Community Education Council 24

P.S. 91 Room 11968-10 Central Avenue

Glendale, New York 11385
Phone: 718.418.8160 / Fax: 718.418.8168/ Cec24@nycboe.net

New York City Department of Education

Visit our website at www.myschoolonline.com/ny/cec24
Nick Comaianni Dmytro Fedkowskyj Dominic Coticchio Ernest Cury Bill Kregler
President 1St Vice President 2nd Vice President Treasurer Secretary

Council Members Department of Education Region 4 Officials

Lelani Bomani Reyes Irizarry
Nancy Carbone Regional Superintendent
Cecilia Chavez Charles Amundsen
Marge Kolb Deputy Superintendent
Marcelino Rodriguez Catherine M. Powis
JoAnne Scichilone Community Superintendent

FINAL BOARD APPROVED MINUTES

Minutes of Calendar Meeting
August 16, 2005
At I.S. 5, Elmhurst, New York

1) Call to order and Roll Call -- The Calendar meeting convened at I.S. 5, at 7:00
PM

• Roll Call – Present

• Lelani Bomani
• Nancy Carbone
• Cecilia Chavez
• Nick Comaianni
• Ernest Cury
• Dmytro Fedkowskyj
• Marge Kolb
• William Kregler
• Marcellino Rodriguez

Roll Call – Absent

• Dominic Coticchio
• JoAnne Scichilone

Also in attendance:

Community Superintendent, Catherine Powis; School Construction Authority

Representatives, Lorraine Grillo and Mary Leas.
2) Approval of Minutes

On motion duly made and seconded, the minutes of the July 28, 2005 meeting were
approved, 7 yes and 2 abstentions.

3) Report of the President

• Nick Comaianni reported that feasibility studies on additions for PS 113, PS 13,
PS 102, PS 128 and PS 49 were completed and Regional Superintendent Reyes
Irizarry has given the go ahead for construction. The money will come from the 5
Year Capital Plan because they will be creating seats. Lorraine Grillo, from the
SCA will explain how the process will be carried out. Mr. Comaianni thanked all
the people who were instrumental in getting this done such as the parents who
spent time and energy getting petitions signed; Councilman Dennis Gallagher and
Senator Maltese were also instrumental in getting this done by speaking with the
Mayor and others.

• Mr. Comaianni also stated that he was very disappointed with the fact that certain
CTT classes opening up in District 24 in schools which are very already
overcrowded will make other classrooms even more overcrowded. He is very
disappointed that P.S. 58 claims to have no room for kindergarten CTT classes.
This is a school that gets early class reduction money from the state, and the school
is at 85% capacity. If you have kids in that area that need these services you
should be able to open up a class, especially in that school. He would like to see
for himself that there’s no room in that school. If 113 and other schools can open
up a closet and make it into a classroom then some other schools can make room
for the special education kids so that they can receive services in their
neighborhood.

4) Report of the Community Superintendent

• Ms. Powis stated that the State Education Department’s deadline for the DCEP
(District Educational Plan) and NCLB Addendum is August 29, 2005. In addition
to literacy and mathematics, the State Education Department would like to see the
following addressed in both the RDCEP and NCLB Addendum: AIS (Academic
Intervention Services) for Social Studies and Science, K-12; increased use of
technology in all subject areas and grade levels; and increased AIS in grades 6-8.

• Ms. Powis publicly congratulated the Principal, Staff and Students of I.S. 61 which
had its High School Now program showcased on Channel 7 News as a successful
summer school program in New York City.

• Ms. Powis closed her report by adding that New York City public school children in
grades three, five and seven will be taking two rounds of standardized reading and
 math tests, one of which is being administered by the State Education Department
and one by the City’s Department of Education.

