Yorktown Board of Education Discusses District-Wide Renovations

School let out last month, but when students return to class, there would be a number of renovations including new cubbies, vinyl flooring, and a playing field.

Board of Education members met in the cafeteria of Mildred E. Strang Middle School on Monday July 26 to discuss the mid-summer progress. Board president Jackie Carbone lead the meeting.

Dr. Ralph Napolitano started off the meeting with an announcement for his report as Superintendent of Schools.

He briefed the group on the renovations being made at Brookside Elementary School, with a total of 26 new classrooms having been renovated. They would be complete with cubbies, storage units, etc. There is also an installation of new vinyl flooring, as well as domestic hot water and heating for the building.

The progress of the Stormwater piping and Habitat Restoration around the Crompond Road campus of Yorktown Middle School and High School was also discussed. The purpose of the construction is to reduce flooding by restoring wetlands and ponds. During the last BOE meeting on July 6, Jerry Schwalbe of Divney Tung Schwalbe gave a presentation on the matter.

In relation to this project, Napolitano touched on the work being done to the upper field of the Yorktown High School and Middle School campus on Crompond Road. The project is expected to be completed by the end of August, with the final construction of piping and Habitat Restoration pinned with an end date of September 30, soon after the 2010-2011 school year has begun.

Improvements for Yorktown's youth are also underway, with the playground equipment of Mohansic Elementary School, followed by Brookside, and finishing with Crompond.

"The work is going well and in a timely manner," Napolitano assured the Board.

Assistant Superintendent of Schools Florence O'Connor introduced teacher and student workshops and summer programs of the district. She informed the group of a two-week summer reading program, which includes children affiliated with the District's ESL program. For the elementary school kids, the program began July 12.

For those students who needed extra help to get caught up in the curriculum this summer, the six-week extended school program at Yorktown High School has been successful, O'Connor said.

Curriculum mapping for teachers have been put to work since the end of June for teachers in the District in anticipation for the coming school year.

Next on the agenda was the Special Education department, for which board members approved to grant parent members for CPSE Committee (Committee on Preschool Special Education) Reshmi Bose, Karen Erickson, Linda Murray-Sheehy and Loren Guido.

For the Appointments segment of the meeting, all extracurricular activities for the Fall 2010 semester, in addition to the proposed coaches for the season were called for approval. All succeeded in this motion, except for two athletic coaches. The issue was that there were two Junior Varsity head football coaches listed for the upcoming season. The group decided it was unlikely that there would be two head coaches for the same level, so the motion was rejected pending clarification.

As the board awaits the start of the school year, decisions were made and progress was updated. They adjourned the meeting to executive session, and the public meeting came to an end.