by Janine Logan

A record 2,004 students in the Babylon school district hit the books this September 4, when school officially re-opened for the 2002 – 2003 school year. And despite the extensive construction that took place throughout the summer months and is continuing even now, Superintendent William Bernhard PhD said all was in order when the school bells rang.

"The principals and staff worked diligently over the summer to make sure that students’ scheduling was in place and that the teachers were ready to begin instruction from the moment the students arrived in the buildings on September 4," said Bernhard, at the September 9, 2002 board of education meeting. Bernhard also publicly recognized the efforts of the maintenance and custodial crew who had to prepare the buildings to receive staff and students in the midst of a very active construction project.

At the board meeting, School Construction Consultants, the firm overseeing the project on behalf of the school district, reported that work is progressing according to schedule, with work at the Grade School just about completed and work at the High School to be finished by the end of this year. At this juncture, underground work at the Elementary School has been completed and excavation for the new gym is expected soon.

Other School News

Superintendent Bernhard discussed the district’s goals and objectives for the upcoming year and emphasized that public relations and efforts to enhance the district’s website and increase use of e-mail technology, both internally and externally, would head the list.

"We want to get the message out about students’ achievements and also about our staff members," said Bernhard, who views communicating with the public as an important priority for the district.

Business administrator Peter Daly reported that the district received an A rating from Moody’s Investor Service and that the August 7th bond sale secured an interest rate of 4.36%. "This is an excellent rate," said Daly. When determining a bond rating, Moody’s looks at such variables as a school district’s finances, demographics, home values, household income. The district’s expansion and renovation project is being funded through bonds.

Trustee Janet Lipman advised that the traffic procedure at the high school is very dangerous, with cars and students jamming the roadways, particularly South Carll Ave. and Grove Place. Since the Suffolk Police (the agency responsible for school guard placements) are unable to add another school crossing guard, perhaps transferring the current guard on the corner of Grove and Deer Park west to Grove and South Carll might alleviate the dangerous situation.

The board will hold a work/study meeting on Monday, September 30 at 8 p.m. and a regular board meeting on Tuesday, October 15 at 8:15 p.m. Check with the central office for exact meeting locations.