• On behalf of JoAnne Scichilone, Nick Comaianni informed Ms. Powis that Ms.
Scichilone is deeply disappointed that the special education department at the
Region did not provide information that she requested; she has been asking for
different things from Nancy Needle and her staff and has virtually received nothing
that she had asked for. Ms. Powis replied that Ms. Scichilone asked for some
information that was delivered to her already about the number of special education
classes projected for each of the schools in District 24. The additional request was
by grade and the region does not have that information at this time; it should be
available shortly. Ms. Powis then stated that she did want to mention to the
audience that if a parent has a specific question about their child and their school or
another school in the district, knowing that they might move, or whatever the case
may be, to call the Community Superintendent’s office and they will pursue an
answer. Mr. Comaianni then asked on behalf of Ms. Scichilone, if she could have
last year’s information which she believes is readily available in a computer file at
the Region. All she wants to know is if there are more classes or less classes, if it
improved this year or not. Mr. Comaianni added that he is very troubled that this
information is not being given to the CEC’s Special Education Committee. Ms.
Powis helps the CEC any way she can, but this is a serious matter within the Special
Education Department at the Region, and they should learn that the CEC represents
parents and that we are parents ourselves and other parents come to us with
questions, especially regarding special education. We want to be able to answer
them correctly. Mr. Comaianni further stated that by law this information must be
given to those who request it. He does not understand how information that is
already gathered from last year could be so hard to obtain. Ms. Powis replied that
what has been requested and what has been given thus far, compared to the past, has
been given at warp speed. In the past people had to file a request under FOIL (the
Freedom of Information Act). The DOE is gathering information faster and the
CEC will get that information.

• Marge Kolb asked how test prep will be designed this year. The State exams are in
January and the City exams are in the spring. Will they start sooner and do it for
more months? Ms. Powis stated that it’s a school by school decision. The Princeton
Review program is not a test prep program. It preps for the next piece that occurs in
the classroom and is ongoing. A problem that is being verbalized by the principals
is that it is not correlated to the standardized tests. The last Ms. Powis heard was
that the DOE was not sure whether they will renew the contract with Princeton
Review. It is not test prep like Kaplan for the standardized tests specifically. Ms.
Kolb then asked if Ms. Powis was privy to any discussions between the DOE and
the State regarding the double testing. For this to go on year after year would be
unacceptable. Ms. Powis replied that she only knows what she has read in the
papers.
 • Marge Kolb then stated that last month she asked Ms. Powis if she had supervisory
powers over the LIS’s in the district and the answer was no. After that there was an
agreement reached on a lawsuit against the DOE with regard to the consolidation of
power at the regional level – apparently now the district superintendents’ duties do
include supervisory oversight of the LIS’s. Is this true and is everyone informed of
that? Ms. Powis stated that she has had some orientation to that effect but the
ultimate evaluator of the LIS’s including herself is Reyes Irizarry and after that the
Chancellor.

• Nick Comaianni added that basically the district superintendent has been given back
all the powers that it had before. According to legislative law the superintendent is
in charge of the LIS’s. At any given time this council could push for those
measures. If the DOE as a whole would like to contest that then so be it. By law,
however, that’s what has been reinstated.

• Dmytro Fedkowskyj asked what kind of involvement the CEC could have over the
DCEP? He would like to see the CEC be more involved so that when it comes time
for the CEC to evaluate it we could be very familiar with it. Ms. Powis replied that
she will bring Mr. Fedkowskyj’s question forward to the writers of the DCEP.

5) Guest Speaker, Lorraine Grillo, School Construction Authority

• Lorraine Grillo stated that she wanted to thank the members of the CEC for inviting
her. Several months ago when she came to District 24 to discuss the city’s Five
Year Capital Plan she heard the message loud and clear from the CEC members,
parents and later on from the elected officials that District 24 is tired of waiting for
additional seats. The SCA has completed the feasibility studies for P.S. 113, 13,
102, 128 and 49 and all were found to be suitable for additions. A feasibility study
provides the knowledge of what size buildings can fit on a particular site. At this
point in time all of these projects have been put into design. Architects have said
that at PS 13 we could do a 500 seat addition, at PS 113 we could do 540 seats, at
PS 102 we could go as high as 750 seats, at 49 we could go 440 seats and at 128 we
could build a brand new school while 128 is still standing and upon completion of
that brand new school that will house 630 students, the old building will be
demolished and that area will be provided as play space. While we are providing
all these seats to the above mentioned schools we will also provide all the amenities
necessary such as a large enough cafeteria, kitchen, and a large enough gym so that
the buildings would be suitable for K-8.

