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of Education from 1999-2005. After receiving honors from
her colleagues, she offered something of a valedictory speech,
commending her colleagues for their own service, and urging
them to remember hopes like the addition of foreign language
to the elementary program and a K-12 diversity partnership,
which have not yet been achieved.
Byram Hills Foundation Grants
The Board accepted, with great enthusiasm and profound thanks
to the Foundation, the set of eleven grants totaling more
than $200,000 in value. The grants touched all four schools,
featuring instructional technology like new Smartboards for
each school, and curriculum and staff development enhancements
such as "math manipulatives" and the training to
go with them. A complete listing of the grants will be featured
in the fall issue of the District's newsletter Spectrum.
Together with the fall 2004 grant cycle, this year's Foundation
awards topped out over $330,000, a testament to the generosity
and support not only of the Education Foundation, but of the
entire Byram Hills community.
Other Business
Consent agenda items, largely concerning personnel, were approved
by the Board, and are detailed in an adjoining box. Also approved
were numerous policies, including several revisions and a
new policy on curricular use of non-school time. A complete
listing is available through the Superintendent's
Office.
A resolution to encourage the placement of the 2007 Empire
State
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Games in Westchester County was approved.
Several legal and personnel matters were discussed in executive
session.
JULY 1
Board Reorganization
Each year the Board of Education holds a reorganization meeting,
which includes the swearing in of new Board members, the election
of officers, annual appointments, and other such business.
On July 1, new Board member Brett Summers and re-elected Board
member Ira Schulman took the oath of office for new three-year
terms. Gail Reese was elected president of the Board for 2005-06;
Wendy Gardner was elected Vice-President.
Annual appointments affirmed by the Board include such posts
as the School District Clerk, school physicians, auditors,
and attorneys. A complete list appears on page 4.
Also approved were the re-adoption of all Board policies
and the annual BOE meeting calendar, which is available at
the school web site (www.byramhills.org).
Business Agenda
The Board also conducted some regular business, including
personnel items that featured the appointment of a new assistant
principal for The Coman Hill School, Ms. Deirdra O'Connor,
effective July 1.
In other business, the Board discussed, but did not act upon,
a proposed resolution on "Commercial
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Assessment Ratio." Contract extensions were approved
for three-year terms, 2005-2008, for Deputy Superintendent
Dr. Jacquelyn L. Taylor and Assistant Superintendent Gregory
Carlson.
Staff Reports
Superintendent John Chambers invited the Board and others
to visit a web site called "Schoolmatters.com,"
to review the effort of the National Education Data Partnership
to identify "outperforming" school districts, which
show significantly higher percentages of students performing
well than might be expected in an ordinary comparison of districts.
Byram Hills emerges in this extensive look at data as one
of the very best "out-performers" in New York State.
Dr. Taylor updated the Board on extensive summer staff development.
Mr. Carlson offered a construction update regarding the extensive
projects now getting under way to add Classroom and Core Facilities
to all four schools. He told the Board that complications
on the bidding for the H.C. Crittenden Middle School would
likely take some weeks to resolve. The Board looked ahead
to meetings in the summer on those bids, and others, to complete
work on Athletic Facilities.
Board Reports
The Board also discussed the prospects of its own committee
assignments for the 2005-2006 school year, and spent time
in executive session on several
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