At the Oct. 17 meeting of the Herricks Board of Education, Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Bierwirth discussed the recent investigation of students who have been illegally attending school in the Herricks School District, despite living in outer areas. Bierwirth said that 14 prospective cases were investigated and eight students were forced to leave the district.
Board of Education President James Gounaris said weeding out students who are attending school in Herricks under false pretenses is boiled down to one fact: it takes away valuable resources from the children of tax-paying members of the community.
“It’s not fair to the residents, it’s not fair to the teachers, and it’s not fair to the other students in the class,” he said. “While we respect that these students are coming here to get a better education, it’s important to remain vigilant and to make sure that the kids in our schools belong. Those that don’t…I’m sorry, but you have to go to school within the confines of the district that you live in.”
Superintendent Search
Gounaris also noted that progress was being made in the search to find a replacement for the retiring District Superintendent John Bierwirth, as well as Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Dr. Deirdre Hayes, both of whom had previously tendered their resignations. Bierwirth will remain at his post until the end of the 2014-15 school year, and Hayes until Dec. 31.
“The board has continued going through the process of hiring a new assistant superintendent and superintendent, and we have interviewed some wonderful candidates,” he said. “We sincerely hope at the next meeting we will be able to make an announcement of a new assistant superintendent for instruction. It will be a difficult decision for us to make as we move forward.”
Audit Report
R.S. Abrams & Co., LLP, Herricks’ external auditor, gave its annual report on the finances of the district. Alexandria Battaglia, an accountant from the firm, explained to both the board and the residents in the audience that, when all was said and done, the Herricks school district was on solid ground fiscally.
“Overall, the financial condition is very good for the district,” she said. “We see that you have utilized some of your reserves, but that you have also replenished your reserves as well, which is good, because we have seen many school districts that have no reserves, but you’ve managed to maintain yours despite a tax cap.
Library Advancements
A presentation was held during the meeting to highlight the advances in the district’s school libraries; they have evolved over time from simply a place to check books in and out to central hubs of the overall learning experience, supplementing the efforts of teachers in the classroom via high-tech gadgets such as iPads, Google Chromebooks and digital audio books.
Hayes praised the progress the district’s librarians have made in enhancing the education of each and every student under their care.
“The libraries and their media specialists have created a niche for themselves where they’re supporting the instructional work that goes on in the school,” she said. “It’s not just about getting kids to read. Although that’s an enormous piece of it, it’s about opening the doors for teachers so that they become partners in doing research projects and other work.”
