Near the close of Monday night's regular school board meeting in Blind Brook, .
Diamond mistakenly assumed a secret meeting had taken place between board president Sheri Zarkower, vice president Glen Schuster and superintendent William Stark.
Board President Sheri Zarkower sent the following statement to Rye Patch regarding the matter:
I can only speak as one member of the Board of Education. In my opinion, Mr. Stark has served the Blind Brook-Rye School District, its students, parents, staff and community well during his tenure as the Superintendent.
I note that the most recent independent auditor's report from O'Connor Davies Munns and Dobbins, LLP determined that the District's financial management practices and financial condition were in very good shape.
Specifically, the conclusion of the auditors stated:
"The School District is financially solid. In spite of the uncertain economic times, rising personnel costs, additional State Education Department mandates, and particularly ambitious education goals, the School District is prepared to meet future challenges. It has positioned the educational goals, financial, and human resources necessary to remain a stable and strong entity ready to serve the school-aged children of the Blind Brook community with an educational plan that provides academic rigor and high standards for all."
I also note that in the past three years while Mr. Stark has served as the Superintendent, the district's budget to budget expenditures have increased by 1.85% (2009-10), 0.98% (2010-11) and 0.70% (2011-12), respectively. These are representative of some of the historically lowest increases in Blind Brook's history. This compares with a budget to budget increase of 9.44% (2006-2007), 6.24% (2007-2008) and 5.68% (2008-2009) for the three years prior to Mr. Stark's appointment as Superintendent.
Finally, as Board of Education President, I want to make it clear, as I stated at the school board meeting on September 19th, I do not hold secret meetings with the Superintendent. I do meet with the Superintendent in my capacity as President to set the Board of Education meeting agenda and address Board of Education issues; a practice that Board of Education Presidents have followed in Blind Brook for many years.
I understand that Board members can disagree on how to address the needs and concerns of the District and its students, but I think that such disagreements and debates should always be addressed in a professional and respectful manner. I fully believe that, as members of the Board of Education, we should be the top role models for the District's students, staff and community members.
Sheri Zarkower
Blind Brook Board of Education Trustee
