What meetings?

After reading Mr. Lemanski’s informative article, “Economic problems hit local governments,” I feel compelled to respond as a 15-year veteran of the Monroe-Woodbury board of education. Mr. Lemanski quotes the Superintendent of Schools Joseph DiLorenzo as stating “that he has been meeting with the board and staff to reduce costs.” As a member of the board Superintendent DiLorenzo refers to I have to state that there have been no meetings with the BOE to discuss any of the financial issues that will be facing our community. I would ask the public to check the minutes for all meetings (on line at M-W Web site) since the July 9, 2008, reorganization meeting at which time Dr DiGeronimo became president of the board. They will find that the board of education has not had one public discussion regarding our school budget for either this year or next), budget cuts, or the financial crisis facing our country, state and local community. Since it is illegal (Open Meetings Law 103 and education law 1708(3)) to have these discussions outside of the public venue, one can only wonder - if these meetings are taking place, then, where exactly are these meetings being held and who is attending? There have been six public meetings of the Board of Education totaling approximately 13 hours since the reorganization meeting of July 9th. Most of those minimal hours are spent reviewing the everyday business it takes to operate a school district. Monroe-Woodbury is one of the largest school districts in the county with more than 7,500 students and a budget of over $140,000,000. Even so, one of Dr. DiGeronimo’s first acts as president of the Board of Education this past July was to “streamline” the number of meetings, effectively cutting out 7 public budget meetings. On Nov. 12, Governor Patterson made public what many of us already knew. Cuts to Education in our state would run deep. At the BOE meeting that was held that night I brought up these proposed cuts, knowing our district would be hard hit during this financial crisis, I asked that the BOE immediately add budget discussions to our next agenda (Dec. 10 meeting). I have just received that agenda, for the upcoming meeting to be held Wednesday, Dec. 10, and I see there is still no mention of any public board discussion of the districts budget or proposed cuts. In Mr. Lemanski’s article Superintendent DiLorenzo states that “he is concerned that if the state cuts are not enacted now they may happen in the April aid projections.” We should all be concerned. Monroe-Woodbury has always been a district of great academic excellence and superior programs. The challenge to maintain these programs without creating further financial hardship to our taxpayers will require a huge effort on the part of the superintendent, the cabinet and the board of education working with the public in open public session. While it might not trouble Mr. DiLorenzo to refer to conversations with the board of education that have never taken place, I ask the public to contact Mr. DiLorenzo, superintendent of schools, and ask him to immediately begin addressing these pressing financial issues in public thus opening up a dialogue with the community he serves. Our students and taxpayers deserve no less. Theresa Budich Monroe