From left to right, Deputy Superintendent Maureen Raynor, Superintendent Francesco Ianni, Board President Laurie Kowalsky at the Dec. 10 Oyster Bay-East Norwich Board of Education meeting
Hannah Devlin
The Oyster Bay-East Norwich Board of Education voted to let the state Education Department their concerns about the BOCES superintendent’s role in the regionalization program.
“This rule allows for BOCES Superintendents to oversee all component school districts,” said Board President Laurie Kowalsky.
The state education department introduced the Regionalization Initiative to close regional gaps between district through collaboration in teacher recruitment, advanced course offerings and funding and aid. according to its website.
A committee of the state’s Board of Regents agreed Monday afternoon to change the language of a new state regulation to confirm that regionalization would be voluntary and that districts would have the option of not participating in the planning process.
Local representatives and school communities have rallied against the initiative, saying the initiative threatens local control.
Officials said the role of the BOCES superintendent expanded in the regionalization plan.
Kowalsky said the state would allow the BOCES superintendent “to develop and implement regionalization plans, carry out duties and responsibilities as directed by the commissioner.”
She said state education laws don’t allow BOCES superintendents to “mandate compliance” of shared services, as he said was proposed in the initial Regionalization Initiative.
“These roles contrast with New York State education laws’ defined roles of BOCES superintendents,” she said.
The revised language by the regents committee has garnered attention from neighboring districts.
“It is notable to me that they got rid of the word ‘compel’ and they replaced it with the word ‘request,’” said the Syosset superintendent, Thomas Rogers, on Monday.
“It is particularly notable that the department, in its proposal, removed its own authority, not just the authority of the BOCES superintendent,” Rogers said at the Syosset Board of Education meeting.
The Oyster Bay-East Norwich board unanimously decided to send a comment to the state regarding the BOCES superintendent’s role.
The state clarified that school districts that chose to opt out of regionalization planning will not be mandated to participate in finalized plans.
At the meeting, the school provided additional updates on building construction. The improvements are part of a bond referendum passed in 2021.
Phase three is expected to be complete by spring 2025, the school said.
“In three years since the community supported this bond, we are still significantly under budget,” said Deputy Superintendent Maureen Raynor.
Raynor said the renovations are behind schedule due to delays that were “completely out of our control.”
James H. Vernon School will receive new classrooms and muti-purpose space in the next phase of the project, she said.
Raynor said there is a multi-purpose building, named the “Butler Building,” at Vernon that has dedicated space for athletic and grounds storage.
This storage “cuts the space available for students,” Raynor said.
She said the storage space is approximately one-third of the Butler Building.
With upcoming improvements, the school will be giving this space back to students, she said.
Additionally, a driveway next to the building will be converted into student outdoor space, she said. Updates will include privacy gates to protect students while outside, Raynor said.
“It’s really converting a lot of storage and ground space,” she said.
Updates to classrooms will take place in the former music wing.
In a previous phase of the project, the school constructed a new music wing.
The former music space will be converted into classrooms and instructional space, she said.
Raynor said the district will likely award a contract at the January board meeting for the next phase of the project.