HS Principal Resigns
Board & Supt Paralyzed Without Spin Doctors

by Stewart S Lilker

On Monday afternoon, February 25th, Freeport High School Principal, Enid Margolis suddenly resigned. Her resignation, effective immediately, left Nassau County’s second largest high school without a principal and without a plan, nothing new to the Freeport School District.

A source told FNYN that Margolis was asked to stay until spring break and that she refused.

The February 27th School Board meeting saw the Superintendent and Board paralyzed, refusing to announce the resignation or take any measures to advise the community that their gang infested high school had no principal. The district, which long ago traded truth for spin, appeared to need time to run the events past the district’s spin doctors.

Freeport High School PTA CO-president, Organtress Sawyer, addressed the Board, pleading with them to address the problem. Board President, John Muscara told Sawyer this was the wrong time and place.

Your reporter, who is also a resident, addressed the Board concerning the gangs and the principal’s resignation.

Referring to the school budget, your reporter asked, "Can you tell me how much of this budget is involved with gang interdiction or anything that has to do with gangs?

Board President Muscara gave a usual milk toast answer. "School safety is an issue."

Your reporter asked again, "I want to know how much money in the budget has to do with gangs."

Muscara responded, "Nothings been earmarked for that."

Your reporter asked, "Does anybody know?

Muscara said, "Not right now. No."

New Board member Mike Raab volunteered, "There is no gang budget."

Your reporter told the Board, "There is no gang budget. Then I guess there are no gangs in Freeport, either. That’s why the police were patrolling the streets around the high school again because of the threat of gang warfare. And this district doesn’t say anything."

Muscara and Supt. Eversley sat silent, following the long standing village and district practice of never admitting publicly to Freeport’s severe gang problem.

Amazed that the district would keep secret the resignation of the High School principal, your reporter asked the Board, "Could you tell me when you were going to announce that the principal of the high school resigned and why this Board of Education wasn’t going to tell anybody." (The Board sat silent).

"Dr. Eversley, could you tell me when you were going to tell the people that the principal of the high school, which has over two thousand students, resigned? Can you tell me when, and why you need a spin on that? (Eversley coldly stared at your reporter, refusing to speak.)

Muscara, who by this time was confused, claimed the meeting was a budget hearing, and this is something the Board was going to address.

Your reporter continued, "Were you going to tell people in the summer, Mr. Muscara? We had a principal resign in this district. There are over 2000 kids in the high school. Mrs. Sawyer [PTA CO-president] stands up here and says something and you say this isn’t the place. What’s the place?

Muscara said, "I can talk to Mrs. Sawyer after this."

Your reporter shot back, "It is a matter of public concern, Mr. Muscara, when a principal of a high school resigns. It is irresponsible when a Superintendent and a Board of Education sits here and says nothing. I have a suggestion. That is that the Principal be Ernie Kite [the well respected former AP of the high school] and that the Superintendent appoint him as interim principal until you folks can get your act together."

Muscara said, "Well, we are not talking about this.

Your reporter responded, "I am. I am putting it on the table right now."

Muscara said, "Then your time is up."

Epilogue:

After ten years of covering the Freeport school district, and watching it go from an integrated, multicultural district of distinction and hope, to one that is now 90% minority and universally known to be in trouble and a district that just does not tell the truth, disgusted, I packed my bags and began to leave.

As I headed to the door, Board member Joe Cattano told the Board that he would like to discuss the situation regarding the resignation of the principal, saying, that was the fair thing to do for the public.

Former Board President Ron Ellerbe, whose six years on the Board are distinguished only by the fact that he got caught stealing campaign literature off automobile windshields, told Cattano, "Don’t feed into him."

I waited a moment. Cattano was silenced. It was reported to FNYN that after the agenda was read, and just about all of the public and staff had left, the Superintendent announced that the principal resigned.

Residents To Take It On The Chin
Freeport School Budget Up 10 Million

by Stewart S Lilker

After years of mismanagement and decisions based on political considerations, rather than the needs of the district, the school budget has finally toped 100 million dollars for the first time. School district residents can expect a ten percent school tax increase this year. Added to last years increase of 7.7%, residents can expect a two year combined increase of 17%.

If the proposed budget is not reduced, the district will have increased spending over 18 million dollars in the past two years for a real increase of 21%.

District Superintendent, Dr. Eric Eversley said, "This is not a final budget. This is a difficult year, as you all know. We have to be mindful of the additional burdens on the residents by the Village and the County. We will experience a two million dollar loss in state aid."

The Asst. Supt. of Business, Kishore Kuncham, told the Board, "This is my seventh budget presentation in Freeport. This has been the most difficult one. We are required to raise 10.3 million more in the tax levy." Kuncham further explained that the assessed valuation of the district has been going down every year.

Former Board President, Al Renken, said, "I think the issue of a 10% increase in the budget and a 20% increase in the tax rate is something that is of concern to everybody. We have to make sure we are utilizing all of our staff to the ultimate."

The only board member who grasped the gravity of the budget situation and its effect on the taxpayers was Joe Cattano, who told the Board and the Administration, "We have to go to the community and present the budget to them and the community has to vote on it, unlike what the village did with their unconscionable increase in taxes, for which they should be hung. It means that everything has to be put on the table. I don’t think this is a community that can take much more as far as tax increases go." Village taxes have increased 62% over the past five years.

This year, grant money in the district appears to have diminished. As grants disappear, the district tax payers have to make up the difference to maintain the programs and positions previously funded by the grants. The reasons for the decrease were side stepped by the Board president, John Muscara, who didn’t seem to know what was going on.

Board member Cattano asked, "Are we aggressively going after grants?"

Board President Muscara replied, "I assume that we are."

Your reporter, who is also a resident, asked Muscara, "Can you tell me, Mr. Muscara, how much money we have gained in grants, compared to how much money we have lost in grants?"

Muscara responded, "I can’t tell you that right now."

Your reporter followed up, "Can you tell me Mr. Muscara, after spending six years on the School Board, when Mr. Cattano asked if we are aggressively going after grant money, you said, "‘I assume that we are.’" Why don’t you know what kind of grant money we are going after?"

Muscara answered, "I don’t know every grant that we are going after."

Your reporter asked, But you assume that we are."

Muscara replied, "That’s right."

Your reporter continued, "Don’t you think you should know that we are? That the School Board should know that we are going after grant money? I don’t think that Mr. Cattano asked a trick question, do you?"

Muscara responded, "I know that the people that are doing their job."

Your reporter asked, "Are you doing your job if you don’t know?

Muscara replied, "Next question."

Your reporter told Muscara that he had no more questions.