Administrators go from ABIS to Roosevelt
By:Eric Schwarz
The school district last week approved spending more than $28,000 on several summer projects, including moving administrative offices, clearing asbestos from two classrooms and wiring a library for computers.
Moving and centralizing administrative offices at a projected "soft" cost of $5,150 in in-house man-hours caused the most discussion among Board of Education members, who approved the motion by a 5-4 vote.
The board agreed to move the offices of administrators Francis X. Heelan and Suzanne Koegler, from Alexander Batcho Intermediate School to Roosevelt School.
Dr. Heelan is the superintendent and Dr. Koegler is the director of curriculum, instruction, technology and assessment.
As part of the motion, the board agreed to move the offices of the special services staff from Roosevelt to ABIS.
The cost is based on two days of labor and does not include the costs of moving the special services offices.
Board member Dorothy Bradley said the Roosevelt recommendation came so the superintendent could be near the business administrator and because the configuration of Roosevelt School allows visitors to the administrators to bypass classrooms.
Board member Phil Fuccille noted the board last year considered centralizing its administrative offices in a free-standing building as part of a plan to house a preschool at Weston School.
The board ultimately scrapped those plans when the state funding for the preschool was canceled because of a district mistake in an application for aid.
Board member Jeanne Golden disagreed with the moves because of the cost and because Dr. Heelan’s presence in ABIS gives him easy access to oversee grades six through 12, as opposed to being in Roosevelt, which houses the fourth and fifth grades.
Dr. Heelan was on vacation during the board meeting and not available for comment.
Board members James Kelly, Susan Asher, Timothy Calvo and Ms. Golden opposed moving the offices, while the five other members approved.
The board also agreed to spend $16,000 to wire the ABIS library to permit moving existing computers there from other classrooms. Ms. Golden opposed the move.
Administrators had asked for $31,000, but since only $16,000 was available, a color printer and furniture were eliminated from the project, Ms. Bradley said.
Ms. Bradley, chairwoman of the committee, said, "The finance committee is trying to recommend that we keep integrity to the budget as much as possible."
The board also agreed to spend $5,855 to replace carpet and remove asbestos tiles in two first-grade classrooms of Weston School.
But the board tabled another motion to take up carpet and remove asbestos tiles from the high school library, at a cost of $15,775, because it was "not a necessary item," Ms. Bradley said.
In other business, the board:
* Spent $1,650 for two signs to dedicate, on Sept. 8, the football stadium to Ned Panfile, the former Manville High School vice principal.
* Decided to offer the position of director of special services to Dr. Andrew Morgan. He would replace Teresa Burik, who resigned June 30. The board had interviewed three candidates and agreed to extend an offer to one. It is expected to make the formal decision in August.
Board President Timothy Calvo declined to reveal the salary offer to Dr. Morgan.
Dr. Morgan started some preliminary work in the district last week and was not available for comment.