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Garrison School Business Official Leaves After Six Years
School tax rates finalized
by Margaret Sternberg
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The Garrison School's new pavilion, funded by the
Garrison Children's Education Fund. The surrounding area was seeded
in the past week, and the pavilion will be ready for use on school's
opening
day. |
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The last Garrison Board of Education meeting before the start of the 2007-8 school year lasted a scant hour as the Consent Agenda and resolutions were quickly approved, and there were no discussion items for the Board to ponder.
One item the Board reluctantly approved at its August 22, 2007 meeting was the resignation of Diane Chaissan, the district's Business Administrator, who has accepted an offer with the Croton-Harmon School District. Although some board members were missing from that night's meeting, all present expressed their thanks for Chaissan's services during her years in the district and expressed regret at her departure. Chaissan's resignation is effective September 30, 2007, and the district has already started advertising for a replacement.
Superintendent Gloria Colucci said, "We appreciate all that Diane has done for the past six years...this is a wonderful opportunity for her...we wish her well in her new position, and she will certainly be missed here in Garrison."
In other business, the final school district tax rates have been set. For Philipstown, the rate is $17.29 per thousand. Putnam Valley's rate is $7.48 per thousand. Both towns' rates represent an approximately 5.6 percent decrease in school taxes from 2006- 7. The Board approved a $4,544 settlement of a lawsuit against the North Rockland Central School District, arising from the education of a student residing at St. Basil during 2003-4 school year. The sum Garrison originally sued for was slightly over $20,000.
The new pavilion donated by the Garrison Children's Education Fund ("GCEF") is up, with only the electrical work to supply power to the structure awaiting completion. Superintendent Colucci said she expects the pavilion to be ready for use on the first day of school. A ribbon cutting ceremony connected to a school event is being considered.
Belle Newton, immediate past president of the GCEF, said the pavilion is able to serve as a recreation area, an outdoor classroom or an area in which special events can be held. Mrs. Newton said the GCEF will work closely with the school's Facilities Committee in evaluating and making recommendations on any future enhancements to the pavilion, such as benches and tables or landscaping.
The Board approved extending the bus contract with Hudson Valley Bus Co., Inc. for the 2007-8 school year, using the annual Consumer Price Index posted on the NYSED website to determine the cost. The contract was calculated at a CPI of 2.5 percent, which resulted in an estimated transportation cost of $437,973.51.
A $50,000 budget transfer was approved in connection
with the purchase of the school's new boiler. The next meeting of the Garrison
Board of Education will be Wednesday, September 12, 2007, at 7pm.
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