 percent; Assistant Superintendent for Business Helen Costigan explained the particulars of this deal and its positive significance to the district’s finances.
“We’re estimating the taxes that we need to meet our monthly bills…until we get it from Nassau County, we’re borrowing it,” she said. “The rate is phenomenal, but the unfortunate reason we got such a low rate is because the economy is still struggling. It’s likely that next year the rate will not be nearly so low.”
Seeking ‘Super’ Replacements
In addition, Gounaris gave an update on the Superintendent search being conducted to find a replacement for the retiring Bierwirth, as well as Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Dr. Deirdre Hayes, both of whom recently tendered their resignations; Bierwirth will remain until the end of the 2014-2015 school year, and Hayes until Dec. 31, 2014.
“On Monday, September 29, at 7:30 in the evening, there’s going to be a public community forum in the Community Center’s cafeteria conducted by District Wide Search
Consultants, the firm we have contracted to do the Superintendent search,” he said. “All residents are invited to come and tell us what attributes you are looking for in the next superintendent. It’s important that we get as much public input as possible, so come and tell us what you like, what you’re interested in seeing in a Superintendent.”
Samantha Beer Remembered
On an unfortunate note, Gounaris announced that the Herricks district had suffered a loss of a former high school student who unfortunately died last week.
“Samantha Beer passed away…she was a wonderful young lady, and her mother was a pillar of the community who really worked tirelessly for every kind in the school district,” he said. “I think it’s important that we extend our sympathies to her family at this time.”
Maple Trees Felled By Disease
And finally, Bierwirth noted that an unfortunate ailment affecting local maple trees may result in residents seeing a whole lot less of them this fall season.
“Some of you might have noticed that three maple trees were cut down by the electronic sign on the corner of the Community Center…we had some tree people come in and cut down some trees for us,” he said. “Apparently, there is a maple disease going around, and we’re going to lose a lot of our Maples, and the trees we had cut down were infected.
Maples usually rot from the inside out, and it’s a good idea to get them cut down before snow or a storm causes them to drop on their own.”
The next meeting of the Herricks Board of Education is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 2, at 7:30 p.m.
