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DP School Board president responds to “unfair” editorial Dear Editor; I would like to clarify some information written in the October 18, 2007 editorial published in the Babylon Beacon that unfairly misrepresents the intentions of the Deer Park Board of Education. Every year during the budget process, the Board of Education allocates monies in a capital improvement fund - a fund used to perform general maintenance and upkeep on the 11 district schools and support facilities. In March 2007, sections of the roof at JFK Intermediate School sustained water damage as a result of a major ice storm. This caused the roof to leak in multiple areas of the school. Our school community expressed great concern over this (and rightly so). The Board decided to appropriate monies in the capital fund for 2007/08 to fix the JFK roof. At the time, the amount estimated to repair the roof was estimated at approximately $1 million. Prior to voter approval of the 2007/08 budget, through written and verbal correspondence, the Board informed the community that monies were included in the budget to repair the roof. The Board was also aware that there was the potential to enact a warranty on the roof - and made this known to the community as well - but that this warranty was under question at the time, as the company that originally installed the roof had since gone out of business. It was always the Board's intention to enforce the warranty on the previously installed roof, and we were prepared to take legal action on this matter. It would have been speculative and irresponsible for the Board to assume the warranty would be valid prior to the vote. Fortunately, we did not have to utilize monies from the capital fund for the roof repair, as the warranty was validated. The Board was informed of this in mid-September, four months after the NY State mandated May 15 budget vote date, the day our community approved the budget for 2007/08. It was never the Board's intention, nor was it ever communicated to the public by any of us, that if the warranty were validated, monies in the capital fund would be removed for the purpose of a tax rebate. In fact, at several public meetings, the Board specified to residents that if the warranty were to be validated, the funds anticipated for roof repair would remain in the capital fund, and could be used for other repairs or important facilities projects. The Board has maintained this position since day one. New York State Education Law prohibits school districts from removing or redirecting capital funds once the community approves a budget. These funds must be used for capital projects and must remain in the capital portion of the budget for the remainder of the 2007/08 school year. If monies in the capital fund are not used in 2007/08, they can be carried over for future capital projects or could be used for tax stabilization in the 2008/09 school year. It is unrealistic and shortsighted for a district NOT to budget appropriate monies for the upkeep and re-investment of its school infrastructure annually. This Board is dedicated to maintaining facilities and providing our students with a safe and healthy learning environment conducive to the ongoing changes in education. No decision has been made regarding the capital fund for 2007/08; however, the Board will confer with its facilities committee and administration, assess our current needs, and as always, weigh the input of our community. Our district is on solid financial footing, and looks forward to building upon this status by staying focused on the long-term needs of our schools and community. The editorial suggests that the Board's actions "smack of bait and switch." This is an unfair allegation, whether it's based on lack of information, erroneous information or mere opinion. The trust established between the Board and community is paramount to the success of our district and extremely important to this Board. We are here to serve the best interests of all residents, and I welcome community members to attend our meetings and speak with us about this, and any matter concerning our school system.
Sincerely, Dennis Ryan Board of Education President
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