Talented Students, Retirees Win Praise at BOE Meeting

Linnet Tse, President of the Mamaroneck UFSD Board of Education, said that last night's Board of Education meeting, when the 2010 Rockefeller Brothers Awards are presented, is always her favorite every year. This time, the recognition went to two talented graduating seniors, Anetta Urmey and Wednesday Derrico, for excellence in visual and performing arts respectively.

To read more about the recipients and their work, click here.

Superintendent Dr. Paul Fried also paid tribute to twelve teachers, administrators and staff members who will be retiring at the end of the school year. Many of these dedicated employees have been with the district for upwards of thirty years. High school Principal Mark Orfinger is also retiring after 13 years, and as Fried said, he "will be sorely missed here as evidenced by the fact that we've just done a search and could not find someone to replace Mark immediately."

Last week, the district announced that it was in the process of selecting an interim Mamaroneck High School principal for the 2010-2011 school year. This came after two rounds of interviews with applicants, during which two candidates were asked to return for final interviews. A final decision is expected this week.

Dr. Fried is also leaving to take a superintendent job in Montville, N.J. He will be replaced by Dr. Robert Shaps, former superintendent of the Hastings-on-Hudson school district.

And what would a board of education meeting be without the presentation of a giant check? A representative of the Tiger Team Booster Club presented the district with a symbolic check for $30,000 (the real check to follow, of course) to be used to help reinstate the eight sports teams that were eliminated due to severe cuts to the 2010/11 school budget.

Through raffles, community donations, and future fundraisers, the Booster Club hopes to raise more money to bring back all teams that were cut: girls modified softball, field hockey, volleyball and basketball; and boys freshman football, basketball, baseball and one JV soccer. According to Tse, the teams that were cut were sports that have multiple teams among the schools.

Parent Jim Hanley took the podium to tell the board that the community had questions about their fundraising efforts. What exactly is the amount of money that is needed to reinstate the teams? What is the district's long term plan for these teams? Does the district have a strategy to keep these teams going if the community raises enough money to reinstate them this year? Dr. Fried took notes, but was not able to answer those questions at the time.

There will be a special reorganization meeting of the Board of Education on Tuesday, July 6, time TBD.