• Mary Kern asked what part of the budget the money is coming from. Lorraine
Grillo responded that the capital budget is divided into three categories and one of
those categories is new capacity. This is where the money will come from. District
24 has a very large chunk of that budget and the reason being is that it’s the most
overcrowded district in the city. New capacity could mean either ground up schools
or additions, anything that will provide capacity for our schools. The average
addition cost will be roughly $30 million each. This is not contingent on CFE funds
 because the D24 CEC and the local politicians have worked very hard and very
quickly on this, and because the projects have started D24 is almost guaranteed to
proceed with or without the CFE funds.

• Gloria Morgenstern asked if it’s possible to only build 300 seats if that’s how many
you need for children in the area as opposed to 500 seats? Ms. Grillo responded that
from the point of the SCA, the mission is to find out how many seats could fit on
these sites. Because of the overcrowding in District 24 it was clear that we would
go with the maximum number of seats.

• Nick Comaianni added that the figures are showing maximum seats and as the
school population grows we know the principal could put more kids in each class.
Lorraine Grillo added that by that time they will be working on the next Capital
Plan and demographic studies will take place and if they see an explosion of school
population when we do the next plan we will include or move funds into the areas
that will need it. Bill Kregler added that we will always play catch up regarding
seats because of the number of new homes being built in our district.

• Mary Ellen Ranzie stated that she had spoken to the CEC in the past regarding
PS/IS 87 and the lack of an addition for this school, which was the first school in
our district to go K-8. She cannot see how the DOE can go ahead and build 5 new
additions and leave out PS/IS 87. Lorraine Grillo stated that the creation of PS 87
as a K-8 was done outside of the SCA. We now have to search for the money and
funding to give 87 the facilities that it needs. Nick Comaianni added that the
answer we’re getting back is that there is no money for 87. The additions that are
going up now are coming from new capacity money, and 87 does not need seats – it
needs labs and gyms, etc. It falls under a different category. We are still fighting
for it, but it’s a different battle. The situation is different, the funding is different
and the project will be different, hence a different route has to be taken. We cannot
go through the SCA; we need to go through Ms. Powis, Mr. Irizarry and Kathleen
Grimm. Lorraine Grillo stated that she will take this to the powers that be. Nick
Comaianni added that the 87 situation doesn’t fall under SCA but School Facilities.

Lorraine Grillo took further questions from the audience regarding anticipated timelines
and construction.

• Marge Kolb stated that she is not convinced that PS 49 is in need of an addition.
The school was not over capacity last year and she would be interested in seeing the
demographics studies for that part of Middle Village. As of last May that school
had 82 students in the 4th grade and 75 students in the 5th grade. If you add 6th, 7th
and 8th grade that would equal roughly 240 children and the proposed addition
would add 440 seats. With additions to 113 and 128, both of which feed into IS 119,
there will be many empty seats in 119. She would like to see a plan for what would
be done with the empty seats in that school. There is overcrowding in other parts of
the district and Ms. Kolb believes we would better spend our money there. The
SCA and Mr. Irizarry seem to feel that we have the money but we don’t have the
 sites so let’s build at 49 so that at least we have something. Ms. Kolb’s concern is
that we are overcrowded in other areas of the district and she cited PS14 which
buses students to Fresh Meadows. Ms. Kolb stated that she is not against 49 but she
has a lot of questions about P.S. 49 and she wishes that Mr. Irizarry and the SCA
would disclose what their plans for IS 119 and for the extra seats at PS 49. These
questions warrant discussion by the people at 49, by the CEC, and more information
from Mr. Irizarry and Cathy Powis.

