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Schools

Elwood BOE to Submit Mandate Relief Suggestions

News and notes from the April 26 BOE meeting.

Governor Calls for Mandate Relief Ideas from Boards

In response to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s formal request for Boards to give their input on mandate relief via Board resolutions to the Mandate Relief Council, the Elwood Board of Education will discuss the matter on May 17. Each school district may make no more than three review requests each calendar year. Some areas mentioned by trustees at the April 26 meeting included the Triborough Amendment and allowing special education costs to fall outside the two percent cap guidelines.

Saving on More Than Just Paper

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The Elwood School District will realize an annual savings of $47,000 through a switch in copier leasing from Xerox to Konica. Gene Tranchino reported that the district will boost its current number of 8 copiers to 17 multi-function units capable of scanning, file sharing, faxing, printing and copying. Staff will access the units through a PIN number which tracks usage over time. By going through BOCES, the district’s savings are two-fold; the $47,000 is returned as state aid and the lease carries zero percent interest.

Oak Tree Dairy Public Forum

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The Elwood BOE will hold a public forum on May 3 during its work session on the proposed 482-unit condominium development for 55+ owners at the 37-acre Oak Tree Dairy property on Elwood Road, which will require a zoning change. At a March  hosted by the Elwood Taxpayers Association, representatives from the Engel Burman Group had said that the district could see a potential influx of $1.7 million in taxes if the development goes through.

New Math Challenges for Boyd Students

In response to the more rigorous requirements called for by the Common Core standards, Boyd teachers were trained in the past week on a new interactive, web-based program called IXL Math which utilizes a board-game approach. Students who have mastered a subject can continue to work at a higher level while other students who need additional instruction can receive remediation in the same subject. The cost for a one-year subscription is approximately $5400.

Student Achievements

The following students were recognized for their accomplishments both on and off the field:

Varsity Girls Basketball Team – Long Island Champions:  Jacqueline Evers, Meaghan Haber, Emma Klis, Alexandria Koenke, Allison McKenna, Rachel Miller, Tanna Mohammed, Maddlyn Sivilli, Mackenzie Sivilli and Monika Sivilli

New York State Wrestling Champions:  Nickolas Bellanza and James Dekrone

Suffolk County High Jump Champion: Kaitlyn Whitehorn

Huntington Youth  Writes Contest Winners:  Kathyrn Claffey (3rd place, Short Story); Kelly Cooney (2nd place, Essay); Andrew Reinold (3rd place, Essay); Farwah Hussain (Honorable Mention, Short Story)

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