• Nick Comaianni stated for the record that Ms. Kolb’s opinion does not reflect the
opinion of the whole council. He further stated that the council already discussed
and approved these additions when the Capital Plan was discussed and approved.
Mr. Fedkowskyj added that the study was conducted and approved by the Regional
Superintendent to move forward. He added that to say an addition was not
necessary is a bold statement, after the plan was approved to move forward. He
agreed that a plan should be in place for IS 119.

• Marge Kolb countered that the CEC had agreed to have feasibility studies
conducted; it did not discuss or vote on whether to actually go forward with
building additions. She reiterated that she would like to see the plans of how the
DOE will use the extra 200 seats at 49, what the DOE will do with the extra seats at
119, and only then can the CEC make an informed decision.

• Nancy Carbone asked if we are also including D75 seats in these additions and if so
what is the percentage of seats planned to be provided to which Ms. Grillo stated
that an estimation of 10% was made for D75 students. She added that there is no
law or hard and fast requirements that D75 seats be provided with new schools, but
it has been the custom.

• Bill Kregler stated his belief that after the addition at 49 is completed there will not
be any empty seats. He further believes that the CEC needs to get the DOE and the
SCA to build schools all over the district. Nick Comaianni supported Bill Kregler’s
statement by adding that schools are being built in Elmhurst, Corona, and
Ridgewood.

Lorraine Grillo introduced Mary Leas of School Construction and Gordon Tung who is
responsible for all of the construction that takes place in this district.

• Mr. Tung stated that P.S. 13’s addition is opening this September. He also
discussed further construction projects that are currently underway in District 24
such as PS/IS 260 (Roosevelt and 99th Street). There will also be a high school in
Corona of about 2,000 seats but the construction schedule is not available. The
existing building has over 200,000 square feet and will accommodate a nice size
population and will do a great deal to alleviate overcrowding in that area, especially
Newtown High School. Lorraine Gillo added that the Metropolitan Avenue site has
been a very controversial topic and the configuration has yet to be finalized.
6) Resolution #11

The following resolution was moved, seconded, and unanimously approved:

Whereas the Community Education Council District 24 hereby approves their fiscal year
operating budget 2005-2006 in the following manner:

CEC Member reimbursement projected to be $8,500.00

Supplies projected to be $2,540.00
Postage projected to be $1,400.00
Equipment and Furniture projected to be $2,500.00
Food and Catering for School Ceremony / Meeting functions projected to be $2,000.00
School Ceremony expenses projected to be $750.00
Lease payments for the office copier project to be $2,160.00
Miscellaneous Reimbursements to PTA/PA for hosting meetings projected to be $150.00

Be it further resolved that the Community Education Council District 24 hereby reserves
the right to move funds from one category to another as necessary upon majority
approval by the council.

7) Report of the Committees

Ernest Cury, Chair of the English Language Learners Committee stated that there is
nothing to report at this time and that a future meeting date will be set in September.

Nancy Carbone, Chair of the Website Committee stated that there was nothing new to
report but that she was collecting information to post on the website and asked the public
to contact the CEC office with any suggestions.

Marge Kolb, Chair of the Curriculum Committee stated that there was nothing to report
at this time.

Dmytro Fedkowskyj, Chair of the Building, Zoning and Maintenance Committee did
not give a report in light of the subject matter of the meeting.

8) Old Business

Nick Comaianni announced the committees of CEC D24, chairs and members as well as
School Liaisons throughout the district. This information is available from the CEC
office.

Nancy Carbone added that in fiscal year ‘05 it seemed like not very many schools were
using state funds to reduce class size at the lowest grade, as the mandate states, however
in the newest information projected for fiscal year ‘06, schools are now on board and
planning to use those funds to reduce class size in early grades. We will pursue the
matter further to make sure the schools are using the funds as they are mandated.

9) New Business

Nick Comaianni stated that the next CEC meeting will be held on September 27th at PS
58 and further stated that we will be sending out requests to PTA’s to host our meetings.

10) Public Agenda Session

The council took questions from the public.

11) Adjournment

Nick Comaianni motioned to adjourn, Dmytro Fedkowskyj seconded. The meeting was
adjourned at 9:20 PM.